Health Insurance for Stroke Patients: Best Plan

Health insurance plays a vital role in ensuring your financial security and stability. This is particularly true for cases of strokes, which may strike without warning. A stroke can turn someone’s life upside-down in an instant. In such a situation, health insurance for stroke becomes essential, not just for financial stability but also for peace of mind.

In this blog, we will explore the best medical insurance for stroke patients and things you should remember.

Who Should Buy Health Insurance for Stroke Patients?

A stroke occurs when a part of the brain does not receive an adequate blood supply and stops working. It may happen due to blood vessels rupturing or even blood clots, which block the blood supply to the brain. It is a life-threatening disease and requires immediate medical attention.

Anyone at any age can suffer from a brain stroke. However, some people who are at a higher risk should purchase health insurance for stroke. Ideally, people suffering from the following should consider buying insurance:

• High blood pressure/hypertension
• High Cholesterol 
• Diabetes
• Family history of stroke or heart disease
• History of heart attack or irregular heart rhythms
• Smoking habits
• Poor diet
• Lack of physical activity

Best Health Insurance Plans for Stroke Patients

The critical insurance multipayer plan is one of the best for stroke patients. It offers coverage for 37 critical illnesses, along with stroke. Here are some of the key features of this plan: 

• Wellness Program: This policy offers you a discount for collecting wellness points. For example, if you earn 200-350 wellness points, you will get a 2% discount on your premiums. 
• No Pre-Medical Checkup Required: People below 50 years do not need to go through any pre-medical checkup. 
• No Third Party Administrator: The provider settles the claim in-house.

Benefits of Buying Health Insurance for Stroke

Before you consider buying health insurance for stroke, let us explore some important benefits. 

• Comprehensive Coverage for Stroke

Stroke is a life-threatening condition which requires immediate medical attention. Treating stroke patients can be expensive and can quickly drain your life savings. However, when you opt for critical illness health insurance, you do not have to worry about medical costs anymore. The plan provides extensive coverage for all your needs. 

• Pre and Post-Hospitalisation Cover

Stroke treatment is not confined to hospital visits only. A plethora of pre- and post-hospitalisation costs can pile up. However, insurance helps you navigate medical expenses incurred before admission, like MRIs and CT Scans. Moreover, it also covers post-hospitalisation costs.   

• Sum-Insured Options

The minimum sum insured under health insurance for stroke is Rs. 5,00,000, and the maximum limit is Rs. 25,00,000. Insurance companies offer 12 times the yearly income for people aged between 18-35 years. For people above the age of 35, the sum insured is 10 times that of the yearly income. However, for people who are not earning, the maximum limit is Rs. 15,00,000. 

• Payout of a Lump-sum Amount

Many insurance providers offer a unique feature. For example, Mr A was diagnosed with a major illness (including a brain stroke). The insurer provides a lump sum amount to Mr A. It helps him cover non-medical costs, such as the loss of an income source. 

However, such a lump sum payout shall not exceed the sum specified in the insurance policy.

• Instalment Options

Insurers, in plans like critical illness, allow for instalments. This means you can pay the policy premium on a quarterly or a half-yearly basis. Moreover, you can also pay it annually or once every 2-3 years. This flexibility can be particularly beneficial when managing your finances, and aligning with the digital ease offered by an ABHA Card for managing your health records.

Inclusions Under Health Insurance for Stroke

Health insurance plans are designed to include some of the following:

• Hospitalisation Costs: This includes hospital expenses, room charges, doctors’ fees, and the cost of medical tests.
• Rehabilitation Costs: These include support for post-stroke rehabilitation. It also covers physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. 
• Medication Cost: Some insurance plans also include the cost of certain medications. 
• Follow-up Consultations: Multiple doctor visits are essential to monitor recovery. In such cases, the insurance policy generally covers the cost of the required follow-up consultations, visits, tests, and more. 

Moreover, some of these plans are specifically designed to cover the cost of surgery related to brain or cardiovascular problems that may arise following a stroke. General policies might exclude this from their scope.

Exclusions Under Health Insurance for Stroke

Before you purchase health insurance for stroke, you must take into account the following exclusions:

• The policies do not cover any illness, sickness or disease other than what is specified in the policy. 
• Certain unproven or experimental treatments may not be covered.
• Failure to comply with the required disclosure agreements or providing misleading or incomplete information may render the policy useless. The company may reject the claim on this basis. 
• Failure to comply with the recommended treatments or medications as specified in the policy can lead to the claim being rejected.
• Additionally, some policies may exclude some treatments or medications entirely. 

There may be other exclusions specific to the type of policy. Always make sure to go through the fine print and understand policy specifics. 

Final Words

Stroke is a life-threatening emergency, but it does not have to be a financially draining one. Several health insurance policies offer stroke coverage, making navigating the scenario swift. However, make sure to ask about the inclusions and exclusions of your specific plan to avoid unnecessary confusion at the time of claim.