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Insurance industry experts in the UAE have called for the enactment of a law requiring the inclusion of mental health care products in insurance policies, with more than 80% of the workforce wanting include mental health in insurance, especially since the health consequences of illnesses and psychological problems impose additional costs on employers represented by reduced productivity and increased employee turnover rates , highlighting the need to raise awareness about mental health, whose cost of lost productivity at work due to inattentiveness globally reaches $ 1 trillion per year, according to World Health Organization estimates. Several insurance companies in the local market have confirmed that the Corona pandemic has brought mental health back to the fore. Because of its health, social and economic impacts.
وشهدت السنوات القليلة الماضية زيادة في الوعي بأهمية الصحة النفسية على مستوى العالم, لاسيما في ظل الاضطرابات النفسية مثل الضغط والاكتئاب والقلق التي ازدادت عالميا بشكل كبير مع تفشي جائحة “كوفيد 19” العام الماضي, ما أدى إلى ارتفاع الطلب على تغطية الصحة النفسية ضمن مزايا Health insurance.
No insurance coverage
Psychological treatments are not currently covered by insurance locally, in the absence of a law binding them, and therefore insurance products that cover mental health are not widely used, and there is no There are no statistics available that determine the number of beneficiaries of health insurance, which includes mental health coverage, but sources confirmed to “The Statement” that health authorities recently sent a survey to gather this information from insurance companies; In an attempt to get more complete information on mental health insurance coverage in health insurance products, while other sources expected that the products, if launched, would not include not the current fonts, but the new ones.
Experts felt the UAE was at the forefront of countries in the Middle East and North Africa, which move in the direction of urging companies to cover mental disorders, in order to change the characteristics mental health for those who need it. They underlined that the Federal National Council has completed the preparation of a bill on mental health, in a qualitative shift in the organization and preservation of the rights of demonstrators to care in secrecy guaranteed by law.
recent poll
A recent survey by the insurance company “Atna” found that more than 80% of the workforce in the UAE want to include mental health in insurance, especially with remote workers suffering from problems. isolation and frontline workers with a variety of stresses. provoking factors.
educate
Olfa Khishin, Regional Director of Health and Quality of Life Affairs at AXA Gulf Insurance, underlined the importance of approaching mental health from a global perspective, starting with educating and sensitizing individuals, empowering them and providing all the necessary support. to control matters of concern, before they are affected. It turns into a chronic illness.
She added: “Since 2019, we have been working to improve our services and offerings and, as a result, we have made psychiatric care available to members of our network through the health insurance products of the company. Today, AXA health insurance includes treatment options for inpatients, outpatients and outpatients, as well as all forms of diagnosable mental health disorders or conditions, within the many insurance plans available. ‘it offers, and finally, the service (MindSet) was launched to be the first pillar. into a feature-rich insurance offering that supports over 62,000 members in the region.
labor productivity
On the relationship between mental health and productivity at work, Khishin said, “Indeed, many international studies have shown a relationship between mental health and productivity at work. There is a significant economic impact in terms of impact of psychological problems, such as depression and anxiety, on employee productivity. Harassment and bullying, which are frequently reported in the workplace, can have a significant negative impact on mental health. health impose additional costs on employers in terms of reduced productivity and increased turnover. ”
The main challenges
On the most important challenges that insurance companies face in providing coverage to members of society, and the best suitable solutions to overcome these challenges, Khishin said, “One of the biggest challenges associated with the mental illness may be the stigma that the patient feels, whether social or personal. Despite the growing public awareness of the various conditions of mental illness today, the stigma associated with mental disorders or mental health is still so common that it can even affect a person’s desire to seek support or help. ugly. When a patient does not receive treatment, their condition can worsen and progress to physical illness, affecting their professional and personal life.
She continued, “The other challenge is the level of awareness or willingness to integrate mental health benefits into insurance policies. Despite the significant increase in the interest of governments and private sector institutions in this issue after the outbreak of the “Covid 19” epidemic, the price factor still hinders the decision of many employers to integrate these benefits. in the insurance of their employees. Strategies. Therefore, we need a regulatory decision requiring companies to provide these benefits. “
And she concluded: “Finally, there must be a law which determines the annual maximum of psychological treatment. When a patient exhausts the insurance coverage which is allocated to him, he can choose to stop the treatment, because the care psychological treatments are costly and can burden the patient, which prevents many patients from continuing their treatment. To avoid this problem, it would be useful to regulate the prices of psychiatric and psychotherapeutic consultations. There is no doubt that the regulation of the prices of psychiatric and psychotherapeutic consultations and the fixing of the annual minimum guaranteeing the obtaining of better care are important priorities which must be taken into account.
corporate culture
Laura Alvarez Gerstein, head of benefits at AXA Gulf, said that while insurance coverage for psychotherapy can help employees avoid the high costs of this type of treatment, supporting employee mental health is something that should derive from the culture of the company, whether through the healthcare document or the human resource management initiatives of the company. WHO and governments encourage initiatives and good practices that contribute to the promotion of mental health in the workplace.
And she continued, “Insurance companies undoubtedly have an important role to play in helping employers and human resources staff promote mental health in the workplace. When employees are healthy and happy, they will be more productive and active, leading to lower absenteeism rates and significantly affecting the bottom line of the organization or business, whether small or large. or average, throughout the year.
promising signs
Gerstein confirmed the interest of government agencies in the United Arab Emirates in this issue even before the outbreak of the “Corona” pandemic. And she said: “We have seen an increase in employer interest in this issue prior to the Corona virus.” Today, this has become a top priority for most employers, and we are starting to see a shift in people’s mindsets and a move towards a prior search for emotional and psychological support. During the period of the pandemic, we were – and still are – to implement additional initiatives to raise awareness of the importance of mental health by emphasizing specialized communications and facilitating access to free seminars on mental health. network members in the best possible way in this regard.
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