Hypertension also commonly called high blood pressure, is the cause of most of the more serious types of illnesses related to the heart, eyes, kidney, and even multiple organ failure.
According to WHO, 188.3 million people in India were living with unidentified hypertension (1).
The normal level of BP, for a healthy individual is 120 by 80mm Hg. You have hypertension or high BP if, your blood pressure is higher than 130 over 80 mmHg.
High BP needs constant monitoring as it can lead to severe complications in minutes and hence it becomes all the more important to understand if there are insurance plans that cover high blood pressure.
If you know about conventional health insurance which covers just the basics, you might be wondering: Can you get health insurance with high blood pressure?
Well, the simple answer is that it depends on the kind of insurance you have, but the complicated part has many layers that need some thought and understanding on the part of the individual.
Hence, before we dig deeper there are some basics that every individual should know about:
What Are The Question You Should Ask About Health Insurance:
Is the Insurance you are buying basic health insurance? or
Is it customized insurance that covers pre-existing diseases or conditions like High BP, diabetes, heart disease, etc?
Does your health Insurance cover only hospitalization charges? or
Does it include an OPD cover?
What is included in the health insurance with high blood pressure cover?
does it cover all the pre and post-hospitalization expenses including emergency ambulance services?
Once you get the answer for these you can then move on to the details, and understand health insurance with a high BP.
Health insurance for high blood pressure
A comprehensive health insurance plan is the one that covers high blood pressure and includes the following coverages:
Medical examination: A health insurance that covers high blood pressure doesn’t ask you for a medical examination to pre-determine diseases.
Premium guarantee: Give preference to plans that give you a minimum coverage of 20lakhs, and a guaranteed premium throughout the policy term.
Hospitalization: Be ready to question your insurer, like- Which are the hospitals in their network? If you get treated in one of the network hospitals of your insurer, you get cashless treatment and hospitalization, reducing a lot of stress and financial burden from your shoulders. If you get treated in a non-network hospital you can still claim for reimbursement.
Health insurance with OPD: Reducing the overall financial burden should be the aim of a good insurance policy and OPD is one area that remained unattended. Now insurers cover hypertension OPD expenses giving huge respite to patients.
Comprehensive cover: Pre and post-hospitalization expenses are also included in the cover by leading insurers, understanding the need for prior and post-treatment care.
Annual health checkups: “Prevention is better than cure”, and insurers help individuals take proper care of their health with annual check-ups that help screen for the possibility of high BP affecting other organs.
What is the need for health insurance for high BP?
According to a research titled “Medical and non-medical cost of hypertension and heart diseases in India”, those who are hospitalized for a duration of 1 month to 1 year are found to spend Rs. 66800 on an average annually as well as Rs. 11,582 on tests and medicines on an average annually.
People with High Blood Pressure need a Pharmacy Plan
High BP requires you to take medicines lifelong and the expenses related to it can range from lakhs over a lifetime. You can get your blood pressure medication for a nominal amount, and save significantly on your insurance premiums with a comprehensive plan like Kenko Health’s everyday savings plan.
Your financial burden might increase due to the complications associated with high BP, if your basic insurance doesn’t cover high BP.
Many insurance plans cover high blood pressure, but these break your budget and you have more out-of-pocket expenses, unlike Kenko’s health plan which covers OPD expenses and turns your medical bills to zero.
In conclusion, the question you should ask yourself is not, 'Can I get health insurance with high blood pressure?' Many insurers offer plans covering high blood pressure, but they often come with high costs. Instead, you should ask, 'Which health insurance covers your pre-post, OPD, medicine, and doctor consultation charges at an affordable premium?
Check our pocket-friendly plans that turn your medical bills to zero.