Health insurance and mental illness.

One of the important provisions of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, in section 21 (4), is the inclusion of "mental illnesses" for health insurance coverage. This is a progressive step toward considering mental illness at par with physical illness, which will, in turn, ensure better access to mental health care. In this context, the article summarizes the concept of "health insurance" and then goes on to talk about various provisions for persons with mental illnesses in India. We also discuss some of the relevant concerns that may arise in this context. Whereas insurance for mental illness is a welcome step toward achieving universal health coverage, there is a need to deliberate on various issues before we can achieve that. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Indian Journal of Psychiatry is the property of Wolters Kluwer India Pvt Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)