Does Health Insurance Cover Medical Bills?

A health insurance plan reduces your financial burden by providing cover against medical bills incurred on the treatment of diseases or illnesses. As medical treatments can be too expensive, having a health insurance plan will prevent your savings from getting exhausted in case you face a medical emergency.

Check the list of some common diseases and medical treatments that most health insurance policies cover

Accident-Related Injuries

All health insurance policies cover the treatment cost for accident-related injuries if they are incurred during the policy tenure. Depending on the policy terms, you can get full coverage for the medical bills for the injury treatment. It will include – in-patient hospitalization, post-hospitalization, diagnostic tests, medicines cost, etc. And if you avail of treatment at any of the insurer’s network hospitals, you can get cashless medical treatment.

Cataract Surgery

You may always find cover for one common disease i.e. cataract among health insurance plans. This eye-related ailment affects the vision of the patient, and it commonly occurs among senior citizens. Cataract treatments are covered under health insurance after a waiting period of 1-2 years. When the waiting period expires, you can file a claim for cataract surgery.

Note – The coverage amount for Cataract Surgery varies from insurer to insurer

Cancer

Cancer is a major disease, and its coverage under the health insurance plan is based upon its type you are diagnosed with. As you know cancer treatment requires chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and this could cost several lakhs. And often cancer patients require special care and prolonged hospitalization and post-hospitalization treatment. But you need not worry about the medical bills as health insurance plans cover cancer treatment. Also, many health insurance companies in India offer specialized Cancer Care plans to you

Suppose you are diagnosed with first-stage cancer, you just need to file the claim to the insurer, so that you can seek immediate medical treatment and recover quickly from the disease.

COVID-19

As the COVID-19 cases are rising in India again, it is important to have health insurance. Because this will cover the cost of – in-patient hospitalization, domiciliary treatment (if beds aren’t available in the hospitals), medicine cost, diagnostic test, etc. Also, in 2020, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) made it mandatory for all insurance companies to cover COVID-19 under their health insurance policies.

Vector-Related Disease

Dengue and Malaria not only affect you physically but financially as well. That’s why insurance companies provide you mosquito insurance plans. Under this type of health insurance, you will get coverage for –

1. Malaria
2. Dengue
3. Lymphatic Filariasis
4. Kala-azar
5. Japanese Encephalitis
6. Chikungunya
7. Zika Virus

Day Care Procedures & Surgeries

Under your health insurance, you can seek medical bills cover for daycare procedures and surgeries as well. The following is the list of Day Care procedures and operations covered under a health insurance plan –

1. Cataract operation
2. Removal of foreign body
3. Stapedotomy
4. Stapedectomy
5. Corneal incision
6. Tear duct operations
7. Eyelid incision
8. Corrective surgery for entropion, ectropion
9. Foreign body removal
10. Surgery on auditory ossicles
11. Nasal sinus aspiration
12. Operation on the nasal concha
13. Tympanoplasty.
14. Operations on the middle ear
15. Reconstruction of ear
16. Incision of the inner ear
17. Reconstruction of the tongue
18. Glossectomy
19. Excision of diseased skin and subcutaneous tissues
20. Plastic surgery (if it is required for injury or illness treatment)
21. Incisions to the mouth, jaw and face
22. Lithotripsy.
23. Coronary angiography
24. Haemodialysis
25. Radiotherapy
26. Chemotherapy
27. Ligament tear and meniscus tear surgery
28. Orthopedics and trauma surgery
29. Fractures and sutures on tendons
30. Dislocation surgery
31. Other joint and bone surgery
32. Skin and subcutaneous tissue
33. Skin transplantation and restoration
34. Chemosurgery to skin
35. Incisions to skin and subcutaneous tissue

Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the most common health problems among both men and women in India. Under your health insurance, you can get coverage against – blood tests, insulin shots, doctor consultation fees, medicines, etc. Also, insurance companies provide special plans for those individuals who already have diabetes, such as –

Care Freedom Plan for diabetes patients providing coverage for – room rent, nursing expenses, ICU charges, surgeon’s fee, doctor’s fee, cost of anesthesia, blood, oxygen, operation theatre, etc.

Important Notes About Health Insurance Cover

1. Health insurance plans come with a 30-day initial waiting period. During this period, no medical treatment costs will be covered under the policy, except for the treatment of accident-related injuries.
2. Your policy should be in force during the diagnosis of any illness or injury, otherwise, you won’t be eligible to file a claim