Does Health Insurance Policy Cover Diabetes in India?

Health Insurance for Diabetes Patients in India

People do have this misconception that there is no health insurance for diabetic patients. However that is not the case anymore. Every health insurance policy extends its benefits to customers with pre-existing diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, heart diseases, etc. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, just check with your health insurers whether this disease is covered after a certain period or not. The best health insurance for diabetics will certainly offer coverage for this disease so that patients can manage their conditions and opt for the treatment methods without worrying too much about the medical expenses.

Before purchasing health insurance for diabetics, let’s take a look at some more details about diabetes and its types.

Diabetes is a disease where your blood sugar level either gets elevated or decreases. The hormone insulin (secreted by the pancreas) breaks down and turns the food into glucose. You get energy from this glucose when it is transformed into your cells. In diabetes, the production of insulin gets affected. Due to low production or zero production of insulin, glucose gets accumulated in the bloodstream and also, one can’t utilize the insulin efficiently.

Types of Diabetes that You Should Know Before Opting for Health Insurance for Diabetics

Type 1 Diabetes

In this type of complicated diabetes, patients need insulin as their body can’t produce adequate insulin that can be transformed into sugar or glucose. Type 1 diabetes patients need insulin shots. In this condition, a person’s immunity system attacks the insulin-producing cells.

Type 2 Diabetes

This is the most common type of diabetes among patients who become insulin resistant (can’t produce sufficient insulin). Due to inadequate production of insulin, the glucose gets accumulated in the blood and can’t be converted into energy.

Type 3 Diabetes

This is a kind of Alzheimer’s disease which primarily happens due to insulin resistance in the brain.

Gestational Diabetes

This type of diabetes is common among pregnant women in which the condition gets resolved after delivery. But if it is not managed, it may turn into Type 2 diabetes.

Best Health Insurance for Diabetics in India

Let’s understand some of the prominent health insurance plans for diabetics that you can purchase if you are having this disease.

Individual health insurance plan

These days, many insurers are proposing individual health insurance plans that offer coverage for pre-existing diseases, including diabetes. In India, the cases of diabetes are rising exponentially every year. To capture the attention of the Indian audience, health insurance companies have launched various lucrative health insurance plans that cover many pre-existing ailments like diabetes. You just need to complete the waiting period to enjoy the coverage and benefits of the best health insurance policy in India for diabetes.

Group health insurance plan

By choosing a group health insurance policy (offered by your employer), you can also make an alternate option to cater to the needs of diabetes. Most group health insurance plans offer coverage for diabetes. But it is better to go for individual health insurance as group health policies will be annulled once you leave the job.

Diabetes-specific plan

Over the past few years, India has witnessed an astonishing evolution in the insurance sector.  These days, many health insurers are designing health policies that address specific illnesses like diabetes. If you have this ailment, you can opt for a diabetes-specific health insurance plan.

How do you enjoy the coverage of diabetes health insurance plans?

Type 1 diabetes is not covered by any health insurance plans, but health insurance policies offer coverage for type 2 diabetes. If you have gestational diabetes, this will be covered under your maternity insurance.

But a diabetic person needs to pay a higher premium against health policies as compared to a normal person. This is because they need more medical care and the chance of a claim is also high. The waiting period is mostly between 2-4 years after which you can enjoy the benefits of the best health insurance for type 2 diabetes. If you are a first-time purchaser, you may need to go through all medical check-ups. But this may vary from company to company.

It is also advisable to choose a policy that comes up with a minimal waiting period. Group health insurance policies have no waiting period, but they have other disadvantages. So, read the policy documents cautiously and check all inclusions and exclusions for pre-existing diseases before making any commitment.