In a move aimed to help mainstream conversations on mental health, Sukoon Health has collaborated with five private insurance companies to provide cashless insurance coverage for patients seeking psychiatric inpatient care.
Insurance companies had been told in 2018 to not discriminate between physical and mental health, but it took some campaigning before Sukoon was able to formalise collaborations that would improve access to mental health treatments and reduce the financial burden on those seeking care, said Sukoon’s Vidit Bahri, Co- Founder and Chief Growth Officer. In the last three-odd years since inception, about 90 percent of the people seeking mental health care were paying out-of-pocket, Bahri told businessline.
The insurance providers in collaboration with Sukoon now include HDFC Ergo, Magma HDI, ICICI Lombard, Aditya Birla Capital, and Reliance General Insurance. Additionally, the mental health conditions covered include bipolar disorder, acute depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, mood disorder, psychotic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
As is the case with most health insurances, here too, individuals would have to be admitted for 24 hours, he said, to get coverage.
The company further pointed out, that certain treatments - those for alcohol dependence, substance dependence, self-harm, and talk therapy – were excluded from coverage and not eligible for cashless insurance benefits. Further, it added, that insurers were not liable to cover pre-existing mental diagnoses under the policy, emphasizing the need for careful consideration and understanding of coverage terms.
Sukoon health runs a chain of mental health hospitals in Delhi and Gurugram and has plans for 40 such centres that provide acute psychiatric care, including in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Mohali. The 35-bed hospitals will provide support to those seeking acute mental health treatment, with a multidisciplinary team, he said. The team included psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, counsellors, psychiatric social workers, art therapists, nurses, general physicians and pharmacists, a note from Sukoon said.
The collaboration with insurance companies for cashless coverage not only strengthens Sukoon’s position as a mental health hospital, but also plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of mental healthcare in India, said Dr Nachiket Mor, Board Director Sukoon Health. Pointing out that they were the first mental health hospital chain in India to offer cashless insurance coverage, Bahri said, “this is a step towards offering accessibility and affordability to every individual in need.”