In a good news to the patients undergoing ayurvedic treatments, the Government has now issued much-awaited guidelines and benchmark rates for insurance coverage of such alternative traditional medicines.
The insurance cover will include treatment undertaken at Government hospitals, Ayurveda college hospitals, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) accredited hospitals and registered private clinics with 15 beds and minimum of five qualified and registered Ayurveda doctors.
As per the guidelines, 20 categories of diseases will get insurance coverage. These include Greevasthambha (cervical spondilitis, cervical spondilosis), Kateegraha (IVDP, sciatica, low back ache), Apabahuka (frozen shoulder), Pakshaghata (paralysis), Ardita (facial paralysis), Vataraktha (rheumatoid arthritis, gouti arthritis), Amavata (rheumatic fever), Sarvangavata (motor neuron diseases), Sandhigata vata (degenerative joint disorders), Twak vicara (skin diseases), Arbuda (benign and malignant growth).
Others are Arshas and bhagandhara (haemorrhoid, fistula, fissure), Moothraghata (renal dysfunction), Kashtarthava (amenorrhoea, PCOD), Mamsakshaya (muscular dystrophy), Drishti dosha (different eye diseases) and Sirasoola (headache, migraine).
The guidelines specify 20 categories of diseases for insurance coverage with its clinical conditions for hospitalization therapies, which can be performed in such diseases and the duration of hospitalisation, explained Dr D Induchoodan, treatment standardisation and accreditation committee convener of the Ayurveda Hospital Management Association (AHMA), who prepared the treatment protocol and costing, approved by Ayush, Idra and other stakeholders.
He further said that as per the benchmark costs for individual therapies/interventions, Abhyanga (Ayurvedic therapeutic massage) will cost Rs1,145 per session. If Abhyanga is added with Sweda (therapeutic steaming procedure), the cost will go up to Rs1,280, said.
Rates include procedure cost, medicine cost, price of accessories, HR expenses and cost for equipment maintenance, the guidelines have been laid out.
Room rent can be charged extra, as per insurance norms. If the treatment is taken at a NABH-accredited hospital or one situated in metro cities, 25 per cent hike in treatment costs can be considered. This also includes pre and post-procedure cost at Rs75 per day.
Stating that the move would revolutionise the Ayurvedic sector in the country, Dr Induchoodan said, AHMA was trying for this approval through the general insurance council, Irda and ministry of Ayush for several years. Induchoodan, who is also an NABH (Ayush) assessor of quality council of India, said standardisation and insurance coverage are essential for the survival of Ayurveda.
Welcoming the move, Viswanath Odatt, a well known Insurance experts said that apart from curative aspects, since Ayurveda has preventive benefits also, Insurance coverage will help the Insurance sector to decrease further claims for various diseases.