- Types of CI
- Best-selling Plans
- Inclusions & Exclusions
What is Critical Illness Insurance?
As per the World Health Organization report, chronic diseases/critical illnesses are the major reason for deaths in India, resulting in over 53% of overall mortality rates. Critical illnesses such as cancer cause over 10 Lakhs deaths in India, stated The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal via Live Mint.
In an era of diseases and pandemics, what else can save us from losing our lives? Especially, when advanced healthcare treatment of critical and chronic illnesses is unaffordable for underprivileged people. Having a safety net for critical illness coverage can be the saviour in such conditions.
Firstly, what is a critical illness and how does critical illness insurance work? Critical illness in the insurance sector is defined as a preset dreadful disease in the critical illness list of the insurance coverage section. The insurer contracts to pay the policyholder for a lump sum amount on diagnosis of any one of those. A critical illness policy provides financial and medical protection against life-threatening diseases. Given that, one should fulfil the initial waiting period to claim against a critical illness treatment.
This page has it all including a detailed list of critical illnesses for insurance, best plans for critical illnesses, its inclusions, exclusions, and so on.
Key Takeaways
- Critical illness insurance saves you from a financial crisis, as it offers a payout cash benefit when diagnosed with any of the listed illnesses
- Before buying a critical illness coverage policy, check the initial and other waiting periods
- Health insurers have predetermined critical illness lists for which they pay in cash (only after diagnosis)
- Niva Bupa CritiCare, ManipalCigna Lifestyle Protection, and other critical illness policies offer the best coverage benefits
- An individual whose age is between 18 to 65 years can buy and claim coverage for critical illness
- Choose a critical illness policy that comes with a second medical opinion, worldwide cover, and regular medical care benefits
List Of Critical Illnesses For Insurance
There are over 36 to 64 critical illnesses, which health insurance companies consider covering in their critical illness insurance plans. For example, read this critical illness list that is covered under one of the best critical illness policies in India:
- Cancer
- Stroke
- Heart failure or attack
- Heart valve replacement
- Kidney failure
- Aorta surgery or thoracotomy/laparotomy
- Organ transplants like liver, heart, bone marrow, lungs, and kidney
- Multiple sclerosis
- Primary pulmonary arterial hypertension
- Total or permanent deafness and blindness
- Fulminant viral hepatitis leading to liver failure
- Paralysis with permanent or total limbs or paraplegia
- Parkinson’s diseases
- Coma
- Permanent loss of speech
- Third-degree burns
- Alzheimer’s disease or degenerative brain disorder
- Chronic lung disease
- Benign brain tumour
- Encephalitis
- Chronic liver disease
- Chronic persistent bone marrow failure leading to anaemia
- Muscle dystrophy
- Poliomyelitis
- Bacterial meningitis as a result of the spinal cord or brain membrane inflammation
- Craniotomy or brain surgery
- AIDS
- Necrosis of the brain cortex or apallic syndrome
- Coronary heart diseases as; the Circumflex, RCA (right coronary artery), and LAD (Left Anterior Descending artery defectiveness
Note: This is not a full list of critical illnesses for which you can buy critical illness insurance. For a detailed list of coverage, check your policy documents thoroughly.
