Three Major Benefits of having a Diabetes Health Insurance

A disease explained in simple terms is an illness or sickness caused by various signs and symptoms. It is estimated that there are approximately 10,000 diseases in the world and only 500 cures, this is an awakening sign for one to understand the importance of good health. The remedies available in the world are becoming expensive day-by-day as there has been enrichment in the medical field. Scientists have been working hard for the betterment and well-being of an individual. 

 To protect oneself from these hefty expenses, the concept of insurance came into the being. The motto of insurance is to save today for coverage tomorrow, as this helps to provide personal financial support in the future. People offer treat health insurance as a sunk cost, but actually it should be seen as an investment in your health and well-being. Health insurance protects an individual from such expenses by offering them coverage against a number of diseases that are quite rampant in the real world. The policy pays for various medical and surgical expenses incurred by the insured while getting themselves treated.

Diabetes:

Diabetes is a chronic disease that afflicts children, adolescents as well as people belonging to an older age group. The disease takes a toll on your health and leaves behind effects that leave a long-lasting mark on one’s health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the world. According to an estimation made, approximately 422 million people suffer from diabetes worldwide. 

 Health insurance provides coverage to diabetes as the policy claims to be providing comprehensive coverage to an individual. If the policy purchaser is already suffering from diabetes then the health insurer can ask the individual to serve a waiting period as the condition is considered as a pre-existing disease, and thus a waiting period of 1 to 4 years needs to be served before receiving coverage for the disease. 

However, if the insured has diabetes covered under the health insurance the coverage for the condition may be capped. It means that the cost the insurance company will agree to incur for that particular disease is restricted up to a certain cap. If the insured crosses that sub-limit, the additional amount has to be paid by the policyholder. 

What happens in diabetes?

Diabetes is a medical condition under which the body refuses the effective use of the insulin produced by the pancreas. The hormone i.e., insulin stops or decreases the production leading to ineffectiveness in bodily functions. If the body fails to consume the insulin then it leads to the building up of glucose thereby leading to an increase in the levels of sugar in the body. Glucose is the fuel that feeds the body cells, and thus it is important for glucose to breakdown and thereby distribute itself. If the body fails to produce adequate insulin, it can give rise to conditions such as heart disease, stroke, kidney and nerve damage. Kidney damage and hearing impairment are the two most common outcomes of diabetes and hence it has to be treated carefully and also early.

There are two types of diabetes:

• Type 1

Type 1 diabetes is less-riskier even though the conditions may be severe. This type of diabetes takes place in individuals of younger age or children mostly. They do not cause any serious damage to one’s health if looked upon and taken care of. People suffering from type 1 diabetes have a chance of reducing life expectancy up to 20 years. 

Under this type, the insulin created by the pancreas is used against the beta cells that are the distributing cells of the pancreas itself. The body starts treating those cells as foreign and thus attacks them. It affects the body’s immune system drastically. Type 1 diabetes leads to insulin deficiency as it is an autoimmune disease. A clinical prescription in 2017 mentioned that people suffering from this type having specific genetic markers and cells consist of at least one autoantibody. 

• Type 2

Type 2 diabetes is considered the most common form in the world. Approximately 90% of diabetes patients suffer from this type. It is believed that people suffering from type 2 diabetes belong to the age group of over 45 years, although this does not mean that people belonging to younger age cannot suffer from this condition. This form of the condition can be caused due to not-so-healthy lifestyle, lack of physical activities, and more. 

Under this type, the body faces an insulin deficiency, which means that at the beginning of this condition the body produces the adequate hormone, but as time passes by the production of insulin decreases thereby, causing ineffectiveness. It leads to the building up of glucose in the bloodstream. In this type, the pancreas is capable of producing insulin but do not respond to it. 

As this is a common type of diabetes, one may not realize the condition they are undergoing and may thereby consider the symptoms to be normal. By the time the person understands the condition, it leads to various complications. According to research, it is estimated that type 2 diabetes takes place more commonly in children lately. This type of diabetes can reduce the life expectancy of an individual up to 10 years.

Diabetes health insurance:

The introduction of diabetes health insurance has been done with the motive of providing vast coverage to the insured. As it has been well-established that diabetes is a chronic disease and has serious effects on a person’s health, the treatment of the condition is expensive. Health insurance provides sub-limited coverage thus, the range is not adequate.

A diabetes health insurance provides huge coverage that always works for the benefit of an individual. India is considered as the “Diabetes Capital of the World” and thus having, broad coverage is necessary. Although India is one of the top countries in having people suffering from this disease, insurance providers in India are not very much interested in providing diabetes health insurance policies as the chances of a person filing a claim for the same is very high.

Benefits of having diabetes health insurance:

• Waiting period

 Health insurance provides restricted coverage to an individual in case the person is suffering from diabetes. Although the insurance company asks the policy purchaser to serve a waiting period as diabetes is considered to be a “pre-existing disease” and the term of waiting period varies between 1 to 4 years. During this period, the insurance company will accept accidental claims and the claims that are unrelated to the disease one is serving a waiting period for. 

Under diabetes health insurance, the insured does not need to serve a waiting period. Initial waiting of a minimum of 30 to 90 days is mandatory, the term differs from one company to another, and thus one is advised to go through the terms and conditions stated by the insurer. During the initial waiting period, accidental claims will be entertained. Any other medical condition except diabetes needs a waiting period to be served.

• Financial strain

As medical inflation keeps on increasing rapidly due to the scientific development in the medical field, it is safe to say that in the future, the treatment costs will be high enough for one to afford. Diabetes being a serious medical condition requires regular interval treatment, and thus having full-fledged coverage will help decrease one’s financial stress. During emergencies, everyone does not have a financial back-up and having insurance to support you reduces the risk of bankruptcy or compromise in the quality of treatment of an individual.

• Coverage for epitome

 In some cases, the coverage offered by the health insurance is not for various types of diabetes. It means that the insurance company may provide coverage for a specific type. There are various costs related to diabetes, and some insurers do not cover all those costs and are very selective about it thereby, leading the insured to pay money from their pockets thus, causing losses. Having diabetes health insurance leads to having coverage for various costs related to the disease.

• Tax benefits

 The Income Tax Act, 1961 provides tax benefits under section 80D for premiums paid on health insurance and that includes diabetes health insurance. This insurance not only provides coverage benefits but also acts as an investment vehicle, tax benefit provider, and more. Although this is the secondary motive, the primary vision of providing financial support remains constant.