Skin Cancer Insurance

If you want a medical insurance plan, there are several reasons why Tata AIG may be the right fit for you. We offer you comprehensive health insurance plans that are affordable and that you can customise as per your needs. You also have the advantage of being able to buy our health insurance online from the comfort of your home. So when thinking about buying a medical insurance plan, always choose Tata AIG!

The skin is the largest organ of our body. It is also the most visible organ to us, yet often, it gets neglected the most. The skin plays a vital role in protecting our interior organs. But in protecting our interior organs, it often faces the brunt of the elements. It is constantly exposed to harmful chemicals and radiation. Thus, it should not surprise us that skin cancer is among the most common cancers in our world. The good news is that if you catch the signs of skin cancer early on, you can get skin cancer treatment and make a full recovery.

But, like treating all cancers, skin cancer treatment can also be very expensive. If even you have been diagnosed with early-stage skin cancer, getting treatment can prove to be very expensive. But if you have health insurance with cancer cover, this will not have to be a cause of concern for you. You can rely on your medical insurance plan to take charge of the financial aspect of your care. However, it is always recommended that you do not wait for an illness to afflict you before buying insurance, as buying it early helps you experience first-hand the benefits of health insurance.

After looking into how we can get help with treatment expenses, let us look into understanding more about skin cancer.

Skin cancer develops when skin cells multiply and expand in an unchecked, disorderly manner. New skin cells often develop when existing ones die or are injured.

Sometimes, cells develop at an unregulated, unnatural speed whenever this mechanism doesn't function properly, and several of these may be aberrant cells. This cluster of cells could either be malignant, which, if not identified and managed at the early stage of skin cancer, could spread to surrounding tissue or other parts of your body. Or they could be non-malignant (benign), which do not spread or cause damage.

Exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays is a common cause of skin cancer. Catching signs of skin cancer early on is usually an effective way to eliminate the disease.

There are three common skin cancer types. Knowing more about these may help you recognise signs and patterns of the disease and deal with it at the early stage of skin cancer.

The three skin cancer types are

1. Basal Skin Cancer

Basal cells are skin layers that replace older ones in the lowest layer of the epidermis. This is where basal cell cancer starts. This kind of skin cancer typically develops on the skin's surface. Basal cell carcinoma generally doesn't extend to other body parts. But when it does, it may prove to be a life-threatening situation. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that basal cell carcinoma makes up about 80% of all skin carcinoma.

2. Squamous Cell Cancer

The topmost cell layer of the epidermis is impacted by squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cells are also seen in tissues, including the mucosal surfaces and lungs. Cutaneous squamous cell cancer refers to squamous cell cancer that develops in the skin.

Parts of the body regularly vulnerable to ultraviolet (UV) rays are where this kind of cancer is usually detected. Although it is a relatively treatable disease, going untreated increases fatality risk.

3. Melanoma

Melanoma is a different type of skin cancer that makes up roughly 1% of all cases of skin cancer. The cells that provide your skin pigment, known as melanocytes, give rise to this particular cancer. Melanocytes produce benign moles that have the potential to develop and become malignant. Your body can grow melanomas anywhere. When detected early, most melanomas can be treated. But if left untreated, they could spread to other areas, becoming more challenging to cure. Additionally, melanomas are more likely to spread than squamous cell and basal carcinoma.

There is no particular skin cancer cause people can pin the disease on. It is mainly caused by gene mutations and changes in the DNA. However, certain risk factors increase the incidence of skin cancer. These skin cancer causes are:

• Skin cancers are heavily caused by sunburns and UV radiation exposure, which harms your skin's DNA. Usually, the body can fix this harm before gene changes take place. However, skin cancer develops when the body cannot repair the DNA damage. Most skin damage from UV exposure happens well before people turn 20.
• About 5 to 10 per cent of melanomas occasionally occur in patients with a genetic history of the disease. Inherited genetic defects do not bring on non-melanoma skin cancers.
• Frequent sunlamp and sunbed use raise the risk of skin cancer.
• Skin cancer risk is higher in people using long-term immunosuppressive medication or receiving treatments for chronic arthritis.
• The incidence of squamous cell cancer is higher in some skin regions that have experienced severe burns or prolonged inflammation.
• Skin cancer can also be brought on by certain skin disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, and xeroderma pigmentation.
• When used to treat other illnesses, radiotherapy occasionally leads to skin cancer in the area exposed to the radiation.

After looking at some of the skin cancer causes, let us look into the common skin cancer symptoms.

The best way to deal with skin cancer is to deal with it when you start noticing the first signs. This can only be done if you know the skin cancer symptoms you need to look out for.

Some of the most common skin cancer symptoms are given below.

When it comes to Basal cell carcinoma, you should look out for:

• Smooth white or waxy bumps on the surface of the skin, which are painless. These will mostly be in the areas exposed to the sun.
• Smooth and flat bumps on your ear, neck or face.
• Flat spots on both your legs and arms which look reddish-brown.
• In the case of Squamous cell carcinoma, you should keep an eye out for
• A tough bump that feels scaly but is tender to the touch. It should look like a pimple which has been on the skin for a few days but has not healed.

In the case of melanomas, you may find:

• A pre-existing mole which looks different all of a sudden.
• A new mole that is not consistent with the rest of your moles or has the wrong colouring.
• Moles on the chest or back in men and on the legs in women.

Skin cancers are 100% treatable if you can catch them in time. There are three ways to diagnose skin cancers. You can either do it yourself, see a dermatologist or get a biopsy.

