Does My Existing Health Insurance Policy Cover CoronaVirus?

The world was told in March 2020 about the Coronavirus, which swiftly crossed borders from China and killed millions of deaths worldwide, sparking the Covid pandemic. The virus's deadliness stems from its extraordinary pace of infection and mutation, and despite having a vaccination, we must maintain all safeguards. However, if someone catches Covid-19 seriously, hospitalisation is required, which comes with a considerable expense of treatment. As a result, owning a health insurance policy is required, but patients are unsure whether their existing plans cover it and whether they need to purchase a dedicated Coronavirus health insurance policy.

Health insurance is a straightforward method that ensures that every health-related risk or accidents do not exhaust your financial resources. As people's awareness of health and lifestyle-related disorders has improved, health insurance coverage in India has become more wide and comprehensive. The ongoing global Covid-19 outbreak has extended public opinions of health and the need of having adequate medical insurance. To understand more about a coronavirus specific health insurance plan, read on.

Is Covid-19 Covered By My Current Health Insurance?

While most health insurance policies in India included health insurance coverage during the early days of the epidemic, it only provided cash aid if you were hospitalised for 24 hours. You could not make a claim if you were not hospitalised since most premium health insurance policies do not cover outpatient services.

Despite the fact that Covid-19 was labelled a pandemic, many private insurance companies were unwilling to cover the sickness. They underlined the fact that claims for epidemics and pandemics were specified as exclusions under India's government insurance standards. However, government institutions took a drastically different stance, refusing to deny any Covid-19 accusations and acknowledging the larger influence that Covid-19 had on people's lives.

Instead of worrying, contact your health insurance provider to enquire about Covid-19 coverage. According to experts, very few policies include a language that excludes pandemics, and you need to carefully examine the policy documents to acquire a better understanding.

Can A Person Buy A CoronaVirus Health Insurance Plan?

You may always get a Coronavirus specialised health insurance plan to offer maximum protection. Insurance authorities are now allowed insurers to sell short-term Covid-19 specific health insurance with terms ranging from three to eleven months. Coronavirus plans are more expensive since they are for a shorter period of time, but they are an excellent choice if you do not have sufficient financial protection from a complete health insurance policy. These insurance include a minimum sum insured of INR 50,000, a maximum limit of INR 5 Lakh, and a waiting period of no more than 15 days. Individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 years old are eligible. The government of India's Corona Kavach Policy is the most recent specialised health insurance policy which includes the price of commodities such as PPEs and does not have a room rent cap.

There are already numerous large health insurance companies which cover Covid-19 in addition to hospitalisation, but they generally come with exclusions, waiting periods, and pre-existing diseases. As a result, having Coronavirus-specific health insurance coverage is recommended for better protection.

A coronavirus health insurance policy is intended to cover the policyholder's inpatient expenses regardless of the ailment with which he has been diagnosed (unless it is a critical illness that is not covered). Just about all health insurance coverage covers inpatient treatment costs for viral infections. Because Coronavirus is a viral infection, all pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses, including in-patient and out-patient expenses, for the treatment of COVID-19 and its variants, including omicron, are covered by comprehensive health insurance.

Endnotes

Following the coronavirus outbreak, many insurers included Covid-19 Health Insurance coverage in the standard plans. They also provide specific Covid-19 Insurance Policies, such as Corona Kavach and Corona Rakshak, which are popular indemnity and benefit-based policies in India. All hospitalisation charges, Ayush treatment expenses, and home treatment expenses, as well as the cost of consumable supplies, are covered by these two coronavirus mediclaim insurance policies.

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Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.