The Department of AYUSH was set up by the Government of India in 2003, and this was done to raise awareness about the benefits of traditional medicine. Medical health insurance companies are slowly making coverage policies to include AYUSH in order to benefit the common man.
So, what is AYUSH? This term encompasses all of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy; the entire alternative forms of medicine as compared to conventional medicine. Once the Indian government set up the department of AYUSH, it paved a way to the setting up of the Ministry of AYUSH in 2014.
One of the major advantages of AYUSH is the low cost of medicine and treatment. This is one of the major reasons that people are switching over to AYUSH as compared to conventional medicine. Of course, the effectiveness of the medicine from natural methods is also a major reason as to why people are switching to AYUSH.
Because the Ministry of AYUSH has become a part of the central government, it has become easier for almost all medical health insurance companies to provide policies and coverage for alternative medicine.
In the year 2012, it became obligatory for all the medical health insurance companies to provide coverage for alternative medicine as requested by the IRDA [nsurance Regulatory and Development Authority].
Coverage and limitations
Medical health insurance providers offer coverage for all the medical expenditures that are incurred on all inpatient treatments at the hospital under AYUSH.
Some medical health insurance companies have a certain fixed amount of insured money which can be settled under AYUSH; and usually, in most cases, these companies do not offer cashless payment methods. The majority of the declarations or claims are reimbursed only when the insurer submits the necessary documents that are needed.
An important thing to take notice about would be that in order to get insured under AYUSH, the treatment must take place in a government hospital accredited by either the National Accreditation Board or the Quality Council of India.
There are some medical health insurance companies that have already set a pre-determined limit for the amount of insured money which can be settled under AYUSH.
It is essential to take note that AYUSH coverage policy provided by the medical health insurance company is for the cost of the treatment alone and not for hospitalization charges in terms of evaluation or investigation. If the treatment process is taking place at a healthcare facility and not a hospital, the insurer will not be able to claim the payment.
It is essential to read the entire document to fully understand the complexities of the contract as well as to avail the advantages of it.
The Bottom Line
If you are looking for buying an AYUSH medical insurance cover, it is necessary to pay the extra amount, more than what you would’ve paid under any other medical insurance policy. Furthermore, it is important to note that if an insurer already has a declaration under AYUSH, it is not possible to get the same treatment covered under conventional therapy methods.
References
https://securenow.in/insuropedia/covered-ayush-benefit-individual-health-insurance-plan