Mental health insurance covers any expenses incurred by the insured in the event of a necessity that requires hospitalization due to any mental or psychological illness; It also includes diagnostic expenses, medication, treatment costs, ambulance rental costs, etc.
According to Weekly Bulletin of the Egyptian Insurance FederationThe person who needs this type of insurance the most is the person who has a family history of illness or any traumatic experience that increases the odds of a person developing such a disease. It is also useful for anyone who has experienced sudden trauma or post-accident trauma due to the loss of a loved one. In practice, in light of the current way of life and living conditions and the accompanying pressures and psychological burdens, any person can be vulnerable to mental illness.
Among the most important challenges that insurance companies face in order to provide coverage to members of society:
1 – The feeling of shame or shame that the patient feels, despite the increased awareness of the concept of mental illness, there is still a feeling of shame that accompanies the patient who suffers from mental disorders and this feeling may affect the person’s desire to search for support or help, and when the patient does not get Upon treatment, his condition may worsen and develop into a physical illness, affecting his professional and personal life.
2 – The readiness of insurance companies to integrate mental health benefits into insurance policies. Despite the significant increase in the interest of governments and private sector institutions in this issue following Covid-19, the price factor still stands as an obstacle to many employers taking the decision to integrate these benefits into their employees’ insurance policies.
3- Determining the maximum annual psychological treatment. When the patient exhausts the insurance coverage allocated to him, he may choose to stop treatment, as psychological care is expensive and may burden the patient, and therefore setting the minimum annual limit guarantees obtaining better insurance coverage.
4- Increasing the awareness of economic entities and changing their culture so that they understand the importance of supporting the mental health of employees, whether through a health care document or human resources management initiatives to promote mental health in the workplace. When employees are healthy and happy, they will be more productive and active, which leads to lower rates of absenteeism and significantly affects the net income of the organization or company, whether small, large or medium, throughout the year. The World Health Organization has called for the need for governments to encourage initiatives and good practices that contribute to promoting mental health in the workplace.
