Even though there have been remarkable improvements in the medical facilities of India, some deadly diseases are still responsible for the huge mortality rate in the country. The cost of treatment for these life-threatening diseases is extremely high which makes them even painful for the common man in India. These ailments can even have an adverse impact on an individual's working capacity thus, worsening the financial conditions even more.
We can list down the names of the current top 5 deadly diseases in the country.
- Respiratory diseases
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Malignancy ad tumours
- Tuberculosis
- Digestive ailments
| Diseases | Reasons | Death percentage in India |
| Respiratory Diseases | Air pollution, smoking asbestos, grain dust, etc. | 10% approximately |
| Cardiovascular Diseases | Obesity, high blood pressure, physical inactivity | 24.8% approximately |
| Malignancy and tumours | Exposure to toxic or chemical compounds, pathogens, genetics | 9.5% approximately |
| Tuberculosis | Contagious reasons | 10% approximately |
| Digestive ailments | Unhealthy diet, excessive intake of aspirin, alcohol, or tobacco | 5% approximately |
Importance of Health Insurance in Battling these Deadly Diseases
- The treatment costs for these deadly ailments are too high to exhaust the entire savings of a common man. They have been rising drastically in both the urban and rural areas of the country. The only way to manage these high medical care costs is by the purchase of a comprehensive health insurance plan.
- Health insurance plans would provide the required financial aid which can help in coping up with situations like planned or emergency hospitalisation. A health insurance policy purchased at a younger age would be advantageous as it would have a lower premium due to the low risk involved.
- A Family Floater health insurance plan is one of the best methods by which you can safeguard your family against the unprecedented distress caused due to these deadly diseases.
- Moreover, a critical illness insurance plan would be another method to be prepared for facing any such dreadful illnesses. By a critical insurance plan, you can obtain a lump sum amount on the diagnosis of the illness that can be used for the treatment of the disease.
Best Health Insurance Policies Which Help in Providing Cover for These Diseases
Let us have a look at some of the best health insurance plans which are designed for providing coverage in case of deadly diseases.
Health Insurance Plans for Respiratory Diseases
The best health insurance policy associated with Respiratory illness is the Care Health Assure Plan. This health insurance plan would provide cover for the End-Stage Lung Disease which would also include Interstitial Lung Disease. The cover provided would include all the costs incurred in the treatment of this critical illness. The Sum Insured can be from a range of INR 5 lakh to INR 15 lakh. However, to avail of the coverage provided by this health insurance plan the diagnosis of the illness must have been done by a specialist chest physician.
Health Insurance Plans for Cardiovascular Diseases
Some of the best health insurance plans for cardiovascular diseases are:-
- Star Cardiac Care Plan
- Heart Mediclaim – Care
- ICICI Pru Heart/Cancer Protect
- Aviva Heart Care Health Insurance Plan
- Future Generali Heart and Health Insurance Plan
Amongst the above-mentioned health insurance plans covering cardiovascular diseases, the most popular ones is the Star Cardiac Care Plan. In this plan, the policyholder can opt for two variants i.e. Silver and Gold. It mainly provides cover for those who are within the age group of 10 years to 65 years. The Sum insured can be either INR 3 lakh or INR 4 lakh and all types of cardiac ailments are covered under this plan.
Similarly, the other health insurance plans covering cardiovascular ailments provide a high sum insured at a nominal premium. Usually, the payout is done in the form of a lump sum on the diagnosis of the illness. Other benefits like waiver of future premium, increment in sum insured for each claim-free year, loyalty benefit, coverage for pre-hospitalisation and post-hospitalisation expenses, coverage for domiciliary treatment, heart check-ups, etc. are available under these cardiovascular health insurance plans.
Health Insurance Plans for Malignancy and Tumours
The best health insurance plans for Malignancy and tumours are listed below:-
- LIC Cancer Cover
- HDFC Life Cancer Care
- SBI Sampoorna Cancer Suraksha
- Aditya Birla Sun Life Cancer Shield Plan
- Max Life Cancer Insurance Plan
These health insurance plans which provide coverage for malignancy and tumours provide cover for the multiple stages of cancer. The sum insured is usually high and a lump sum payout is done on the diagnosis of the critical illness. Many other benefits like waiver of premium for upcoming policy years, loyalty benefit, increase in cover due to NCB, flexibility options for the payment of premium, etc. are available with these health insurance plans. Moreover, policyholders can avail of tax benefits under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961 for the premium paid for these health insurance plans.
Health Insurance Plans for Tuberculosis
At present, there are no such health insurance plans which are specifically dedicated to providing cover against expenses incurred in the treatment of Tuberculosis. Some of the very reputed health insurance companies such as Star Health, Bajaj Allianz, and United India Insurance have received around 1%-5% of claims for Tuberculosis.
However, there has been a significant increase in the number of Tuberculosis cases in India over the decade. The reputed health insurance companies in India are going to launch Tuberculosis specific health insurance plans very soon due to this rise in the tuberculosis cases.
Health Insurance Plans for Digestive ailments
People in India usually suffer from a large number of digestive ailments. The cost of treatment for the digestive ailments varies based on the severity of the patient’s condition. Some of the digestive ailments can be cured by general methods; some severe ones might need hospitalisation. The general health insurance plans would provide cover for the various digestive ailments if there has been a need for 24 hours of hospitalisation. In such cases, coverage would be available for the medication and other diagnostic tests.
Conclusion
So, with the thought of these deadly ailments enough to give a nightmare it is prudent to purchase a comprehensive health insurance policy soon.
