Expand insurance coverage to include mental healthcare

WORLD Mental Health Day falls on Oct 10 every year. In 2021, we urge that private health insurance in Malaysia be expanded to cover and reimburse payments made for mental healthcare services. This will increase access to affordable mental healthcare services and place Malaysia on par with many developed countries. Then it will be a meaningful celebration of World Mental Health Day 2021 for Malaysia.

The figures for mental health are staggering. According to the Malaysian Institute of Public Health, the number of Malaysians with anxiety, depression or other mental health conditions tripled between 1996 and 2016, now affecting 29% of all Malaysians (or approximately 10 million people). This tripling is significant as mental healthcare services are estimated to cost the Malaysian economy more than RM14bil a year, according to a study published in The Lancet in 2018. The Covid-19 pandemic is certain to have worsened the mental health situation, although no official information has been released yet.