Health Insurance with Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease where your blood sugar levels are inactive, low or dangerously high. A hormone called Insulin secreted by the pancreas is responsible for the breakdown of the food we eat into glucose. This glucose is transferred from the bloodstream to our cells which gives them energy. This insulin production is hampered in diabetes. Low or no production at all of the insulin can lead to glucose accumulation in the bloodstream and not being able to use that insulin effectively causes various health issues.

Three main types of diabetes are:

1. Type 1 Diabetes

In this condition, your body does not produce enough insulin, and you need a daily dose of insulin injection to maintain your optimal blood sugar levels

2. Type 2 Diabetes

The most common form of diabetes, this condition arises when the body cannot make good use of the insulin that is produced. Bad lifestyle patterns are synonymous with type 2 diabetes but are not limited to it. There are other factors like age, weight and hereditary genes at play too.

3. Gestational Diabetes

It is a form of diabetes seen in pregnant women. The risk of high blood sugar levels is imminent and can affect both the mother and the child.

As we all know, diseases come unannounced. Therefore, it is advisable stay prepared for such unanticipated medical events with a Individual health insurance or Family health Insurance plan inclusive of diabetes cover, irrespective of your current health status. Otherwise, if you unfortunately get diagnosed with Diabetes, you might have to incur significant medical expenses. Besides buying health insurance with diabetes cover, maintaining healthy lifestyle and watching your diet are always considered effective preventive measures against diabetes.

Opting for comprehensive health insurance plan with diabetes cover and its different forms is crucial for you. Health insurance for diabetic patients is as important as health insurance for someone prone to it, and since one can never be too sure, a comprehensive health insurance plan will have features that will include:

1. Cover for Pre-existing illnesses

If you are diagnosed with Diabetes before buying the health insurance plan, it will be considered a pre-existing diseases wherein there is a waiting period ranging from two to four years. After this period lapses, you can make claims against your diabetes pre-existing disease cover. If the symptoms for diabetes arise within three months from the date of issuance of the policy, it will not be considered a pre-existing disease, and you can make claims, subject to your policy terms and conditions.

2. Cashless Hospitalization

Health insurance with Diabetes cover has a cashless feature where your medical expenses and bills will be settled by your insurance provider directly with the network hospital. As a result, you might not have to bear anything out-of-your pocket and can save yourself from high expenditures.

3. Pre & Post Hospitalization Cover

If you opt for a health insurance with diabetes cover, it will cover all expenses ranging from diagnostic tests before hospitalization to after-care and medicine requirements post hospitalization.

4. Cover For Day Care Procedures

Your health insurance plan with diabetes cover would even cover you for daycare procedures that just requires a specified amount of time.

There is a wide range of benefits that you can avail against your health insurance with diabetes cover and as a part of your comprehensive health insurance plan. These are:

1. AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, Sidha, Homeopathy) Treatment
2. No Claim Bonus
3. Tax Benefits under section 80D
4. Portability Benefits
5. In-Patient Treatment
6. Restore Benefits
7. Ambulance Cover
8. High-End Diagnostics Cover
9. Domiciliary Treatment
10. Frequent Health Check-Up Benefit

Health insurance for diabetic patients is not that difficult as it seems to be. However, there is just one condition that usually prevails - If you have diabetes before buying the health insurance policy, you will be eligible for making claims after the waiting period ranging from two to four years has elapsed. However, if you do not have diabetes while buying health insurance, you are eligible to make claims within three months of buying the policy. In addition, there are certain age limits on health insurance policies that do not allow you to continue with your health insurance plan, therefore, ensure that your policy has lifelong renewability option.

It is absolutely essential to read the policy wordings of your chosen health insurance plan inclusive of diabetes cover to avoid claim rejection in the future. There are certain exclusions under such comprehensive health insurance plans, such as waiting period clauses and type 1 and type 2 diabetes coverage that doesn’t include certain expenses. Therefore, read through the terms and conditions carefully before investing in such crucial policies.

Once the waiting period, as specified on your health insurance plan, inclusive of pre-existing disease like diabetes, has lapsed, you can claim the amount as and when required. There are two ways of claiming health insurance:

1. Cashless Claim Process for Health Insurance

If you get admitted to one of the insurer’s network hospitals, you would be able to opt for cashless claim process. Under this, you need not pay anything out of your pocket as the insurance provider settles the medical bill directly with the hospital. For initiating the process, you just need to follow a simple process. To know about the process in detail, visit here.

2. Reimbursement Claim Process for Health Insurance

You need to opt for this claim process if the insurance provider doesn’t provide the cashless claim facility or the hospital in which you get admitted is not a part of their network hospitals. Under this, you will have to pay the medical bill in the first place and then file the claim with your insurer for the reimbursement of the amount. For knowing about this process in detail, visit here.