Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection causing a severe flu-like illness. The incidence of the disease has increased by 30 times over the past 50 years. The rising incidence of dengue cases has prompted insurance companies to offer a stand-alone dengue cover. The average cost of treatment for this disease can go as high as Rs. 1 lakh in metro cities and Rs. 75,000 in non-metros.
Dengue Insurance Cover
In case of dengue, delayed treatment can be very dangerous. So, it’s critical that you get an early diagnosis and take appropriate medical action. However, hospitalization and medication for such diseases can be a costly affair.
A dengue insurance plan, unlike the regular health insurance, covers particular needs like inpatient and outpatient expenses for dengue patients. Inpatient expenses typically mean the hospitalization charges for 24 hours and above, pre-hospitalization costs such as medical expenses incurred before being admitted, and post-hospitalization medical costs.
Outpatient benefits include consultation fees by a general medical practitioner, diagnostic tests – if you test positive for dengue, all medications – provided they are prescribed for the treatment of dengue, and nursing home charges which include expenses for necessary medical treatment taken by the policyholder from an empanelled medical professional at home.
Some of the dengue insurance policies also cover other water-borne diseases like malaria.
Why do you require separate dengue insurance over your regular health insurance plan?
According to data from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), the number of dengue cases in India has more than tripled in less than ten years, with many of these resulting in death. Treatment for dengue can turn out to be very expensive, mainly because more severe cases require hospitalization for an extended period.
While comparing regular health covers and specific dengue covers, we see that the general health plans offer a range of benefits, but they cannot serve as a replacement for disease-specific insurance plans. The disease-specific plans usually act as add-on covers to the main policy. The range of coverage offered by comprehensive health covers is much more extensive than the disease-specific ones, but they are limited in terms of the monetary benefits provided.
Inclusions and Exclusions of Dengue Insurance Cover
Inclusions: Dengue policies generally cover all hospitalization expenses of up to Rs. 50,000 for vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria. The dengue insurance plan also covers the cost of diagnostic tests, doctor’s fees, medication, and other medical expenses incurred fifteen days before and after the hospitalization. These costs may include the room rent, including ICU, if the need arises.
Exclusions: Hospitalization costs are usually not covered in three scenarios – if the particular vector-borne disease is diagnosed within 30 days of acquiring the policy, or if the hospitalization occur before the commencement of the policy period, or if the insured person or policyholder is admitted to the hospital for a medical condition that is not mentioned in the dengue insurance policy.
Before buying a disease-specific insurance policy, it’s very crucial for you to be aware of its inclusions and exclusions to avoid any misconceptions and future hassles.
Bajaj Finserv has recently introduced Pocket Insurance – a range of affordable solutions to your diverse insurance requirements. You can avail need-specific insurance plan such as kidney stones care plan, road trip cover, monsoon cover, infection cover etc. at very low premiums.
It also offers dengue insurance cover at an annual premium of Rs. 299. This policy comes with a high coverage amount of up to Rs. 50,000 against the vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria for a period of 365 days.
You can purchase the policy from the comfort of your home in three easy steps – log onto the Bajaj Finserv website, fill your basic details in the online application form and pay the premium amount online using debit cards, credit cards, net banking, or mobile wallets.