What is Meant by Monsoon-based Health Insurance Cover

The monsoon season always holds a special place in everyone’s heart as this is the time when you can spend some cozy time with your loved ones over a cup of coffee and a plate of fries. Though celestial rain gives you relief from the sultry heat of the summer, this rain offers the breeding environment for mosquitos and other diseases. Vector-borne diseases and other viral infections are common during this period. Thus, you need a specific health insurance policy like a monsoon insurance policy that helps you deal with various rainy season diseases and protects you against financial burdens.

The weather condition in monsoon is advantageous for the growth and spread of dangerous microorganisms. The clogged drain water and stagnant water make a favorable environment for mosquitos and other insects and diseases to breed and spread. Moreover, temperature fluctuation (switching between hot and cold) is also common during the monsoon. Thus, people with weaker immune systems often fall sick with flu-like symptoms for several days.

Monsoon Based Health Insurance Coverage

Diarrhea, dengue, viral fever, typhoid, malaria, asthma, Hepatitis A, leptospirosis, and chikungunya are the most common diseases in the rainy season. Many health insurers are receiving claims for hospitalizations regarding these diseases. These days, the markets are crammed with insurance products that offer disease-specific cover at marginal costs. Though these products cover limited incidents, still, their demand is on the higher side.

A customer can purchase disease-specific plans as specific protection or as add-on protection. Dengue is the only monsoon disease for which there are several retail plans available in the market. In addition, popular insurance companies like Apollo Munich-Dengue Care and DHFL Pramerica-Dengue Shield offer dengue-specific plans to customers.

The prime objective of a monsoon-specific health insurance policy is to offer coverage for healthcare expenditure due to either hospitalization or out-patient treatment procedures for most vector-borne diseases (irrespective of age). A disease-specific plan is usually a most customized insurance service that offers a spectrum of benefits to customers. Some common benefits are,

• Comprehensive coverage for hospitalization expenses for a wide range of treatments, including infections, accidental injuries, and non-communicable diseases
• Coverage for diagnostic tests and examinations
• Coverage for OPD and daycare treatments
• Coverage for road and air ambulance during healthcare emergencies

If the patient needs to be shifted to the ICU in a severe condition, many of these plans can be successfully topped up. In addition, the benefits may include a No Claim Bonus that enhances your sum insured amount for every claim-free year (some plans may increase the sum insured amount by up to 200%), auto recharge of the sum insured, and global coverage.

Most health insurance policies usually offer basic coverage and inclusions. Always ask your insurer regarding the waiting period for specific diseases in those plans.

The waiting period indicates the period that you need to wait before initiating a claim for some specific diseases or pre-existing conditions. Other common inclusions of these monsoon-specific policies are 30-day pre and 60-day post-hospitalization treatment, alternative treatment forms such as Ayurveda, Unani, Homeopathy & Siddha, domiciliary treatment, and expenses for organ donation, etc.

That’s why experts always recommend choosing a comprehensive health insurance policy instead of selecting a disease-specific plan. This type of plan covers all monsoon-related diseases and offers coverage for hospitalization expenses or medical treatments for accidents/injuries that increase in this rainy season.

Health insurance policies offer coverage for all water-borne diseases, including expenses for diseases requiring more than 24-hour hospitalization and pre-and-post hospitalization expenses for 60 days and 90 days, respectively.

Imperative healthcare tips that you must follow in monsoon to stay safe and healthy

You must purchase a proper health insurance policy for you and your family members to safeguard your health and finances during the monsoon season. It is always recommended to take precautionary steps during this monsoon season to avoid as many health problems as possible. By sipping a cup of green tea (that comes with the goodness of antioxidants) every day, you can enjoy the monsoon season. Moreover, always eat balanced and wholesome food items, including fruits and green leafy vegetables. Other important things that you should consider in monsoon are,

• Follow proper hygiene, and never touch your nose and mouth with dirty hands to avoid flu-like symptom
• Always wear clean, dry, and cotton clothes
• Drink clean, boiled, and Luke-warm water as much as possible. Don’t drink cold water as you may feel a sore throat and other infections
• To enhance your immunity, always add ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon to your diet
• Never consume food from any open food stalls or restaurants
• Use skin-friendly mosquito repellent
• Before going outside, cover yourself up properly
• Always keep your umbrella and raincoat ready to avoid getting stuck somewhere
• Must follow all the COVID-19 protocols and appropriate behavior.

If any of your family members is suffering from any vector-borne or water-borne diseases, you should seek medical assistance without any delay. Some symptoms may appear mild initially but can turn out to be serious in many cases, especially for children and senior citizens. Most medical emergencies arise without any notice, and thus, you should be prepared well to tackle these situations. Since monsoon season brings a plethora of illnesses, thus before this season, you should always purchase comprehensive insurance coverage for yourself and your loved ones. Before selecting a plan, don’t forget to check all details, including the terms and conditions, the coverage and exclusions, the claim process, etc. Then, by comparing various plans, choose the best one that complements your requirements and needs.