Alarming levels of air pollution in Delhi and neighbouring areas have been making headlines for the past few weeks. Not just Delhi, states like Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh are also grappling with poor air quality. Rising cases of air pollution-linked health issues have encouraged more people to think of getting health insurance.
With the air quality index (AQI) touching new records in the North Indian region, inquiries from these areas have increased by 50-60% compared to last year, Policybazaar told Mint. The increased number of health insurance inquiries reflects the rising concern among people about the impact of air pollution on healthcare costs.
Due to a spike in air pollution, several hospitals in Delhi have seen a rise in the number of patients with respiratory ailments. Doctors have also warned of breathing issues, skin and eye irritation, heart ailments, etc among people living in highly polluted areas. Consequentially, there has been a rise in the number of health insurance claims.
“There has been a significant upswing in hospitalizations primarily due to respiratory ailments such as asthma, deteriorating cases of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and even instances of cancer. Our observations during this season have underscored a concerning trend in health insurance claims. The average claim size has seen a notable increase this season,” Siddharth Singhal, Business Head of Health Insurance, Policybazaar.com told Mint.
Health insurance protection against poor AQI
Severe air pollution poses the risk of health issues like breathlessness, lung infections, heart ailments, etc. Such health issues can take a toll on finances.
To deal with the financial burden of healthcare issues, it is important to have a comprehensive health insurance policy. People are advised to secure coverage with a minimum of 10 lakhs per family member to get a one crore coverage, said Singhal.
“Individuals should consider a comprehensive health insurance policy with an OPD cover. OPD coverage is particularly valuable for patients who require frequent doctor visits due to pollution-related issues such as chest infections, dry throats, coughs, or eye irritation where patients can claim expenses for doctor consultations, diagnostic tests, and pharmacy bills, even without hospitalisation,” he added.
He also underscored the presence of health insurance policies that offer coverage for critical illnesses that arise due to pollution-related ailments like lung infections, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and acute respiratory infections.
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Updated: 09 Nov 2023, 06:59 PM IST