Best Critical Illness Insurance Plans in India
Here are some of the best health insurance plans with critical illness coverage that will support you all-in-all when in need:
| Critical Illness Plans | Entry Age | Sum Insured | Initial Waiting Periods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niva Bupa CritiCare | 18 - 65 years | 3 L - 2 Cr | 90 days |
| ManipalCigna Lifestyle Protection | 18 - 65 years | 1 L - 25 Cr | 90 days |
| Care Critical Mediclaim | 18 - 65 years | 10 L -2 Cr | 90 days |
| Star Critical Illness Multipay | 18 - 65 years | 5 - 25 L | 12 months |
| HDFC ERGO Critical Illness Platinum | 5 - 65 years | 1 L - 50 L | 90 days |
Specifications Of Critical Illness Coverage in India
Niva Bupa CritiCare
- Covers upto 20 life-threatening critical illnesses
- HospiCash provides a daily cash allowance for your family
- Accident care available
- Assured renewal benefit that allows you to renew your critical illness coverage for a whole lifetime
ManipalCigna Lifestyle Protection
- Second medical opinion
- Lump sum payout benefits
- Access to online wellness program
- Provides coverage for siblings, in-laws, and other dependents on a family floater basis
Care Critical Mediclaim
- Covers 32 major critical illnesses
- Indemnity benefit with a high sum insured option
- Expensive treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy are covered
- Psychiatric counselling cover
- Health services options include quick recovery counselling, global coverage, doctor-on-call, OPD cover, air ambulance, second international opinion, etc
Star Critical Illness Multipay
- 37 critical illnesses are covered
- Provides lump sum payout on diagnosis of listed illnesses
- No pre-policy medical examination is required for individuals upto 50 years
- Star Wellness Program benefits
- Installment options for monthly premium payments
HDFC ERGO Critical Illness Platinum
- Covers over 15 critical illnesses
- Lump sum payout benefit in just a single transaction
- No medical check-ups for pre-acceptance upto 45 years
- Advanced and quality medical treatment for critical illnesses
- Lifelong renewability option is available
What Does Critical Illness Policy Covers?
- Critical illness coverage
- Tax benefit
- Waiting period
- Lump sum or staggered payout options
- Pre and post-hospitalisation
- Cashless hospitalisation
- Chemotherapy and radiotherapy
- Congenital defect
- Dialysis coverage
- Financial support
- Expensive treatments
- HIV/AIDS infection, others
What Are The Exclusions Of Critical Illness Insurance?
- Diseases caused due to alcohol consumption or drug abuse
- Disability from the birth
- Health challenges caused by giving birth like C-sections
- STDs including HIV/AIDS
- War fares, riots, resurrection, rebellions, terrorist attacks, etc
- Dental treatment or surgery thereof
- Infertility treatments, reproductive assistance, hormone replacement treatments, etc
- If a person dies in the first month of being diagnosed with an illness/disease
- Treatment taken anywhere outside the country (unless it’s covered), and others
Summary
Critical illnesses are not just an affair of expensive treatments and financial brokerage, it also shatters the patient’s whole world and their family’s future in a go. What if we say, you can be covered for a treatment against critical illness after keeping your emergency funds intact and having your family’s back?
Yes, this is true. A critical illness coverage health insurance policy covers all sorts of your treatment expenses, hospitalization charges, and payout monthly income while you’re not able to provide for your loved ones.
To know more about individual, family, senior citizen, and group health insurance, schedule your appointment with PolicyX advisors today!
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List of Critical Illnesses: FAQs
1. Is a critical illness plan worth it for me?
Yes. The changing lifestyle and fast-paced world have turned us prone to critical illnesses that may be deadly most of the time. For the diagnosis and treatment, you need critical illness insurance which will help you cope with financial distress.
2. Which is the best critical illness insurance plan?
There are multiple critical illness policies, including Care Freedom, ManipalCigna Lifestyle Protection Critical Care, and more. For more details, you can connect with our insurance advisors.
3. What are the eligibility criteria for buying a critical illness policy?
The minimum to maximum entry age for buying a critical illness insurance policy is between 18 to 65 years.
4. Who should buy a critical illness insurance policy?
A critical illness policy is a must-buy insurance product for an individual who; has a family history of critical illness/es, is the sole breadwinner of the household, is above 40 years of age and prone to getting ill frequently, has a high-risk job that demands regular treatment, has undergone any cardiac surgery or dialysis, etc.
5. What are the 5 critical illnesses?
As per the government health reports 5 majorly common critical illnesses in India are cancer, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and organ transplant due to dysfunctionality.
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Written By: Simran Nirala
Lives In: Delhi, NCR Expertise: Health & Term Insurance Simran has an experience of 4 years in content writing. She transitioned from hospitality and digital marketing to the insurance industry after her emerging interest in how vast insurance is. With her ability to write complex insurance concepts in a simple, relatable manner, she keeps her audience hooked and solves their doubts smoothly.
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