Does Health Insurance Cover Cataract Surgery?

Cataract remains one of the major eye-related conditions that can lead to partial or permanent blindness if left untreated. According to a report, catraract has affected around 74% of the Indian population aged above 60. To remove cataract, people go for surgery which has a fairly high success rate. But a cataract surgery can cost from INR 10,000 to INR 1 lakh depending on the location, type of lens implanted and type of surgical procedure chosen. If an individual chooses advanced procedures like bladeless cataract surgery, the cost could go up to INR 60,000 for one eye. But a health insurance plan covers the expenses incurred on cataract surgery and helps you stay away from any financial worries. In this article, we will cover some of the popular health insurance plans that cover cataract surgery so that you can make the right decision. So, let’s start!

Top Health Insurance Plans with Cataract Surgery Coverage

As we mentioned earlier, you can prevent yourself from spending towards cataract surgery treatment with a health insurance plan. And you have some choices to make as there are multiple plans for you. We’ll show the Cataract Cover across health insurance plans from Star Health, HDFC Ergo, Bajaj Allianz, ICICI Lombard, etc. To know more, check the below table.

So, these are some top health insurance plans with which individuals can receive coverage for cataract surgery. However, you should remember to look at other features of the respective plan according to your needs.

Waiting Period for the Cataract Surgery Coverage in Health Insurance

As you can also see in the table mentioned above, it has a column for the waiting period. A health insurance plan that covers the expenses incurred towards cataract surgery comes with a waiting period of 24 months (2 years).

It means when you choose a health insurance policy, it will not provide any coverage for cataract surgery from the date of start of the policy. After the waiting period is over, you will be able to file a claim for expenses on the said treatment. So, if you are looking to get a health insurance plan with cataract surgery coverage, buy it during the initial years of your life.

Note: The waiting period may change from one health insurance plan to another depending on the chosen type.

Health Insurance Coverage Limit on Cataract Surgery

Health insurance companies generally put a specific limit on cataract surgery coverage that may change from one health insurance plan to another. Considering this, you should choose the health insurance plan that provides you higher sub-limits on cataract surgery coverage. You should also remember that getting a high sum insured doesn’t mean a high coverage on cataract surgery. Let’s understand this with an example!

Let’s say you have a health insurance policy with a sub-limit of 20% for cataract treatment. So, if your overall sum insured is INR 5 lakh, the company will provide coverage up to INR 1,00,000 for your cataract surgery.

Symptoms and Types of Cataract that You Should Know

Now that you have the necessary information about the health insurance plans with Cataract surgery coverage, you should also know about Cataract symptoms. Identifying them at an early stage helps you in better treatment. We are showing them below. Have a look!

1. Clouded, blurry or dim vision
2. Seeing colors as faded or yellowing
3. Increased sensitivity to glare
4. Seeing ‘Halos’ around lights
5. Increasing difficulty in vision at night
6. Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lenses

Other than symptoms, a Cataract can be of multiple types depending on the cause and affected part of the eyes. We are showing some below. Do check!

1. Nuclear Cataracts
2. Cortical Cataracts
3. Congenital Cataracts
4. Secondary Cataracts
5. Traumatic Cataracts
6. Radiation Cataracts
7. Posterior Capsular Cataracts