Karachi PakistanAnd the November 26th – Aga Khan University issued the following press release:
Kenya It has made steady progress in providing mental health services to its residents, but some areas require more work. Aga Khan University Brain and Mind Institute (BMI), in partnership with Kenya Mental Health Alliance (MHAK), an advisory forum with stakeholders, including insurers, regulators, policyholders, the private sector, academia, government and not-for-profit organizations, to hold a round-table discussion on how to improve efficiency in the insurance sector with regard to mental health.
Access to quality insurance for people with certain mental illnesses remains a challenge. Many insurance policies do not cover pre-existing conditions until after a year. For example, some private insurance plans do not cover neurodevelopmental disorders for single cover holders. In addition, all insurance providers have clauses that expressly exclude suicide victims or attempted suicide survivors from insurance claims or coverage.
“Mental health is a human right, and people with mental illness should not be subjected to unnecessary barriers to accessing care,” said the professor. Zul MiraliFounding Director of BMI.
The social and economic advancement of people with mental illnesses is affected, and this occurs due to decreased productivity, strained relationships, and cycles of deprivation and poverty. The health, quality of life, and life expectancy of people with mental health disorders can be improved through investments in mental health, which can also reduce suffering.
“Treatment of mental illness has an actual return to the economy. Therefore, we must view mental health coverage as an investment rather than an expenditure,” said Professor Lokwe Atoli, Associate Director and Dean at BMI. Faculty of medicineAnd the East African Aga Khan University.
Whereas the newly signed Mental Health (Amendment) Bill provides that “a person with a mental illness has the right to obtain medical insurance for treatment from public or private health insurance providers.” Clearly, there is a gap between practice and policy.
d said. Nasser OmarAnd the mental health system and Policy Leader, Department of Health.
Insurance that limits mental health conditions includes ordinary life, which has no coverage or extension; group life which commands a higher premium; medical, which gives less benefit; and group personal accidents with potential claim denials and subsidiary limits.
The professor said: “We need to explore other options for ensuring mental health coverage. For example, insurers could start testing excluded mental health coverage and use the data generated after a while to make a more informed decision.” Zul Mirali.
The forum aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of claims solutions for users of psychiatric services and to review the insurance status in relation to mental health services in Kenya. Stakeholders also explored ways to bridge the gap between policy and practice and conducted comparative studies of best practices.
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Original text here: https://www.aku.edu/news/Pages/News_Details.aspx?nid=NEWS-002887
