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Medical insurance for autistic children and adults launched in Mumbai

The policy will cover most in-patient and out-patient services for patients in the age group of three to 35 years and will include behavioural therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. It will benefit the parents when it comes to out-of-pocket expenses and also help to prevent unethical quack therapy

Medical insurance for autistic children and adults launched in Mumbai
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For the first time in the city, Star Health Insurance, a private health insurance company has launched a medical insurance coverage scheme up to ₹3 lakh for those diagnosed with autism.

Autism spectrum disorder, commonly known as autism, is a range of conditions in which patients have challenges with social skills, such as display repetitive behaviour and speech etc. The condition is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. A 2011 census showed that 2.2 million children in the age group of two to nine years in India have autism.

Launching the scheme on January 29, Star Health Insurance stated that the policy will cover most in-patient and out-patient services for patients in the age group of three to 35 years and will include behavioural therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Their press release read, “In-patient management of medical and surgical complications associated with autism including its treatment for seizures, soft tissue and bony injuries, medical and surgical procedures for spasm of muscles and infectious diseases.”

Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) welcomed the policy and also said that it must only cover scientifically validated interventions as diagnosis and intervention for autism are expensive procedures. Dr Samir Dalwai, author of IAP’s National Consensus Guidelines for autism said that the policy will benefit the parents when it comes to out-of-pocket expenses.

A pilot project to study the model was started by Star Health Insurance along with a Chennai-based NGO in 2016, after which they launched this special scheme.

The premium for this policy is 23% more than routine premium as these patients are prone to injuries, fits and recurrent respiratory infections.

The diagnosis and treatment of autism fall largely in the unorganised sector, because of which many treatments that are not evidence-based, are promoted by some doctors. Dalwai said that this policy may help regulate and offer correct interventions to children and prevent non-scientific quack therapies and prevent unethical practices.

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