Health insurance for diabetic patients is a wise choice because it helps cover the costs associated with treating the condition and any associated diseases. Although some insurance companies exclude coverage for diabetes and related conditions from their policies there are some that provide coverage for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes as well as the related complications.
Before we discuss health insurance for diabetes, it is important to understand that it is a chronic long-term illness that lasts a lifetime. This condition impacts how your body converts food into energy.
When your body is unable to produce enough insulin or to utilize it as well as it should, this condition occurs. As a result, too much blood is lodged in the capillaries and is unable to be used as energy. Generally, whatever you consume breaks down into glucose (sugar), which enters the blood capillaries.
Insulin is released by the pancreas in response to an increase in blood sugar levels, it aids in the transport of blood sugar into cells for energy production.
With time, diabetes can lead to major health concerns such as heart disease, renal disease, vision loss, and so on. There is no permanent cure for this disease, but there are several precautions that can help keep blood sugar levels in check.
When making lifestyle changes following adjustments can help avoid diabetes:
- Losing extra weight
- Be more physically active (E.g., Aerobic exercise, Resistance exercise, Limited inactivity)
- Eat healthy plant foods (E.g., Fruits, leafy greens (broccoli and cauliflower) , Legumes (beans, chickpeas and lentils), Whole grains ( whole-wheat pasta and bread, whole-grain rice, whole oats, and quinoa)
- Eat healthy fats (Nuts & seeds, Olive, salmon, tuna etc.)
- No FAD diets , Go for healthier options
When a person is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, they require a daily injection of insulin to survive since the body stops producing insulin. This is most common among children, teens, and young adults. And in type 2, insulin does not operate properly and sugar levels fluctuate; this situation can be treated with some lifestyle adjustments and prescribed medication.
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Early signs of diabetes and when to see a doctor for diagnosis?
Your body has its way of telling, it keeps giving you signs that you are on the radar for any illness, it is you who need to keep a close eye on and take these signs seriously and visit a doctor. The early sign of diabetes are as follow:
- Skin problem – A dry and itchy face, a wound that isn’t healing, an ongoing skin infection, white patches, a sore mouth or lips, and armpit discoloration are all frequent skin problems.
- Eating problems: You may be unusually hungry or thirsty, or you may have difficulties eating and swallowing meals.
- Mood issues: You may experience excessive fatigue or irritability
- Vision: Because of the elevated glucose levels in your blood, your vision may be blurred, and the fluid around your eyes may not be flowing properly, affecting your vision.
If you notice any of the mentioned symptoms, the first thing you should do is get a blood test, which only takes around 30 minutes presently. There are numerous signs of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, none of which can be pinpointed, but if you have a family history of diabetes, it is recommended that you get frequent blood sugar tests. The sooner you address the classic symptoms, the more likely you are to avoid developing the full-blown disease.
Advantages of Health insurance for
diabetic patients:
Having diabetes insurance has the following advantages:
Hospitalization expenses: If the situation worsens and the patient needs to be hospitalized, the admission fee along with additional treatment costs are reimbursed.
Pre and Post hospitalization expenses: Costs are covered by the insurance provider. The settlement can take place in one of two ways: cashless, where the network hospital and insurer handle it on the policyholder’s behalf; or reimbursement, where the insured had to submit the necessary paperwork, after which the claim would be handled.
Free health checkup: Companies do offer free annual health examinations to policyholders to help discover sickness early on, but according to experts, barely 20-30% of policyholders make use of it. In accordance with the health insurance plan you have purchased, you should avail of this service once every 2 or 4 years.
Doctor’s fees: This sickness requires frequent hospital visits for consultation purposes; therefore, the costs associated with these repeated appointments are covered by a diabetes insurance plan.
Diagnostic fee: Multiple tests are performed to diagnose blood sugar levels and for various other objectives, so the cost of these tests is reimbursed.
Medicine costs: With this illness, the patient is largely on medicine, and in the event of type 1 diabetes injections are also given, so medication expenses are covered under the policy.
Domicile care: The patient can choose domicile care, which will allow them to receive their treatment at home while having the costs associated covered by their insurance company, at the doctor’s recommendation.
Recovery: With the mentioned coverage, the patient can focus solely on recovery and proper care without having to worry about the cost of treatment.
