SC issues notice to Centre, IRDA over insurance cover for mental illness

The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Health Ministry and IRDA on a plea seeking the inclusion of mental illness under medical insurance.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre and Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) on a plea seeking directions to all the insurance companies to extend medical insurance for mental illness as well.

A bench comprising Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman, Navin Sinha and B.R. Gavai issued the notice and sought replies from the Centre and IRDA.

Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal had filed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and informed the apex court that despite section 21 of the Mental Health Care Act, 2017 specifically stating that mental illness be included under insurance, followed by an IRDA 2018 order, none of the insurance companies have been complying with it. He said that this was creating a lot of hardship among mentally ill people.

He added that the provision was not being complied with due to the red tape attitude of the IRDA.

The apex court then asked the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the IRDA to submit an affidavit in the court regarding steps taken to include mental illness under insurance policies.

The development comes amid the raging debate over the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who is alleged to have been depressed before his death by reported suicide on June 14.

Read:Sushant Singh Rajput's post-mortem report confirms suicide