• Self-examination of the skin makes it simple to find skin cancer. To detect skin cancer, one must search for any of the symptoms that have been mentioned above. But the person must see a dermatologist if they are unsure.
• A dermatologist is a doctor who is an expert in skin conditions and should be contacted if someone exhibits any of the symptoms mentioned above. They can determine if skin cancer is present depending on physical evaluation and the patient's condition.
• The only reliable method for diagnosing skin cancer and detecting the particular form of cancer is a biopsy. This entails numbing the affected area of the skin and extracting the infected part of the skin, or a portion of it, for focused analysis.

The course of action is personalised for each patient's needs. Most patients with basal or squamous cell cancer can be cured with treatment. Despite the possible side effects from the therapy, such as scars in the afflicted area, they are frequently mild or simple to cover up. If no therapy is provided, cancer will move into deeper skin tissues, develop, and necessitate potentially more invasive surgery.

Some of the most common causes of skin cancer treatment are as follows;

• Surgery - In most cases, your doctor will try to remove the affected area surgically. If the cancer is isolated, your doctor will try to remove it completely and allow the skin to heal naturally. If the cancer has spread to a large portion of the skin, your doctor may remove the portion and opt for a skin graft to cover the area.

Sometimes, if the cancer has spread to your lymph gland, you will need extensive and invasive surgery to remove it.

• Cryotherapy - If the area affected by cancer is not very large, your doctor may opt for cryotherapy. In this therapy, liquid nitrogen is poured onto the area, which freezes the cancer.

• Chemotherapy - An anti-cancer drug is administered to fight the cancer afflicting the body. This drug can be in the form of a lotion or cream, oral medicine or IV, as the need may be.

• Radiation - High-intensity radio waves are focused on the affected area to treat cancer.

• Immunotherapy - Depending on the cancer's severity and location, your doctor may prescribe immunotherapy. In this case, you will be given drugs to strengthen your immune system, fighting the cancer from within.

The best way to prevent skin cancer is to protect yourself from the sun as much as possible. Other ways to prevent skin cancer include:

• Use sunscreen before going out in the sun. Ensure you are covering every exposed inch of your body with sunscreen. Always try to use broad-spectrum sunscreen as it gives you better coverage. Use your sunscreen even if it is not sunny as you are protecting yourself from the UV rays of the sun, which are always present when the sun is out.
• Wear hats with wide brims when going out in the sun.
• If it is a particularly sunny day, wear clothes covering your arms and legs, even if you wish to do otherwise. Also, use a scarf to cover your head and neck.
• Always use lip balm that has sunscreen in it.
• Try avoiding going out if you can when the sun is high in the sky.
• Wear dark-tinted sunglasses.
• Increase your intake of vitamin D.
• If anyone in your family has or had skin cancer, you should get gene testing done to see if you are vulnerable to the disease.
• Keep an eye out for any irregularities in your skin or any symptoms of cancer mentioned above.

According to reports, 1 in 9 people in India develop cancer during their lifetime. Cancer is the uninvited guest that has knocked on the gates of almost every Indian household. While you never want to think about cancer as part of your reality, you must face the statistics. You cannot let cancer get the better of you.

Among the best ways to fight cancer is to get health insurance. Having health insurance ensures that you have the bandwidth to fight the disease. Other reasons you need to get medical insurance to fight cancer are:

• Lifestyle - The lives we lead today expose us to many crude elements. While we might want to protect ourselves from the sun's harmful rays, our work may necessitate that we stay out during the peak heat hours. We may not be able to stop our sun exposure, but we can buy health insurance from the beginning to ensure that should we develop skin cancer symptoms, we can always fight it head-on.

• Expense - Fighting skin cancer can be very expensive. It can also be a long-drawn process leeching you of all your savings. But if you have a medical insurance plan, you will not need to worry about financing your treatment, as your health insurance will do that for you.

• Cashless Hospitalisation - No matter how prepared we think we are, we may be caught unawares regarding cancer. You may suffer severe symptoms from cancer or the treatment you are getting for it. If you have health insurance, you will not have to be concerned about arranging for funds in such an emergency. You can opt for cashless hospitalisation, and your insurance provider will settle the cost of your care.

• Ambulance Charges- As we have already mentioned above, an emergency may crop up at any given time during your treatment, and you may need hospitalisation. In such cases, you may also require an ambulance to get you to the hospital. An ambulance can charge you several thousands of rupees to get you to the hospital. Your provider will cover this charge, per your policy statement, if you have a medical insurance plan.

At Tata AIG, we believe in keeping things simple and hassle-free. This policy is also reflected in our insurance purchase process. You can buy a medical insurance plan from us in two simple ways.

Online - If you do not wish to leave the comfort of your home to buy health insurance, you no longer need to do so. To buy our medical insurance plans online, you should,

• Visit our website.
• You will find a variety of plans at different price points, offering different coverage options. Choose the plan that suits you the best.
• Once you have settled on a plan, after careful deliberation and research, you can click on the apply button.
• Then you will be redirected to a page where you can fill out your application form.
• Fill in all the details being asked for accurately.
• After filling out the form, you will be asked to attach a few important documents.
• Attach the documents, pay the fees, and the process is complete.
• If your form is filled properly and your documents are in place, you should get an email with your policy in no time.

Offline - If you do not wish to fill out your form online or if you are not a very tech-savvy person, you can apply for insurance with us offline. All you need to do is

• Visit our office and ask for an application form.
• Fill out the form, attach the required documents, and
• Pay the fees.

This will conclude your application process. You can then return home and wait for the policy to be mailed.

If you wish to buy Tata AIG’s health insurance policy, you will not be required to submit many documents. The documents you do need to submit include;

• Age proof
• Address proof
• ID proof
• Coloured passport-sized photographs
• Your previous medical reports that can stand as proof if you have any pre-existing health conditions.