SC notice to Centre, IRDA on plea to extend medical insurance for treatment of mental illness

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Central government and Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) on a PIL seeking directions to insurance companies to extend medical insurance for the treatment of mental illness.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman and also comprising Justice Navin Sinha and Justice BR Gavai issued notice to the Centre and IRDA while hearing a plea filed by lawyer Gaurav Kumar Bansal.

The public interest litigation (PIL) submitted that despite Section 21 of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, specifically stating the same, followed by an IRDA order dated August 2018, none of the insurance companies are complying with it.

Section 21 of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, holds that every person with mental illness shall be treated as equal to persons with physical illness in the provision of all healthcare.

-ANI

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