A large portion of northern India, and now Mumbai, too, is covered in a toxic haze. Air pollution has reached harmful levels, and it is not uncommon to witness individuals suffering as a result. India is ranked eighth out of the ten most polluted countries in the world. According to the World Air Quality Index Report 2023, air pollution has been steadily increasing and is predicted to cause 7 million fatalities every year.
Air pollution is a common cause of illness and a common driving factor behind asthma, cancer, and even heart disease. Not just that, it can also cause respiratory/bronchial blockages, lung cancer, cardiovascular illness, stroke, and acute respiratory infections. According to WHO research, environmental risks account for 12% of the worldwide illness burden, with air pollution ranking #1. At the same time, pollution-related health issues are on the rise due to the ever-increasing serious AQIs in northern states and some southern portions of India. As of now, the health insurance sector in India does not offer any product that caters to the specific ailments arising from the severity of pollution.
How can your existing health insurance policy help you with high AQI?
As previously stated, increased levels of air pollution can have a major short- and long-term influence on an individual’s health. Severe air pollution increases the risk of health problems such as dyspnea, lung infections, and heart disease. Such health conditions might have a significant financial impact. While some illnesses necessitate emergency hospitalization, others necessitate ongoing, long-term health interventions. To deal with the financial load of healthcare difficulties, you should have a comprehensive health insurance policy. People need secure coverage with a minimum of 10 lakhs per family member to get a one crore coverage.
Though no focused health products exist, you can use your existing health insurance benefits if you require medical care. These medical issues are typically treated at the OPD (Out-Patient Department) level, so policies that include OPD coverage can be beneficial. If someone has pre-existing cardiac difficulties and critical illness coverage, they can use it if the severe smog exacerbates their condition and the waiting period in health insurance has passed.
Pollution poses health risks such as chronic lung disease, strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, and even lung cancer. Some health insurance policies cover critical illness conditions like these, providing policyholders with financial protection against the uncertainty of medical bills.
Individuals should consider a comprehensive health insurance policy that includes OPD coverage. OPD coverage is especially beneficial for individuals who need frequent clinic visits owing to pollution-related illnesses, including chest infections, dry throats, coughs, or eye discomfort. Patients with OPD coverage can claim charges for medical consultations, diagnostic testing, and pharmacy fees even if they are not hospitalized. This approach provides a more realistic solution for pollution-related diseases. Comprehensive health insurance policies include free medical examinations and teleconsultations. Policyholders can take advantage of these perks.
In severe circumstances, a customer and his or her family may require immediate hospitalization or even ICU care; in such cases, family health insurance with ICU coverage and cashless claims is strongly advised. Many health insurance policies recognize pollution-related diseases, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, and COPD (to mention a few), for claim processing.
Comprehensive Health Insurance to help you with pollution
Most health insurance plans or policies cover a wide range of ailments; however, certain plans may exclude coverage for certain medical disorders. This is why many firms provide comprehensive health insurance policies that cover the costs of out-patient treatments, hospitalization, ambulance charges, and day-care treatments. Comprehensive health insurance also covers serious illnesses, including stroke, cancer, and heart attacks, as well as high-cost treatments like dialysis. Furthermore, many comprehensive health insurance policies cover the costs of several types of alternative treatment, including Ayurveda, Acupuncture, and Homoeopathy. Thus, a comprehensive medical insurance plan can enable you with financial security in the event of a medical emergency.
Benefits of Comprehensive Health Insurance
In today’s world, a variety of factors influence your health to varied degrees. A comprehensive medical insurance policy relieves your tension by assuring that you are protected from such impacts. This proves to be really beneficial to you in the long term. The benefits or advantages of a comprehensive health insurance plan are:
Provides treatment coverage for a wide range of illnesses: A comprehensive health insurance policy covers you for a variety of treatments, including OPD treatments, day-care procedures, and in-patient hospitalizations. In addition, you can be covered for accident-related injuries and hospitalization, which are not covered by a medical insurance policy.
Having a choice in the claimed method: Comprehensive medical insurance gives you the choice of submitting a cashless or reimbursement claim if the waiting period in health insurance has passed for which you are filing a claim. If the facility of your choice is part of your insurance company’s hospital network, you can file a cashless claim, allowing you to focus on your treatment & recovery without worrying about the paperwork and claim filing. If your hospital is not in the insurance provider’s network, you can simply fill out a claim form and be reimbursed for the full amount after it is accepted.
Critical illness coverage: Many medical insurance plans exclude coverage for critical illnesses; in most cases, you must purchase a separate plan to cover critical illnesses. However, with a comprehensive health insurance plan, you can also recover charges for severe situations if the waiting period for health insurance has passed.
4. Additional coverage: You can add additional riders to your comprehensive health insurance policy for a slightly higher premium rate.
5. Tax exemption: A complete health insurance policy allows for a tax deduction of ₹25,000, increasing to ₹50,000 for elderly citizens.
As you may be aware, medical treatments are becoming more expensive by the day. You can purchase comprehensive medical insurance to ensure that you obtain the best available medical care for any medical problem in the future without having to worry about the expense. Lifestyle disorders such as diabetes may not be completely curable and can be costly. Some comprehensive medical insurance policies will cover this disease with or without an additional rider, allowing you to keep your money intact.
