IRDAI asks insurers to include telemedicine under health insurance policy

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) issued a major relaxation during the pandemic situation. Now, medical insurance policyholders who may prefer to consult medical practitioners online or telephonically to avoid going out of their homes or if they are in quarantine themselves due to the coronavirus infection. In view of the lockdown to curb spread of coronavirus, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has issued 'Telemedicine practice guidelines' on March 25, enabling registered medical practitioners to provide healthcare using telemedicine.

Provision of allowing telemedicine shall be part of claim settlement policy of the insurers and need not be filed separately with the authority for any modification,” the regulator said on Thursday.

IRDAI said in the background of the guidelines issued by the council, “insurers are advised to allow telemedicine wherever consultation with a medical practitioner is allowed in the terms and conditions of policy contract.”

Vikram Thaploo, CEO, Apollo TeleHealth, comments about the news: “ The IRDAI's decision to allow for telemedicine services to be reimbursed by insurance is a welcome move. We also need to invest in creating a dependable and ubiquitous high-speed network and incentivize telemedicine practitioners.

“Telemedicine is witnessing a surge because of the mobility restrictions and we need measures that can induce a behavioral change and foster greater cultural acceptance of telemedicine and help improve access to medical care in India, which suffers from a shortage of doctors. It will help reduce hospital admissions and re-admissions, which will help ease the burden on our healthcare facilities. Patients have shown support to the flexibility and convenience of telemedicine, and this will encourage them to stay engaged and active in their healthcare. Since it will also make it easier for doctors to meet with their patients, it increases provider satisfaction. This will be a boon for telemedicine in India. “