Its high cost deprives patients of health care... and calls for legislation to include it in insurance coverage
Psychotherapy outside health insurance accounts
Stress is the most common mental health problem, followed by depression, anxiety and anxiety disorder.
From the source
Neglecting psychiatric treatment incurs losses to the gross domestic product four times the value of treatment.
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People with mental illness called for the issuance of legislation obligating health insurance companies to include psychological treatment in insurance policies, given the paramount importance of mental health, noting that despite the increased awareness of the importance of mental health, especially in light of the increase in stress, depression and anxiety disorders globally after “Covid-19”. However, it is not included in health care insurance programs in most private sector companies, which causes employees and their families to be denied treatment.
Doctors emphasized that mental illnesses are less expensive than organic diseases whose treatment and detection require x-rays, examinations and analyses, and then the stage of treatment or surgeries or others, while neglecting psychological treatment causes damage to productivity and professional relations, and incurs losses to the gross product four times the value of treatment, while Insurance experts pointed out that “mental health insurance exists, but employers are the ones who do not want to add it to insurance policies, because it will lead to an increase in the cost that they will bear.”
While specialists stressed the importance of mental health, and the need for it to be fully covered by health insurance for all members of society, whether government or private insurance, noting that the majority of insurance agencies ignore mental health and do not pay it the required attention, while statistics showed that the cost of mental health care in the Emirates 201% higher than the global average, and found that stress is the most common mental health problem, followed by depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, according to the Kenko Index.
Families of mentally ill patients, who “preferred not to publish their names,” revealed that the high cost of mental health care, and its failure to be covered by health insurance, forces them to stop treatment and resort to electronic consultations. They demanded the issuance of legislation binding health insurance companies to include psychological treatment in insurance policies.
They stressed that the average cost of treating mental illness is about 500 dirhams per session, so the cost is one of the main obstacles that prevent treatment of mental health diseases, given that the majority of residents in the country do not enjoy these insurance benefits, pointing out that with the increase in the number of people who suffer from health problems Psychological treatment, such as anxiety and depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and mental disorders. Psychological treatment must be added to the mandatory benefits in health insurance policies, pointing to a significant increase in the number of patients with mental disorders due to a change in lifestyle as a result of the “Covid-19” virus pandemic.
Medhat Al-Sabahi, a consultant psychiatrist at the Beautiful Mind Center, confirmed that mental and physical health complement each other, as there is no physical health without mental health, and mental health and the ability to deal with daily pressures and events has become an important matter for a person to discover his abilities and market himself in the best way. A possible picture, pointing out that the inclusion of mental health insurance umbrellas makes it easier for individuals to access mental health services, reduces the stigma attached to the subject of psychological treatment, and reduces the burdens borne by the individual as a result of reviews and medication bills.
Al-Sabahi explained that psychological disorders greatly affect a person's ability to work and produce, and neglecting his treatment causes societies to lose many years of work, as the total production of society is affected, warning that failure to recognize the mental health of individuals can harm productivity and social and professional relationships, depression, on the other hand For example, it causes thousands of lost work hours annually.
He said: “Depression, sleep problems, panic attacks, and other forms of mental and health disorders hinder work and cost the economy a significant percentage of the gross product. Therefore, enjoying sound mental health at work is vital not only for global and private health, but for Better economic growth too.
Al-Sabahi added: “The cost of mental illness is divided into two parts: the first, the direct cost of treatment and medication, which constitutes 20%, and the second part is an indirect cost, which constitutes 80%, as the economy recovers four times what is spent on caring for people with mental health problems, reflecting Paying attention to mental health is definitely a bargain.”
And he stressed that covering psychological treatment reduces the health bill as a whole, and reduces the total cost of the health budget, in the event that a patient with diabetes, heart disease, or other diseases suffers from depression or any other mental illness that exacerbates the disease and makes it difficult to treat diseases, and psychological treatment for those in need is of security importance for any Community.
Al-Sabahi indicated that psychiatry faces challenges, including the financial cost due to the fact that psychiatric treatment is not included under the umbrella of health insurance for a large group of society, which prevents some from seeking treatment, the societal stigma, and the lack of specialized medical staff, pointing to the need to oblige health insurance companies to cover treatment. Psychological like other diseases.
