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Does Care (Religare) Health Insurance cover Cataract Surgery?

By Vikas Chandra Das
03 October 2022, 11:38 AM

Generally known as the clouding of one's lens, cataract has always been common among older people. While old age brings it naturally in some, it can be triggered by eye injuries to even uncontrolled diabetes, etc. Thanks to advanced systems and technology, cataract surgery is covered under every health insurance plan in India. However, you can rest assured that Care Health Insurance will cover cataracts for your old parents. Care, formerly known as Religare, is a renowned health insurance provider in India. Read on to know more about cataracts and what you can do to make them less costly.

How Does Care Health Insurance Cover Cataracts?

Luckily, most health insurance plans, including Care Health Insurance, cover cataract surgery, among others, in the case of aged parents.

Some benefits of buying Care health insurance for parents include many options for elderly citizens. Make sure that this plan provides coverage for their pre-existing diseases and other disorders they might be susceptible to.

Since cataract surgery is included among the day-care treatments, it's wise to conclude with a senior citizen health insurance policy for your parents so that there's a high sum insured.

Care Health Insurance Policies That Cover Cataracts

  • Care Heart Plan: This plan offers coverage from INR 20,000 to INR 30,000 per eye for cataract treatment.
  • Care Freedom Plan 1: This plan ranges from INR 20,000 to INR 30,000 per eye but excludes multifocal lens implantation.
  • Super Mediclaim: This policy is available for individuals and families and covers cataract surgery only in its Operation Mediclaim variant.
  • Mera Mediclaim: In this plan, the coverage limit for cataract surgery is up to INR 20,000 to INR 30,000 per eye.
  • Grameen Care: Cataract treatment of the types unilateral and the one with IOL by phacoemulsification (unilateral or bilateral) is available under day-care procedures surgeries.
  • Aarogya Sanjeevani Policy: Cover for cataract treatment subject to a limit of 25% of SI or up to INR 40,000 per eye, whichever is lower in a single policy year.

Let’s Check Cataracts

A cataract is an eye lens clouding that reduces a person's visibility. This area makes the cornea opaque and reduces its inflexibility. As a person grows older day by day, the lens of their eye frequently becomes thicker because of deposits.

As per an examination conducted by the government, cataract surgeries emerged as the most generally opted minor surgeries, especially in the non-urban population. This throws light on the number of Indians who need this little but the required surgical procedure. As per the estimates, 62.6% of the 12 million blinds in India have cataracts.

Read more - Some of the Diseases Covered by Care Health Insurance Plans

Cataract Symptoms to be Mindful of

Because of cataracts, a person can slowly face issues with vision as these lumps prevent them from transferring clear images to their retina. They can also create partial or complete blindness if not treated appropriately on time. In similar extreme cases, surgery is the smart option for the person to restore sight.

While this complaint is common in growing people, there are numerous cases where younger people may notice the beginning symptoms. Some of the most current symptoms of cataracts are:

  • Problem seeing at night
  • Blurry vision
  • Seeing halos around the light source
  • The faded and yellow appearance of colours
  • Occurrences of double vision in the eye
  • Higher light sensitivity in case of brightness

What Leads to a Cataract?

The chances of developing a cataract in a person's eyes gradually increase with age. Some other factors frequently accelerate and may contribute to this growth:

  • High blood pressure
  • Genetics (family history)
  • Consuming alcohol excessively
  • Deficiency (Vitamins)
  • Prolonged use of corticosteroid medicines

With a cataract's growth, even beginning exercise like watching television, reading fine prints, driving a vehicle, etc., comes tricky. Thankfully, surgeries for cataracts have become highly advanced and hassle-free.

Conclusion

Your parents may be monetarily dependent on you. While it’s good to have them around, seeing them healthy and vibrant without any health disease causing too numerous issues must be your top priority. With affordable premiums and many charges covered, Care Health Insurance eases any burden arising due to day care treatments and other post-surgery costs. 

Read more - National Health Insurance and Cataract Surgery Coverage

FAQs

1. What are the tips for preventing cataracts?

Cataracts are prevalent and are likely to be in numerous people. You can take these precautions to either prevent or minimise the incidence of cataracts:

  • Cover your eyes from UV rays by wearing sunglasses or using an umbrella.
  • Try to work out to maintain your weight with your age.
  • Make sure you get regular checks, especially for your eyes.
  • Avoid smoking as much as possible.
  • Include a lot of vegetables, fruits, and protein to have a balanced meal.

2. What type of lens is best for cataract surgery?

The intelligent lens for your cataract surgery will depend on your vision and any refractive errors you're looking to correct. While mono-focal lenses are the most generally used, you may be capable of achieving a better idea after cataract surgery if you choose a premium intraocular lens (IOL).

3. Does cataract surgery require hospitalisation?

The risk of hospitalisation after cataract surgery is shallow among those with no significant pre-existing medical comorbidities.

4. Why ensure that your health insurance covers cataract surgery?

An ophthalmic surgeon can safely and rapidly operate this cataract and replace your natural eye lens with an artificial lens. Depending on the lens cost and other factors, cataract surgery may cost anywhere between INR 15,000-80,000. There are also some changes in the surgery costs depending on the type of surgery chosen. The surgeon will carry out tests like specular microscopy, biometry, OCT test, and others to determine the conditions of your eye. So, be 

While most people may find it affordable, there may be cases exceeding well beyond that threshold. Especially in complications, they may be heavy enough in your pockets. So, be prepared for a rise beyond the threshold. Care Health Insurance will ensure coverage for the treatment fully or a substantial chunk of it, depending on the plan variant you have.

5. How much can I claim for cataract surgery under Care Health Insurance?

Cataract insurance offers a minimum of INR 20,000 coverage per eye which can go up to INR 35,000 or more. Cataract coverage is available after a waiting period of 2 years.

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