**Executive Summary:**
The Ministry of AYUSH is working to integrate traditional medicine into global healthcare by leveraging agreements with the WHO, including the incorporation of AYUSH morbidity codes into ICD11. Efforts are underway to encourage insurance coverage for AYUSH treatments in India, with IRDAI advising insurers to treat AYUSH on par with other treatments and including quality parameters for enrolling AYUSH hospitals for cashless facilities. The ministry has also held sensitization programs for insurance companies and AYUSH stakeholders to promote insurance coverage.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Global Integration of Traditional Medicine:**
* An agreement with the WHO on 11.02.2020 led to the launch of ICD11 Module 2 in Delhi on January 10, 2024, incorporating morbidity codes for Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani systems.
* An agreement was signed on May 24, 2025, with the WHO to develop Traditional Medicine intervention categories and an index for the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI).
* **Insurance Coverage for AYUSH Treatments:**
* A Core Group of experts, including representatives from IRDAI, GIC, GIPSA, and IIBI, has been formed to revise guidelines for insurance coverage of AYUSH treatments.
* IRDAI advised on 31.01.2024 to treat AYUSH treatments at par with other treatments for health insurance purposes.
* IRDAI advised including quality parameters and procedures for enrolling AYUSH Hospitals and Day Care Centres as network providers for cashless facilities.
* **Sensitization and Registration:**
* Five sensitization programs have been organized for General Insurance Companies and AYUSH stakeholders across various institutes (ITRA, AIIA, NIUM, NIS, NIH).
* IIBI has a platform called ROHINI (Registry of Hospitals in Network of Insurance) for Ayush Hospitals to register and access Insurers for Insurance Coverage.
**Impact Analysis**
* **AYUSH Practitioners and Hospitals:**
* *Impact:* Increased recognition and potential for wider acceptance and integration into mainstream healthcare; potential for increased patient volume through insurance coverage.
* *Action Required:* Register on the ROHINI platform and adhere to quality parameters for enrollment as network providers for insurance companies.
* **Insurance Companies:**
* *Impact:* Need to update policies to include AYUSH treatments at par with other treatments and establish procedures for cashless facilities at AYUSH hospitals.
* *Action Required:* Revise policies, enroll AYUSH hospitals and day care centers as network providers, and participate in sensitization programs.
* **Policyholders/Patients:**
* *Impact:* Increased choice in treatment options covered by insurance, potentially lower out-of-pocket expenses for AYUSH treatments.
* *Action Required:* Understand the terms and conditions of their insurance policies regarding AYUSH treatment coverage.
* **Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI):**
* *Impact:* Oversight of insurance companies to ensure compliance with guidelines for AYUSH treatment coverage.
* *Action Required:* Monitor and enforce the implementation of guidelines for including AYUSH treatments in health insurance policies.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Ayush: The Indian government ministry responsible for the development and promotion of AYUSH systems of medicine.
World Health Organization (WHO): An international organization working on international public health.
International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI): A classification system for health interventions, being developed with a dedicated module for traditional medicine.
ICD11: The 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, which now includes morbidity codes for Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani systems.
Ayurveda: A traditional system of medicine originating in India.
Siddha: A traditional system of medicine originating in South India.
Unani: A traditional system of medicine originating in ancient Greece and further developed in the Middle East and South Asia.
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI): The regulatory body for the insurance industry in India.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AYUSH
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 288
TO BE ANSWERED ON 08TH 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.
1THE STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED
QUESTION NO. 288 FOR 08TH 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 no-
IRDAI/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.
2Further, 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.
*****
3