He said, "In the UAE, the health file occupies the highest priority, and psychological treatment helps the individual realize his capabilities in order to contribute to building society in a correct way, and reaching a stable psychological state will not happen without providing an easy mechanism for obtaining mental health services by including them in insurance services." .
The right to treatment
For his part, the consultant psychiatrist at Al-Reem Hospital, Dr. Samer Makhoul, confirmed that the world has become fully aware that there is no health without mental health, as depression has become the number one disease in the world, and affects the ability to work and the person’s being active in society, pointing out Mental illnesses are now associated with all organic diseases, and lead to an exacerbation of organic symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to treat mental illnesses in order to facilitate the treatment of organic diseases.
Makhoul said: “We are in an era in which every person has the right to obtain treatment, whether organic or psychological, and after the (Covid-19) pandemic, mental illnesses increased dramatically and rapidly, and there became a basic need for psychological treatment, especially with a lot of pressure on Ordinary person”, pointing out that the cost of treatment is one of the most important difficulties that a mentally disturbed person suffers from.
He added: «It is necessary to cover psychological treatment in health insurance documents, and for it to be compulsory like other diseases, especially since the UAE is a world leader in providing high-level medical services to all who live on its land, whether they are citizens or residents, and recent studies have shown that the cost of medicine Psychological economic impact on society is much more than the value paid in treatment, as the improvement of the mental health of society contributes to improving the economy in a way that exceeds any expenditure made in health insurance coverage.
Makhoul continued: “Psychological treatment is not expensive compared to physical treatment. The cost of treating a mental patient for a year is less than the cost of an appendix operation, but the problem is that insurance companies evade covering psychological treatment, under the pretext that mental illnesses are not clear, in addition to the large number of mental patients. Consequently, a large percentage of insurance card holders will go to psychiatric clinics, which is what insurance companies do not want, in order to evade the cost of their treatment.
increasing of demands
Doctors in non-psychological specialties unanimously agree that the cost of treating mental illnesses is much lower than organic diseases, as they often do not require laboratory tests, x-rays, or analyses, compared to chronic organic diseases that require all of the above, in addition to the fact that medicines are overpriced, noting He points out that many cases of organic diseases require consultation and intervention of a psychiatrist, most notably postpartum depression that affects many women, and because psychological treatment is not covered by most health insurance policies, some patients cannot afford it or start seeing a psychiatrist. Or two visits to the psychiatric clinic, which they stop because of their financial inability to bear the full costs.
They stressed the need to focus more on mental health, in order to maintain good health and promote well-being in general, noting that there is an increase in global demand for mental health services, and at the same time, there is a shortage of qualified manpower around the world, which makes access to Timely care is a real challenge, so concerted efforts must be made to facilitate access to health services for all members of society.
Insurance companies
On the other hand, the insurance expert, Dr. Hazem Madi, said: “Health insurance in general insures all potential risks to varying degrees, and the scope of the coverage system is different from one benefit schedule to another benefit schedule, and that mental illnesses are not covered. This is an incorrect term, mental illnesses.” It can be covered by the insurance policy, if the insured wants to include it for an additional premium, just like insuring a person who has chronic diseases before contracting the policy, which means that the risks of disease occurrence are certain, so it is covered by an additional benefit for previous diseases, there is such a thing as initial insurance And additional insurance.
Madi added: “Obligating companies to add health insurance within the health insurance policy, it requires that there be a legal framework for the insurance policy to include the minimum amount of psychological treatment within the insurance mechanism for each employee, but what is taken into consideration is that the insurance policy includes psychological treatment or any diseases.” Additional policies will lead to an increase in the insurance cost, so the current policies provide the minimum and most important treatment coverage, and perhaps in the future, with increased awareness of the importance of mental health, they will be included among the basic benefits in insurance policies.
He continued: «The insurance policy is designed according to the customer's needs and choices, starting with the basic limits specified in accordance with the insurance law, and the customer or company chooses additional insurance benefits if they wish, but about 80% of insurance policies in the Emirates are issued in favor of companies, which are Whoever chooses the schedule of benefits that you will purchase for the insured (employee), and the benefits provided by the policy depend primarily on the company's budget.
