Lok Sabha Question No. 288 (STARRED), answered on 2025-08-08
Subject: Inclusion of AYUSH Treatment under Health Insurance
Ministry: AYUSH
Asked by: Dr. Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 288

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 08 TH  AUGUST 2025

## 'Inclusion of AYUSH Treatment under Health Insurance'

## 288. Dr. Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy:

Will the Minister of Ayush be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the Government  is  leveraging  the  recent global  developments  including agreement between India and WHO to mainstream traditional medicine globally through the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICH) along with the inclusion of traditional medicine in ICD-11 to accelerate the process of transparent billing, fair pricing and smoother integration of AYUSH treatments in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to formulate/develop any specific policy changes and regulatory  frameworks  to  encourage  private  insurance  companies  to  cover  AYUSH treatments comprehensively; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYUSH (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

- (a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## THE  STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO. 288 FOR 08 TH  AUGUST 2025.

(a) and (b) In the light of recent global developments, significant progress has been made to mainstream Traditional systems of Medicine globally. An agreement was signed with World Health Organization (WHO) on 11.02.2020, which led to launch of ICD-11 Module 2 by WHO in Delhi on January 10, 2024. As a result, morbidity codes for Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani systems  have  now  been  incorporated  into  the  International  Classification  of  Diseases.  The morbidity codes for Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani systems in ICD-11 facilitates the systematic recording and analysis of diagnosis in traditional medicine, helping to integrate these systems into mainstream healthcare and policymaking.

Additionally, a landmark agreement between India and the WHO has been signed on May 24, 2025 towards developing Traditional Medicine intervention categories and index for the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI), with a holistic approach and focus on Traditional Medicine systems viz, Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani. The agreement marks the  beginning  of  work  on  a  dedicated  Traditional  Medicine  module  under  the  ICHI.  This development aligns with India's vision of bringing its rich heritage of traditional wisdom into the  global  healthcare  mainstream,  backed  by  scientific  classification  and  international standards.

(c) and (d) Ministry of Ayush has constituted a Core Group of experts for Insurance Sector including the representatives from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI),  General  Insurance  Council  (GIC),  General  Insurance  Public  Sector  Association (GIPSA),  Insurance  Information  Bureau  of  India  (IIBI)  and  a  committee  for  revision  of guidelines for Insurance coverage of Ayush Treatments and settlement of claims on the basis of benchmark rates of various therapies/interventions.

Considering  the  growing  demand  for  Ayush  treatment,  IRDAI  vide  letter  noIRDAI/HLT/CIR/GDL/31/01/2024 dated 31/01/2024 has advised to place Ayush Treatments at par with other treatments for the purpose of health insurance so as to provide an option for the policyholders to choose treatment of their choice. IRDAI also advised that all the policies to contain the quality parameters as well as procedures for enrolling Ayush Hospitals and Day Care Centres as network providers for the purpose of providing cashless facility.

Further, Ministry of Ayush has organized five sensitization programmes for General Insurance Companies and Ayush stakeholders with regard to coverage of Ayush treatment in the insurance sector at the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA), Jamnagar, All  India  Institute  of  Ayurveda  (AIIA),  New  Delhi,  National  Institute  of  Unani  Medicine (NIUM), Bangalore, National Institute of Siddha (NIS), Chennai and  National Institute of Homoeopathy (NIH), Kolkata till date.

IIBI has a platform called as ROHINI (Registry of Hospitals in Network of Insurance) where Ayush Hospitals may register and access the Insurers for Insurance Coverage.

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