With soaring hospital bills and expensive medical treatments, purchasing health insurance has become widespread nowadays. When buying a policy, everyone wonders whether all kinds of treatments will be covered or not. Especially as pollution levels start rising across major cities including Delhi-NCR, a common question arises regarding whether health insurance covers illnesses caused by pollution. If you are planning to file such a claim, it is better to understand the rules and reality beforehand.
Pollution-Induced Health Issues
Especially after Diwali in Delhi, pollution levels increase significantly. In such conditions, pollution-related ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, chronic pulmonary disease, and respiratory tract difficulties become quite common. Along with taking care of your health, it becomes crucial to check whether your health insurance will cover such illnesses if hospitalization becomes necessary.
Expert Insights And Policy Provisions
SBI General Insurance Chief Business Officer Shrish Mahuli stated that a surge in respiratory illnesses and related claims has begun. The claim process depends on the insured person's medical history, waiting period, and the provisions outlined in the insurance policy. Before filing a claim, the policyholder must verify these factors. Generally, every policy provides coverage for asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory ailments, but certain policies may have specific conditions attached that require attention before claiming.
Hospitalization And Expense Coverage
ManipalCigna Health Insurance Product Head Vineet Gupta noted that the underlying illness matters more than the source of pollution itself. If the condition warrants hospitalization, coverage is certainly provided. Care Health Insurance MD-CEO Ajay Shah also affirmed that policyholders requiring hospitalization due to pollution-induced illnesses receive coverage for room rent, ICU charges, doctor fees, medicines, tests, ambulance services, and pre- and post-hospitalization expenses.
