Arjun was obese since his birth, He tried hard to manage his weight and followed a healthy routine. But despite all the efforts, nothing much happened. Due to obesity he started developing the symptoms of high blood pressure. The medicines and health conditions affected the state of the health and worsened the condition of the kidney.
Arjun’s wife could envisage that it could happen with their only son also. Thinking and worried of the situation, she bought a health plan for the child. Arjun and his wife were salaried employees who worked in MNC’s. They knew that all through their savings they will have to pay for their son’s education, loans and everything else. This is why the thought of insurance came in.
Thinking why did they take a health plan?
Let us explore what the policy stores in it.
What is a health plan?
A health plan is a policy that pays a lump sum after the diagnosis of a critical illness. The policy covers all stages of the disease and is available at quite an affordable premium.
The health plan policy is beneficial as the cost of medical facilities is rising day by day. The rate of inflation in healthcare is 8.4% which has affected the cost of treatments, especially required for the critical illnesses. One time illness and treatment can swipe away your life time savings if needed.
To prevent the families from falling into the prey of destiny, it is important that you buy a health plan. The insurance policy provides financial assistance in lump sum in the event of a medical emergency.
A health plan is different from a general health insurance policy. The latter pays only for the cost of hospitalisation, pre and post hospitalisation expenses. Whereas a health plan pays a lump sum which the life insured can use to get the high quality treatment. The amount received under the health plan can also be used by the family to cover for the loss of income as the life insured has to stay away from work. A health plan pays for critical illnesses like cancer, renal or kidney failure which is why the cover is also called a critical illness cover.
Let us further read about critical illness insurance.
What is critical illness insurance?
A critical illness insurance is a health plan that pays a lump sum when the life insured is diagnosed with any of the critical illnesses. The diseases can include heart attack, stroke, kidney failure or cancer.
Like Arjun, anyone of us can have kidney ailments. If not by birth, the disease can be developed due to changing lifestyles and excessive consumption of processed food.
About kidney failure and treatment.
Kidneys are bean-shaped organs that filter toxins from the blood and convey waste in the form of urine from the ureter into the bladder in pairs. It also maintains water balance and regulates blood pressure.
When a single kidney or both kidneys fail to execute this vital function in the body, it can result in life-threatening consequences. End-stage renal disease, often known as kidney failure, is a kidney disorder or condition that necessitates regular dialysis or kidney transplantation. The most common causes of this illness are long-term Diabetes Mellitus and hypertension.
In India, the cost of haemodialysis (12 dialysis / month) is around Rs. 12-15,000/- per month. And the expense for peritoneal dialysis is around Rs. 18 to 20,000/- per month. Individuals with limited source of income could not afford to have such heavy monthly expenses. It gets difficult to manage monthly expenditures when the family is huge or the breadwinners are less.
This is why buying a critical illness health plan for a kidney is important. Let us explore more advantages of the critical illness policy.
Advantages of critical illness insurance policy.
These are the advantages of the critical illness insurance policy:
The insurance pays a lump payment to the life insured: A critical illness policy pays the life insured a lump sum amount. It allows the family to focus on the treatment rather than being overwhelmed by sadness. Medical expenditures for the treatment of kidney failure can quickly add up to lakhs of dollars. With the lump-sum payment, you can concentrate on making a quick recovery and getting back on your feet.
Covers all phases of illness: The insurance coverage is advantageous because it covers all stages of the disease. The insured does not have to be concerned or wait for the onset of a major stage ailment to get the claim under the policy. It is just that the policy's payouts are made proportionately according to the stage of the disease.
Premium Waiver: The policy provides 5 years of premium waiver on the early stage diagnosis of the critical illness. It prevents the family savings as well as giving peace of mind to the family and dependents.
Option of monthly income: If a major stage of kidney ailment is diagnosed then the life insured will receive monthly income for 5 years. And if during this period, the life insured passes away the nominee will get the benefit of monthly income.
Tax Benefit: All the premium paid in one year under the critical illness insurance is eligible for tax deduction under Section 80D.
Critical Illness Insurance Policy.
The most suggested critical illness plan you can buy is:
ABSLI Criti Shield Plan
- The ABSLI Criti Shield Plan protects you financially if you have a cardiac or renal ailment.
- A comprehensive payout is included in the plan.
- It is applicable to all stages of sickness.
- A monthly income option is included in the plan if the major stage illness is diagnosed.
- The ABSLI Criti Shield Plan, worth Rs.10 lakh, costs Rs.6 per day. It is preferable to purchase the plant when it is young.
- The insurance claim settlement process is simple and may be accomplished in just three steps. Both submitting a claim and purchasing a policy can be done online.
Conclusion
You may focus on your health while the critical illness insurance policy you choose handles the finances for you. Aside from that, the insurance will provide financial assistance to your family if you are undergoing treatment and are unable to work. Under the critical illness policy, after a 30-day surviving period, the lump sum payment is paid in one single transaction on the initial diagnosis. This lump sum amount can be used for care and treatment, recovery aids, debt repayment, or to make up for any lost income owing to a diminished ability to work. You can also benefit from tax benefits under section 80D if you choose critical illness health insurance. For more information on critical illness insurance policy, read here.
