Rising Air Pollution in Delhi: Does your Health Insurance Cover this?

Take a deep breath. Can you feel the weight of the air? The thick smog that engulfs Delhi, one of India’s most vibrant cities, has become an alarming concern for its residents. With each passing day, the city’s air quality index rises to hazardous levels, posing a serious threat to our health and well-being. The Commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi has currently invoked the Stage – III, Graded Response Action Plan.

Smog and Poor AQI in Delhi: Who Are At Risk?

The most vulnerable are children, infants, and toddlers, followed by the elderly, heart disease patients, and people with respiratory and heart problems. In addition to working outdoors, those who are exposed to air pollutants are at greater risk. It is important to exercise considerable caution at this time when going outside

A PTI report said Delhi hospitals have experienced a sudden spike in respiratory and breathing complications. Hospitalizations have increased due to a number of factors, including major changes in weather caused by air pollution. Among the symptoms of severe air pollution are eye burning, eye-watering, breathing and respiratory difficulties, asthma, allergies, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Those without health insurance coverage are having a hard time paying for these health complications and diseases. Consequently, in such a situation, it is important to be financially prepared for planned and emergency hospitalization and medical care, and a health insurance policy provides a financial shield in such cases.

How does Health insurance act as a saviour to fight with the Air Pollution in Delhi?

Most standard health insurance plans do offer coverage for medical expenses incurred due to respiratory diseases caused by air pollution. This means that if you require treatment for conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, or other respiratory ailments resulting from exposure to polluted air, your insurance should help alleviate the burden of hefty medical bills.

In case you suffer from any ailments due to SMOG, your health insurance covers you against the medical expenses like:

• Pre & Post hospitalization expenses
• Diagnostic charges
• ICU Costs
• Bed and nursing costs
• Medicine costs
• In-home health care
• Alternate Treatment Benefits

Having a HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN means you have security that protects you and stays by your side when you need it the most. A health insurance plan will save you from financial burdens whenever you are hospitalized or undergoing medically necessary treatment. Insurers have partnerships with top hospitals to offer cashless treatment for the insured. 

In instances where there are no such arrangements, the insurer reimburses the policyholder for their expenses. Additionally, the government incentivizes health insurance by offering tax deductions.

Top Benefits of Having Health Insurance

Having a Health insurance Policy comes with many benefits.

• One such benefit is cashless treatment, as your insurance company partners with various hospital networks.
• Additionally, the policy covers both pre and post-hospitalization costs for up to 60 days, depending on your specific plan. This includes transportation charges for ambulance services. 
• Another perk is the No Claim Bonus (NCB) given to insured individuals who did not file a claim in the previous year. Furthermore, some insurers offer free health checkups based on your NCBs. 
• Coverage for room expenses is also included in this policy, determined by the premium paid by the insured.
• Lastly, there is a tax benefit as well, as the premium paid can be deducted under section 80D of the Income Tax Act. The maximum deduction is Rs. 25,000 for individuals, their spouses, and children, and an additional Rs. 25,000 if the policy covers their parents. For those above 60 years old, a Mediclaim deduction of up to Rs. 50,000 is available, while those under 60 can claim up to Rs. 25,000. 

Popular Types of Health Insurance Plans

1. Individual Health Insurance Plan

This Policy covers the health expenses and hospitalization of an individual. Premium under this policy is determined according to the age of the insured.

1. Family Health Insurance Plan

Under this health insurance plan, all the family members are covered under one plan against multiple diseases. In a family health plan, a fixed sum is assured for all family members, or for any individual within the family.

2. Senior Citizen Health Insurance Plan

You can buy this health insurance plan for your senior citizen parents or individuals who are over 60 years of age to protect them from all health issues during old age.

3. Surgery and Critical Illness Insurance Plan

It is designed to cover the medical expenses associated with critical illness treatment, such as kidney failure, paralysis, cancer, heart attack, etc. Since these treatments are expensive, the premium for these types of policies is high as well.

4. Maternity Health Insurance Plan

In addition to covering prenatal and postnatal care, child delivery expenses, and ambulance costs, this policy also covers newborns up to a certain period as specified in the plan.

5. Personal Accident Plan

This health insurance plan is specifically designed to cover hospitalization expenses in the event of an accident. The premium of a personal accident plan depends on the coverage amount.

6. Unit Linked Health Plan

These plans offer a unique combination of insurance and savings at the same time. This policy helps in building a corpus that can be used to meet those expenditures that are not covered by the insurance policy.

Bottom Line

In light of the current SMOG conditions in Delhi, it is likely that if this problem is not controlled it will spread to other parts of the country. Despite this, little can be done to curb it, however, if you have health insurance coverage, you may be able to avoid financial expenses incurred due to hospitalization due to the effects of SMOG.