The threat of vector-borne dengue appears after the monsoon. At this time, you must take care to pay the medical bills and protect the health of you and your loved ones. While most dengue cases may be managed at home, the more severe cases require hospitalisation, which may last for a few weeks, as per the patient's difficulties. The health insurance companies appear to have an answer for every issue patients have with their health insurance policies and are aware of the need of the hour. Insurance providers have launched dengue-specific health plans that provide financial security against the disease. Let's explore this further.
Let's Know a Bit About Vector-Borne Diseases
A vector-borne disease is any illness spread by a blood-sucking insect, such as a mosquito or tick. Additionally, mosquito-borne infections will spread more widely as the monsoon season progresses, especially dengue fever and malaria. Both of these diseases have a large number of cases and fatalities. In addition, the course of treatment is protracted, costly, and dangerous.
Dengue Fever
The virus that causes dengue fever, also known as breakbone fever, is carried by the Aedes mosquito, which is why it is most prevalent during the humid monsoon season. This condition frequently causes illnesses and symptoms similar to the flu. There are various dengue virus variations, and each one is harmful in its particular way.
Although the illness is widespread worldwide, tropical and subtropical areas are where it is most frequently transmitted. The dengue virus has recently evolved into a particularly dangerous variant, impacting hundreds of millions globally.
Although mosquitoes are the primary disease carriers, an infected person can also spread the illness. Fortunately, if you survive dengue fever, you develop immunity to that particular viral strain. Yet, you can get other types of dengue fever because of this condition. Among the most typical signs of dengue are:
- In many mild cases, the infected person will typically merely experience a simple fever, joint ache, etc. A temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit and above is expected in the more severe cases, though.
- Patient's blood vessels may potentially be harmed in severe cases. This ultimately may result in dengue shock syndrome. This syndrome can cause rashes, severe headaches, eye pain, internal bleeding, a weak pulse, and other unpleasant symptoms.
Missing the early diagnosis of dengue fever is among the most complex treatment challenges. This obstacle results from the disease's initial stage, known as the febrile stage, being ordinary and hardly distinct from other viral diseases. Fever and joint aches are, after all, typical signs.
The second stage, also known as the critical stage, is the only time it can be diagnosed. At this stage, the white blood cell count starts to decline. Even if the medications are pricey, the disease can be treated without hospitalisation if discovered at this stage, before the platelet count might decline and metabolic acidosis worsens. But hospitalisation is necessary if the second stage advances before it is identified.
Dengue Health Insurance
Some important elements that guarantee the protection of the insured person are included in the regulations and guidelines laid out by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). According to the Standard Vector-Borne Disease Health Policy, there are the following guidelines:
- The following vector-borne diseases should be included in the guidelines, according to the IRDAI: Dengue fever, malaria, filaria, kala-azar, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, and the zika virus. However, each health insurance company has policies on the vector-borne illnesses the insurer covers. This choice of coverage guarantees that you can select to complement your current general insurance.
- The most crucial benefit of this policy is the lump-sum benefit. When a recipient has a positive diagnosis, they will get a lump sum payout. This amount, which must be delivered to the insured individual upon submitting a health insurance claim, must be equivalent to 100% of the insured sum. The following points must be met for this lump-sum compensation to be paid:
- The vector-borne diseases that the insured's policy covers must have received a confirmed diagnosis. By opting for dengue-specific insurance, you can choose less expensive policies.
- Due to the aforementioned positive diagnosis, the covered person's doctor must request a 72-hour hospital stay.
- If you test positive for an illness but are not hospitalised, the amount payable to you is known as the diagnosis cover portion of the insurance. This amount will equal 2% of the entire amount covered. Only once over the course of the insurance can the insured person qualify for the diagnosis coverage.
- This policy is meant to be in effect for a minimum of 12 months, following which it needs to be renewed.
- The minimum sum insured under this policy is available for INR 10,000. And, the policy's insured amount must be in increments of INR 10,000.
- The Standard Vector-Borne Disease Policy has an INR 2 lakh upper limit on the amount insured.
- According to the rules, this is a single premium policy. This information indicates that the insured person will qualify for medical coverage based on the diagnosis after 15 days of paying the initial premium.
Conclusion
A low-cost health insurance plan for dengue helps you cover a specific illness. However, the most comprehensive health insurance plans already cover the same illness. Therefore, if you don't already have comprehensive health insurance and can't afford one, you should choose this. However, if finance is not a concern, it is preferable first to choose comprehensive health coverage and a dengue-specific plan as an add-on cover.
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