Best health insurance plans for diabetic patients In India-2023
Company: Care Health Insurance
Plan: Care Supreme
Cover: ₹7 Lakhs
Premium: ₹10,993/- Or, pay @ ₹917/month for 1 year
Highlights: Pre-hospitalization coverage, Post-hospitalization coverage, Day care treatment, Ambulance charges, No claim bonus, Cashless hospitals, Co-pay, Free health checkup, E-consultation, Discount on Renewal, and add on features.
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Company: Niva Health Insurance
Plan: Max Saver
Cover: ₹7 Lakhs
Premium: ₹10,993/- Or, pay @ ₹917/month for 1 year
Highlights: Room rent limit, Restoration of cover, Pre-hospitalization coverage, Post-hospitalization coverage, Day care treatment, Ambulance charges, No claim bonus, Cashless hospitals,
Co-pay, Free health checkup, E-consultation, Domestic evacuation, Cover for organ donor, Alternate medicine (AYUSH), Maternity cover, Existing Illness cover, Discount on Renewal, and add on features.
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Company: Star Health Insurance
Plan: Star Comprehensive
Cover: ₹1 Cr
Premium: ₹14,844/-, or, pay @ ₹1,237/month for 1 year
Highlights: Pre-hospitalization coverage, Post-hospitalization coverage, Day care treatment, Ambulance charges, No claim bonus, Existing Illness cover Cashless hospitals, Co-pay, Free health checkup, Alternate medicine (AYUSH), Discount on Renewal, Domestic evacuation, Cover for organ donor, Daily cash allowance, and add on features.
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Company: Aditya Birla Capital
Plan: Activ Fit Plus
Cover: 5 Lakh
Premium: ₹ 8,407/-, Base Premium – 1 year
Highlights: Pre-hospitalization coverage, Post-hospitalization coverage, Day care treatment, Ambulance charges, No claim bonus, Existing Illness cover Cashless hospitals, Co-pay, Free health checkup,
E-consultation, Discount on Renewal, Domestic evacuation, Cover for organ donor, Daily cash allowance, Outpatient consultation benefits and add on features.
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Company: Manipal Cigna
Plan: Prime – Advantage
Cover: 5 Lakh
Premium: ₹12,512/-, Or, pay @ ₹1,043/month for 1 year
Highlights: Pre-hospitalization coverage, Post-hospitalization coverage, Day care treatment, Ambulance charges, No claim bonus, Cashless hospitals, Co-pay, Free health checkup, E-consultation, Discount on Renewal, Worldwide coverage, Cover for organ donor, Daily cash allowance, Outpatient consultation benefits and add on features.
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Company: Reliance General Insurance
Plan: Health Gain
Cover: 5 Lakh
Premium: ₹₹ 8,019/-, Base Premium – 1 year
Highlights: Pre-hospitalization coverage, Post-hospitalization coverage, Day care treatment, Ambulance charges, No claim bonus, Cashless hospitals, Co-pay, Free health checkup, E-consultation, Discount on Renewal, Restoration of cover, Existing Illness cover, Alternate medicine (AYUSH), Cover for organ donor, Animal bite vaccination, and add on features.
What is the claim request procedure for health insurance of diabetic patient?
A diabetic patient’s claim method is similar to any other health insurance claim settlement process. It could be a reimbursement or cashless mode. Under reimbursement, the insurer is required to pay their own medical bills. Once the treatment is done, the insured must submit the bills and related paperwork either in advance or after discharge. The following are the original documents required for the claim settlement process:
- Claim application Form – Duly filled and signed
- Doctors’ prescription
- Treatment documents
- Diagnostic reports/X-Ray
- Original medical bills and scripts
- Invoice for medicines
- Hospital discharge card
- Copy of FIR in case of an accidental emergency
- Copy of Health Card
- Canceled cheque
- KYC – PAN card and Hospital Registration Card
- Consultant’s certificate with diagnosis
- Relevant Investigation reports (Radiology, Pathology, etc) Claim application Form – Duly filled and signed
- Certificate from the attending doctor/physician stating the condition of the patient
Once the insurance provider has verified and is firmly convinced of the claim’s reason and request, you will receive the reimbursement amount in your bank account.
* If the plan provides a cashless option, the insurance provider will pay the network hospital directly. You are not required to pay anything at the hospital. All you have to do is show the TPA (third-party administrator) your health card.