Madi stressed that the insurance policy can include any kind of recognized and unrecognized diseases, which include psychological and organic diseases, but several factors interfere in the choices, the most important of which is the budget of the policy buyer, whether companies or individuals, so the matter is shared between the legislator, the insurance companies and the buyer document, pointing out that health care responsibility can be distributed with controls that guarantee the right of the working individual to purchase complementary benefits for the insurance policy he carries, but insurance companies do not provide complementary benefits policies that allow individuals to add some benefits.
Optional benefits
While the lecturer and university professor specialized in the insurance sector, Dr. Jihad Vetrouni, confirmed that adding psychological treatment as a mandatory benefit within health insurance policies differed in opinions regarding insurance experts, as the refusal section was based on the argument that it does not meet the conditions of health insurance, because it is not an organic treatment. Therefore, it does not necessitate its inclusion in the health insurance policy. As for the supporting section, it is based on the fact that neglecting psychological treatment can lead to a deterioration in the health of the insured patients. Therefore, insurance companies must include it in health insurance policies because of its indirect impact on the insured. Neglecting psychological treatment leads to exacerbation of organic diseases and the high cost of treatment.
He said: «Local insurance companies have left the matter of psychological treatment to contracts between them and clients, as it has become an agreement between the insurer and the insurance companies. Insurance will lead to an increase in the insurance cost.
Psychological disorders
The Early Childhood Authority in Abu Dhabi indicated that 15% of the population of the Gulf Cooperation Council states suffer from mental disorders, pointing out that the UAE ranked last with the Sultanate of Oman in the prevalence of mental health disorders among the population by 14%.
The authority pointed out that, based on a census conducted by the University of Sharjah, 60% of the people surveyed suffered at least one psychological disorder in their lives, and the most common disorders were anxiety 60%, depression 30%, and post-traumatic stress disorder 20%.
While a comprehensive evaluation of mental health care, conducted worldwide, monitored the high cost and relative scarcity of practitioners in the UAE, the mental health price index, which was collected from the 50 countries included in the evaluation, showed that the cost of a mental health session amounted to an average of $163 for a treatment session of duration. One hour, and the UAE ranked second after Switzerland, where counselors charge $206 per session on average, and the UAE ranked fifth in terms of the number of experts, and it also achieved good results in providing digital access to mental health support, as it ranked fourth in a global list after Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Experts participating in the study confirmed that mental health care has made progress, finally, but there is a need for more insurance coverage, according to what was published by the “prevention” platform of the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority.
Parliamentary recommendations to promote mental health
This year, the Federal National Council adopted recommendations on the subject of "the policy of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection in the matter of promoting mental health in the UAE", which included the establishment of a unified central database that shows the rates of prevalence and classification of mental disorders, specialized cadres, and expanding the offering of specialized academic programs related to health. In addition to including the specialty of psychiatry in the curricula of medical schools, adjusting salaries, job privileges, and job advancement opportunities for professionals and workers in the field of mental health, and including mental health services and basic medications necessary for psychological treatment in the health insurance system.
The recommendations included creating and developing mental health centers and departments, distributing them in a balanced manner in all regions of the country, allocating a budget for research in the field of mental health, developing effective awareness, training and rehabilitation plans and programs to reduce the impact of social stigma, and preparing initiatives and programs to enhance the prevention of mental disorders with regard to skills development. life, combating bullying and violence, raising awareness of the dangers of substance abuse, early intervention for children who show psychological or behavioral disorders, as well as holding training courses for employees in the field of mental health to maintain health in the workplace.
Doctors:
"Mental diseases are less expensive than organic diseases, whose treatment and detection require x-rays, examinations and analyzes."
Patients:
"The cost of psychiatric care and not being covered by insurance forces us to stop treatment and resort to electronic counseling."
80%
Some of the insurance policies in the UAE are issued in favor of companies, and they choose the benefits schedule.
60%
of people have suffered at least one psychological disorder in their lives.
Insurance experts:
"Employers are those who do not want to add mental health to the policy, because it raises its cost."
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