4 Health Insurance Plans for Pre-existing Disease Coverage in India

Health insurance is not an option anymore. Considering factors like change in lifestyles, increased levels of stress in lives, etc., it has become a necessity. And if you are wise one then you will consider buying yourself and your family a comprehensive health insurance policy. But when buying a health insurance policy, there is a common mistake that people often make. That is-not disclosing the pre-existing medical conditions at the time of filling the proposal form. The reason may be simply because they think that insurance companies would not cover them for pre-existing diseases. But this is a myth. Insurance companies do cover you for pre-existing diseases, but after a waiting period of let’s say 48 months, in most cases. After completing the waiting period, you can enjoy coverage benefits under the policy.

Read along to know more.

What are Pre-Existing Diseases?

As per the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), a pre-existing disease is any condition, ailment, or injury, or related condition(s) for which there are signs or symptoms within 3 months of buying a health insurance policy. These might be the conditions for which treatment was received within 48 months before buying the first policy issued by the insurance company and renewed continuously thereafter.

Why is it Important to Inform your Insurance Company regarding any Pre-Existing Disease?

Many individuals due to the fear of paying a high premium refrain from telling their insurance provider about their pre-existing illness. However, it is always suggested to be as transparent as possible with your insurance provider while buying a health insurance plan. You should carefully analyze and go through all your previous medical history to make sure that you have mentioned the name of all the diseases and treatments that you would be needing coverage for. In case you decide to hide any pre-existing ailment now and later the insurance provider gets to know about it, then they can even deny any claim raised by you during the time of need on account of cheating and hiding material facts. Therefore, it is recommended to inform your insurance company regarding the same and go through the waiting period rather than facing any other worse situation in the future.

Top Health Insurance Plans With Coverage For Pre-Existing Diseases in 2021

There is no one best health insurance policy for pre-existing diseases in the market. So, instead of searching for the best one online, you must look for one that suits your requirements the most. Here are some health insurance plans offered by popular insurance companies that cover you for pre-existing diseases at affordable premiums in 2021:

1. Lifeline Policy by Royal Sundaram: Lifeline is another policy that covers you for pre-existing diseases. The policy can be purchased by people aged above 18 years, and there is no maximum age limit for the policy. If covered under the policy, you can choose from sum insured options ranging between Rs. 2 Lakh and Rs. 1.5 Crore. Apart from pre-existing diseases, the policy extends cover for domiciliary hospitalisation expenses, emergency hospitalisation expenses, treatment taken under AYUSH systems of medicines, etc.

2. Smart Super Health Insurance Policy Bharti AXA: Smart Super Health Insurance Policy by Bharti AXA covers people aged between 91 days and 65 years for sum insured options starting from Rs. 5 Lakh. It is an affordable policy that covers you for pre-existing diseases after a waiting period of 48 months. Other coverage benefits that the policy offers include in-patient hospitalisation expenses, organ donor expenses, daycare treatments, domiciliary hospitalisation expenses, etc. If covered under the policy, you can also choose from various add-on benefits by paying a little extra premium. These include maternity cover, critical illness cover, and hospital cash allowance cover.

3. Family Plus by Royal Sundaram: Available for people aged at least 90 days, Family Plus policy is a comprehensive family floater policy that offers cover even to extended family members. Individual sum insured options range between Rs. 2 Lakh and Rs. 15 Lakh under the policy, whereas floater sum insured options range between Rs. 3 Lakh and Rs. 50 Lakh on a floater basis. Apart from pre-existing disease, the policy covers you for treatments taken under AYUSH systems of medicines, annual health check-ups, maternity benefits, etc.

4. HOPE (Health of Privileged Elders) by Oriental Insurance: HOPE is health insurance for parents and senior citizens that offers coverage against pre-existing diseases to people aged at least 60 years. A good news is that there is no maximum age limit under the policy. One of the most comprehensive senior citizen policies, HOPE reimburses the expenses incurred due to hospitalisation and/or domiciliary hospitalisation for specific diseases or injury. Other coverage benefits that the policy offers you include in-patient hospitalisation expenses, pre-hospitalisation and post-hospitalisation expenses, treatment taken under AYUSH systems of medicines, etc.

Things to Consider Before Buying Health Insurance Plans For Pre-Existing Diseases

When buying health insurance plans for pre-existing diseases online at InsuranceDekho, you must consider the following things:

• Look for health insurance plans that offer lifetime renewability benefit
• Look for health insurance policies with a minimum waiting period for pre-existing diseases
• Check for the Claim Settlement Ratio of the insurance company to make sure that the company is capable of handling claims well
• Keep your family members and their age in mind when selecting the type of policy to buy. Remember that buying cover is better on a floater basis can be beneficial many times.

Conclusion

When buying health insurance for pre-existing diseases online, you must disclose all the medical conditions. This will not only help you choose the most suitable health insurance policy for yourself and your family but also save you from hassle at the time of claim settlement.

Also, it is recommended to purchase health insurance when young so that you can avail the waiting period benefits and enjoy coverage benefits for pre-existing diseases in case they occur.

Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.