Check the Health Insurance for Cancer Patients in India
Cancer is a critical and potentially fatalistic disease in which a person’s own body cells and tissues proliferate uncontrollably into a tumorous growth and invade the nearby organs. This ailment can strike any individual anytime in his life. Men mostly have a high frequency of lung cancer cases as is commonly observed while the female population has greater prediction for developing breast cancer in India. Cancer treatment is regarded as one of the most expensive healthcare services thus making it even more significant to avail one’s medical insurance. But, there’s a slight catch on this option. If a person is diagnosed with the fatal disease after buying health insurance, more often than not, the claim will be rejected by his providers as most insurance companies initiate coverage post a waiting period of 90 days under their critical illness plan.
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Cancer Health Insurance Plans In India
Cancer insurance is a specially created health insurance plan that provides medical coverage for cancer patients covering all healthcare expenses incurred on pre, in and post hospitalisation, surgical treatment, prescribed medications, room rent, paramedical/ambulance services, chemotherapy etc. Procuring a well curated, comprehensive cancer insurance plan helps you and your family to avail best-in-the-market coverage benefits while shielding you against exorbitant medical costs. Many healthcare companies offer cancer insurance plans at very affordable premium rates wherein the insurer has to pay a lump sum amount minus the medical bills on being detected with the illness.
Types Of Cancers
Our country ranks as number three in terms of the cancer cases per annum which are medically reported. USA and China are number one and two on the list. Each year, over 9.6 million deaths occur due to this critical disease across the globe.Though there are more than 200 types of cancer found in India, but enlisted below are some of the most commonly observed cancers:
- Breast Cancer: In India, maximum no. of cancer incidents reported on females are of breast cancer whereas in USA, 1 in almost every 8 women are predisposed to the illness. Although the disease can strike you at any age, the strike rate is generally higher with advancing age.
- Lung Cancer: It is most frequently reported cancer occuring in men in India as well as USA. Typically, men aged 50-85 years have high predilection towards the same and those who have a medical history of chain smoking that is consuming 20 pack-year cigarettes in any given time span.
- Ovarian Cancer: An uncontrolled growth of cells around ovaries which is the female reproductive organ represents this type of cancer. There is a pair of ovary one on each side of the uterus comprising a female’s gynaecological organ. This is the 3rd most commonly occurring cancer in India.
- Stomach/ Gastric Cancer: Stomach/peptic or gastric cancer is 5th most frequently occurring sub type of cancer in males and 7th highest encountered in case of females.The critical illness is the second most fatalistic kind of cancer that has been reported as the cause of death globally.
Health Insurance Options For Cancer Patients
Most healthcare companies in India offer two main types of medical insurance plans under cancer treatment namely indemnity based plan and benefit based plan. While an indemnity based cancer plan shall provide all the requisite medical coverage benefits up to the policy limits, the latter benefit based plan shall pay an insured customer a lump sum amount which can be utilised by him during the course of cancer treatment to meet out the expenses. Eg. Aarogya Supreme policy by SBI which is an indemnity based plan and Critical Illness plan by SBI is a benefit based plan.
Health Insurance Companies And Plan For Cancer Treatments
Following are some of the top-notch health insurance plans available in the insurance market specially curated to provide cancer coverage at a very affordable price:
|
Health Plan |
Insurance Company |
Main Feature |
Age Limit |
Waiting Period |
Sum Insured |
|
Care Cancer Mediclaim Policy |
Offers well covered cancer coverage at any stage of the illness for lifetime |
From 5 to 50 years |
90 days initially |
Ranges between 10,25,50,100 & 200 lakhs |
|
|
National Critical Illness Policy |
Covers for cancer of specified severity along with many other critical ailments |
18-65 years |
Up to 3 months |
Ranges from 1 to 75 lakhs |
|
|
Criti Care Plan |
Provides lump sum payout for cancer & other critical illnesses which can be used for any other purpose as well such as low income; house expenses etc |
6-65 years |
Initial period of 90 days |
1 lakh to 50 lakhs |
|
|
Criti Care Policy |
Offers coverage for early to late stage cancer, cancer reconstruction surgery and nearly 43 critical diseases |
18-65 years |
30 days |
Between 1 lakh to 2 Cr for different age bands |
|
|
Star Cancer Care Platinum |
Provides lump sum amount for coverage of cancer, metastasis, secondary malignancies & hospice care for advanced stage patients |
5 months to 65 years |
30 months |
Ranges from 5, 75 lakhs to 1 Cr |
FAQs
Ques 1. Do healthcare companies offer alternative services/treatments under cancer coverage plans?
Ans. Yes, some healthcare providers in India offer medical coverage under Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Homoeopathy, Unani and many such services when you buy a comprehensive cancer insurance plan; however it is advisable to consult the concerned policy experts and review its T&C prior to buying one.
Ques 2. Can we switch the health insurance provider after the purchase of our cancer insurance policy?
Ans. You can in all possibility switch your existing cancer insurance policy form one healthcare provider to another without much loss of the coverage benefits under the policy’s insurance portability feature. It allows hassle free transfer of their plan without jeopardising the waiting periods, coverage, and other benefits.
Ques 3. What will happen to the cancer policy in case the insured individual passes away due to cancer?
Ans. In the unforeseen and unfortunate circumstance of a policyholder’s death owing to the illness, his policy’s benefits shall be duly offered to his/her nominee or the beneficiary of the policy. Such financial benefits provide continuous assistance to a deceased policyholder’s family during medical emergencies.
