Ayush Inclusion In Health Insurance, What More Is Under Consideration?

In January this year, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) issued guidelines directing insurance companies to include Ayush Medicine for treatment at par with other treatments. Observing the acceptance and popularity of Ayush treatment among the masses, especially senior citizens, the regulatory authority decided to give it the same status as other forms of treatment, particularly for health insurance coverage, and offer people more options to choose from for their preferred treatment.

On the same lines, the Ministry of Ayush, in a recent programme held at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), discussed the integration of Ayush into different healthcare-related services, such as hospitals, insurance, healthcare providers, etc., to make it more affordable and accessible for all those who want to avail of Ayush treatment.

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, said, “A significant milestone was achieved with the joint publication of standard treatment guidelines by DGHS and Ayush (standard treatment guidelines), marking a first-of-its-kind integration in India. This focus on accessibility is coupled with remarkable growth in the sector, with the manufacturing of Ayush products increasing eight-fold in the last decade.”

In India, many people, especially senior citizens, prefer ayurvedic treatment for their health issues, and the inclusion of ayush treatment under insurance schemes would greatly benefit them.

But besides Irdai’s directions to include Ayush treatments under health insurance with effect from April 1, 2024, here’s what else the Ministry of Ayush is considering.

What Else Is Under Consideration?

Cashless Access: The efforts are to provide cashless settlement for Ayush treatments through third-party administrators (TPAs).

Palliative And End-Of-Life Care: Rajiv Vasudevan, managing director and CEO of Apollo AyurVAID Hospitals, highlighted that insurance services are currently focused on emergency treatment, whereas two-thirds of the healthcare sector deals with long-term ailments. He suggested that it is now time to think beyond ‘symptomatic relief’ and work on finding the root cause and curing it. “Ayush treatments are also highly effective in palliative and end-of-life care,” he said, underscoring the fact that palliative and end-of-life care also need attention.

Flat Rate Design: One of the suggestions explored was on the need for a ‘flat rate design’ for Ayush treatment depending on the severity of the disease and strength of the patient. As these treatments can take longer periods, the duration for the treatment should be defined in three levels, mild, moderate, and severe.

White Paper On Insurance Matters For Ayush Sector: To understand the current status of the Ayush system in insurance, the Core Group of Experts for the insurance sector, formed in 2023, is tasked with creating a white paper around insurance matters in Ayush and its present status.

A few other suggestions included creating a separate registry of Ayush hospitals and the adoption of approved standard treatment guidelines (STGs) by the Ayush ministry, along with the inclusion of Ayush interventions in the Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Aarogya Yojana. Overall, the goal is to enhance accessibility and affordability of Ayush treatment for all.