According to the National Mental Health Survey 2016, close to 14% of India's population requires active mental health interventions.

However, with the cost of therapy, medication, and hospitalisation on the rise, affording adequate treatment is far from easy. And so, people turn to their Health Insurance policies in hopes that some of their expenses might get covered. But they are usually disappointed.

Even though the IRDAI has stated that insurance is liable to cover mental illnesses just like physical ailments, it is estimated that around 99 percent of retail insurance policies do not comply.

But, what about Group Insurance policies?

Well, things might be taking a favourable turn in that vein.

According to a report by Business Standard, AXA, a French multinational insurance company, is set to launch India’s first-ever mental health insurance cover in its group policies.

The policy, to be launched on 1 July in collaboration with AXA’s Indian insurance partners, will reportedly provide:

• A ₹25,000 cover for virtual consultations with therapists, psychologists, or life coaches
• A ₹1 Lakh cover for hospitalisation
• Free mental health assessment tests as recommended by the WHO
  

Group Health Insurance policies have always kept mental health coverage out of their scope, marking it a strict exclusion. Hopefully, AXA’s new endeavour, being the first-ever standalone product of this nature, can change this.

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Further Reading

Read more: What does Group Hospicash Insurance cover?