Insurers Look to Cover In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) Under Health Insurance Plans
Taking the first step ahead in the direction of covering fertility treatments, insurers are looking forward to covering the cost for IVF procedures under health insurance plans offered by them. The insurers will offer cover for these treatments, but only after a long waiting period and capping or sub-limit to minimize the frequency of fraudulent cases.
Around 10%-15% of couples face fertility-related health issues. IVF treatment brings some relief to couples who are facing issues in conceiving naturally, but these treatments are generally not covered under health insurance plans.
It costs around Rs. 1.25 Lakh to Rs. 2.5 Lakh for one cycle of IVF in India. Insurers are making an effort to include it as part of the health insurance plans but will put a limit on it.
Sharing his thoughts on the topic, the Chief Product Officer of Royal Sundaram General Insurance Nikhil Apte said, “We are looking to include IVF treatment in the health plans and to avoid frauds we will go for people who have been with us for six years, include sub-limit and link it to maternity cover.”
Insurance will mention the number of embryo-transfer attempts that the cover will be provided for, and additional cycles if applicable. It will be covered under health insurance that include outpatient care, maternity and newborn expenses, pediatric services, and emergency expenses.
As per Sanjay Datta, the Head of Underwriting in ICICI Lombard, because IVF is a planned event, therefore there is an unwillingness among the insurers to cover it. “However, it is likely to be part of the high sum-insured premium policies,” he says. With this effort, people can seek coverage for fertility treatment under a basic health insurance plan.
Over the years, the treatment for bariatric surgery has increased too. The cost for bariatric surgery lies anywhere between Rs. 4 Lakh to Rs. 7.5 Lakh.
Considering the soaring expenses of such treatment expenses and increasing demand for the same, experts have identified it as the need of the hour to include the coverage of these treatments under health insurance products.
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