By Prevention is better than cure’. How often have we heard this saying – Hundreds, thousands or millions? This is a very common saying, yet we still fall into the trap of not observing such preventative measures and land up in a sticky situation. Take the case of a health insurance policy only. It isn’t until we face the burden of hospital bills that we realise the importance of a health insurance policy. Until then, we believe we are young and healthy, and nothing will happen to us, so a health insurance policy is an added expenditure. Is it? What if you are diagnosed with a critical illness? Would you be able to avail of the benefits of a health insurance policy?
Stumped, are you? Do you have the answer to my question? No? I do, and the answer would not please you. So, let us start at the beginning:
What is critical illness?
As the name suggests, a critical illness is an ailment that is critical in nature. It adversely affects health prevention and involves complicated and costly treatments. In most cases, the illness always leaves behind degraded health, even after intensive therapies.
Do health plans cover critical illnesses?
Yes, a health insurance plan does cover critical illnesses, but there is a catch. The illnesses and their respective treatments are covered only if they are diagnosed when you are already covered under a health insurance plan. Buying a new health plan when you are already suffering from or have been diagnosed with a critical illness is not possible.
So, can’t I buy a health insurance plan now that I have been diagnosed with a critical illness?
Sadly, no. You would not be able to get health coverage after being diagnosed with a critical illness.
Why?
Insurance covers uncertain risks. Risks which are certain are not covered. When buying a health insurance plan, the insurer promises to shoulder the hospital bills that might be incurred in case of any uncertain medical contingency. When you suffer from a critical illness and request coverage, the insurer is certain of the associated health risk. Thus, since the risk is certain, the cover is not granted.
What should I do?
As stated earlier, prevention is better than cure. You should not wait for illnesses to strike before you decide to avail of a health insurance policy. When buying health insurance, the earlier, the better. So, you should:
- Buy a health plan young – this would also ensure that the applicable waiting period for pre-existing illnesses and prevention would elapse before you contract any illness and enjoy comprehensive coverage. The premiums charged at a younger age are also lower, while the coverage granted is comprehensive. Thus, it is a win-win situation for the policyholder, who can enjoy coverage at low premiums if the plan is bought at a younger age.
- Ensure an optimal level of coverage – another important thing to consider is the amount of coverage availed. Given the rising healthcare costs and increasing incidence of ailments, having sufficient coverage is the call of the day. A small cover is as good as no cover since you would ultimately have to pay the extra claim amount. If affordability is a concern, you can opt for top-up or super top-up plans, which aim to increase the coverage at very low premiums and thus take care of the optimal coverage concern
- Add a critical illness policy or rider to your health cover – critical illnesses are becoming very common in today’s lifestyle. The incidence of such illnesses includes huge costs so it is better to have a separate fund for dealing with such illnesses. Attaching a critical illness rider to your health plan or buying a critical illness health plan, which is very commonly available in the market, is the best bet. The premiums are very low, and in case of a critical illness, these plans would shoulder the burden of the bills.
So, the crux of the matter is that you cannot avail of a health plan if you are already suffering from a critical illness. You should have planned. Buy a health plan now for those who have not yet fallen prey to such diseases. Secure yourself and your family because you will be covered when the illnesses do rear their head.
