Eight months after the multi-modal therapy for autism was brought under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS), only 31 beneficiaries have been covered accounting for ₹2,40,000 disbursal at present.
Experts say that much more awareness is needed to be created for the scheme to benefit more families.
Approximately, one in 100 to 150 children are estimated to be on the autism spectrum, and therapies are often expensive.
The scheme was inaugurated last May at the Institute of Child Health, Egmore, where it was piloted.
It covers multi-modal therapy for autism spectrum disorder for up to ₹1 lakh per year per individual.
It includes speech, occupational, behavioural and educational therapy as well as anything else that was needed, said T.S. Selvavinayagam, Additional Director, Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project, under which CMCHIS falls.
Free therapy
As of now, 16 private centres across the State have been empanelled under the scheme, which means CMCHIS card-holders can avail themselves of the therapy free of charge at these centres. “The scheme is very good, especially as it covers behavioural therapy. But there is hardly any awareness,” said Gita Srikanth, head, We Can, a resource centre for autism spectrum disorder.
Sulata Ajit, director, Sankalp Learning Centre, said more awareness on the Chief Minister’s health insurscheme was needed to be created. “Over the last 10 years, there has been a significant increase in the number of parents seeking therapy for their children. But many drop out as they cannot afford the expenditure. The insurance will be very helpful for such people,” Dr. Sulata said.
