Cancer Insurance
The major shift in our lifestyle and stress has made us vulnerable to many critical ailments, even at an early age. Cancer has gradually become an epidemic. The cost of treating cancer is very expensive and can impose a financial burden on your family. Considering this harsh fact, buying a cancer insurance plan has become the need of the hour. A cancer insurance plan is a type of insurance policy that offers financial aid to meet the expenses that are incurred in the treatment of this disease. This insurance policy covers the costs associated with diagnosis, hospitalization, and chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.

Nowadays many leading brands like Religare Health Insurance, HDFC Ergo, and ICICI Lombard offer health insurance policies with cancer cover. Let’s see what are the common inclusions and exclusions of health insurance policies so that you can opt for the best one.

Inclusions of Cancer Insurance Plan

Inclusions mean the coverage and the benefits that you get under your health insurance policy. To understand a cancer insurance plan in a better way, let us take a look at its inclusions:
  1. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy cover: Cancer is one such disease that needs regular care. The cancer insurance plan covers chemotherapy and radiotherapy up to the sum insured through a cashless or reimbursement facility.
  2. Types of cancer covered: Some of the common types of cancer that are covered by insurance policies are breast cancer, lung cancer and stomach cancer. In most cases, money is payable at different stages of diagnosis, treatment and surgery.
  3. Premium waiver benefit: There are some cancer insurance policies that provide the option of premium waiver benefit. If the claim under the major stage benefit clause is approved, all the ongoing future policy premiums are waived off the rest of the policy term.
  4. Hospitalization expenses: You will get coverage against hospitalization for cancer treatment under your cancer insurance plan. It can be in-patient, pre and post hospitalization, domiciliary hospitalization expenses or even for daycare treatment as well. Your medical expenses will be paid by the insurer as a cashless treatment or reimbursement up to the sum insured.

Exclusions of Cancer Insurance Plan

It is important to note that a cancer insurance plan comes with certain exclusions as well. These are the diseases or conditions that are not covered by your insurance company. The exclusions differ from one policy to another.
  • Most cancer insurance plans do not cover skin cancer.
  • Any type of cancer that may result from a congenital condition
  • Any cancer that may result because of any pre-existing condition
  • Any form of cancer that may be caused because of nuclear, biological or chemical contamination.
  • Any treatment arising out from or traceable to pregnancy, miscarriage, and maternity. This does not apply to ectopic pregnancy.
  • The treatment taken for any medical condition that is not covered under the benefit that occurs during hospitalization.
  • Non-allopathic treatment or treatment that is linked to the unrecognized system of medication.

Takeaway

It is always said that prevention is always better than cure. Hence, the other better option for prevention is to stay prepared.

At present, there are trusted insurance companies like Religare Health Insurance, HDFC Life and many others that offer cancer-specific insurance plans that include coverage for treating this dangerous disease. The insurance plan covers OPD expenses, no-claim bonus and hospitalization expenses.

Getting diagnosed with cancer can take a toll on your mental health and on your savings too. Getting a cancer insurance plan acts as a financial cushion that saves you and your family in such situations. It is very important to check if the insurance company covers the treatment costs after diagnosis and whether the benefits are different in various stages of cancer. The cancer treatment insurance coverage includes medical expenses apart from hospitalization. By opting for this insurance policy, you can secure yourself from heavy treatment costs.