The Union Ayush Ministry has issued guidelines for insurance coverage to ayurvedic treatment and settlement of claims on the basis of benchmark rates of various therapies and interventions. The benchmark rates recommended in the guidelines will be revised in every three years, if required.
These guidelines are the outcome of proper consultation with all the stakeholders including the representatives of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), Ayurvedic Hospitals Associations and the insurance companies.
As per the guidelines, central or state government hospitals; NABH accredited ayurvedic hospitals; teaching hospitals attached to Ayurvedic colleges recognized by Central government/ Central Council of Indian Medicine; and ayurvedic hospitals having registration with a government authority under appropriate Act in a state/UT, minimum fifteen beds, minimum five qualified and registered ayurvedic doctors, adequate number of qualified paramedical staff, dedicated Ayurveda therapy sections and daily maintenance of medical records are the eligible hospitals for Ayurvedic treatment.
Under the guidelines, the ministry has issued tentative list of diseases or disease conditions needing hospitalization of the patients, indicative therapies and likely duration of hospitalization.
SwasaRoga, KasaRoga (restrictive /obstructive pulmonary diseases, bronchial asthma, emphysema, COPD etc) with breathing difficulty, cough and fever; Greevastambha Greevashundana (cervical spondylosis, cervical spondylitis, ankylosing spondylitis of cervical spine, cervical disc prolapse, etc) with persisting or radiating pain in cervical region, restricted neck movements, tenderness, numbness and vertigo; Kateegraha, gridhrasi, kateesoolatrikapri stakateegraha, (sciatica, low back pain/ache, I.V.D.P, spondylolysthesis etc) with persistent or radiating back pain, restricted movements of low back/ hip region, tenderness, and burning sensation; Apabahuka, Viswachi (frozen shoulder, periarthritis, tendinitis, brachial neuralgia etc) with radiating or local pain in shoulder region restricted shoulder movements, tenderness, numbness and muscle wasting; pakshaghata (paralysis, hemiplegia, hemiparesis etc) with weakness of one side of the body, stiffness of muscles, muscle weakness, numbness, pain, tremor and difficulty in speech are some of the diseases or disease conditions needing hospitalization of the patients as per the guidelines.
The guidelines have also laid down indicated therapies required as per the condition of patient; likely duration of hospitalization; and also the benchmark rates of therapies/interventions for calculating treatment expenditure to settle insurance claims.