Best Indian Women health insurance plans

Women as a matter of fact constitute 49% of the voters and almost 25% of the workforce in India but it’s ironical that they would not be financially prudent enough to invest in protecting themselves through a health insurance policy. Modern women are currently taking on challenges of work life balance, juggling between a well paying and professionally challenging job and managing the home and the chores that go with it. Women also become more vulnerable to health issues especially after the age of 40 upto 60 years, transitioning between a stable physical environment to then taking on critical ailments such as Arthritis, BP, diabetes, cancer etc. Women are even more susceptible to bone-related disorders and breast cancer. And this is after spending their 30’s giving birth and raising one or two children at home

Recent studies have showed that about 80-85% of the women in the country do not have their own health insurance, and even if they do, have a basic coverage plan and this is even if they are financially independent. So when an ailment arrives unannounced, payment for the treatment of such conditions are made from their hard earned savings, and this can cause a gaping hole in the family’s finances. This is why women in their 30’s must actively consider getting themselves insured without fail to take care of oncoming medical ailments that will require hospitalisation, treatment, and maybe surgery also.

Benefits under Women’s Health Insurance Plan (Critical Illness)

These plans also come with the following benefits :
Cashless hospitalization : Treatment for covered illnesses at network hospitals on a cashless basis. This will help to reduce the anxiety of the policyholders.

Cancer Cover : With this policy, stay protected and let cancer not deter you from achieving life goals. We offer 100% sum insured for all such women specific cancer that include:

• Breast Cancer
• Fallopian Tube Cancer
• Uterine/Cervical Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer
• Vaginal Cancer

Some plans offer a Carcinoma in Situ, which is cancer detected at an early state medication and treatment to ensure it remains localized and has not spread to the other organs or tissues of the body is covered as a sublimit.

Major & Minor Illnesses Covered : Financial support in treating Systemic Lupus Erythematous with Lupus Nephritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis (women specific ailments). These diseases are painful and need prolonged treatment leading to financial stress.

Surgical Procedures : Surgical procedures like Mastectomy, Hysterectomy, Breast re-constructive surgery, Wertheim's Operation, Radical Vulvectomy, Total Pelvic Exenteration, and Complicated Repair of Vaginal Fistula upto a sublimit as specified in the policy are covered.

Cardiac Ailments & Procedures : Coverage for Open Chest CABG, First Heart Attack, Angioplasty, Insertion of Pacemaker etc

Critical Illness : Life threatening critical illnesses can be a deterrent for a woman’s future, for better financial support against critical illnesses, while ensuring quality treatment, the plans cover listed critical illnesses that include Surgery of Aorta, Kidney failure requiring regular dialysis, Infective Endocarditis, Major Organ/Bone Marrow Transplantation, Primary (Idiopathic) Pulmonary Hypertension, End Stage Liver Failure, Dissecting Aortic Aneurysm, Medullary Cystic Disease, Cardiomyopathy, Permanent Paralysis of Limbs, Multitrauma, Burns among others.

Pregnancy and New Born Complications : Coverage for Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC), Ectopic Pregnancy, Molar Pregnancy and Eclampsia etc. Not just the mother, often the child also faces complications and needs surgeries for several congenital diseases like heart ailments, Spina Bifida, etc as per sublimits applicable.

Loss of Job : It’s quite possible that you may either resign or lose your job within a specified period (normally 3 months) due to diagnosis in case of major illness. On such a loss, a financial compensation in terms of a fixed amount / % of salary last earned is paid.

Congenital Disability Benefit : Benefit payable (as per T&C) under the plan on the birth of the child with any one or more of the Congenital Disabilities listed below and the child survives 30 days from the date of diagnosis :

• Down’s syndrome
• Congenital cyanotic heart disease
• Tracheo-esophageal fistula
• Cleft Palate with or without cleft lip
• Spina bifida

Children Education Bonus : Compensation payable for future education of the children on diagnosis of the Critical Illness of the insured covered under the policy.

Please note that this is a compilation of benefits under various plans for women, and do not pertain to one single plan…kindly review each plan with it’s set of benefits while making a final decision.

Guidelines to buy a Health Insurance policy for Women

With so many options available in the market for everything, Finding the ideal health insurance plan can be tough, but here are some things to look out for :

Women Specific benefits : Benefits covering women specific ailments like breast cancer, thyroid, cysts, harmone related disorders are few which have effected women considerably in recent times.

Large Cashless Hospital Network : Ensure timely admission and treatment to the insured apart from quality healthcare at pre approved costs.

Maternity Coverage : If there is a planned pregnancy on the way, this is a benefit one’s policy must have.

Waiting periods : Opt for a plan which has minimal waiting periods for defined illnesses including Critical Illness, Pre existing diseases etc.

Financially Sound Insurer with Transparent Claims process : Choose an insurer with a good claim settlement ratio and a claim process which is simple and transparent.

Right Sum Assured : Health care treatment costs are increasing everyday. So, decide on the optimum sum assured given the financial position one is in, future commitments, number of dependents etc.

Compare Plans : Visit a website like eindiainsurance to compare similar plans, review their coverages, terms & conditions, premium before making a decision.

General Exclusions under Women’s Plan

Some of the key exclusions are below, kindly review the entire list of exclusions which are part of the policy wordings:

• Any Critical Illness for which care, treatment, or advice was recommended by or received from a Physician, or which first manifested itself or was contracted before the start of the Policy Period, or for which a claim has or could have been made under any earlier policy.
• Any sexually transmitted diseases or any condition directly or indirectly caused by or associated with Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus type III (LB III) or Lymphadinopathy Associated Virus (LAV) or the Mutants Derivative or Variations Deficiency Syndrome or any Syndrome or condition of a similar kind commonly referred to as AIDS.
• Treatment arising from or traceable to pregnancy, childbirth postpartum complications including but not limited to caesarean section, birth defects and congenital anomalies.
• Occupational diseases.
• War, whether war be declared or not, invasion, act of foreign enemy, hostilities, civil war, insurrection, terrorism or terrorist acts or activities, rebellion, revolution, mutiny, military or usurped power, riot, strike, lockout, military or popular uprising, civil commotion, martial law or loot, sack or pillage in connection therewith, confiscation or destruction by any government or public authority or any act or condition incidental to any of the above.
• Naval or military operations of the armed forces or airforce and participation in operations requiring the use of arms or which are ordered by military authorities for combating terrorists, rebels and the like.
• Any natural peril (including but not limited to storm, tempest, avalanche, earthquake, volcanic eruptions, hurricane, or any other kind of natural hazard).
• Radioactive contamination.
• Consequential losses of any kind, be they by way of loss of profit, loss of opportunity, loss of gain, business interruption, market loss or otherwise, or any claims arising out of loss of a pure financial nature such as loss of goodwill or any legal liability of any kind whatsoever.
• Intentional self-injury, suicide, attempted suicide and/or the use or misuse of intoxicating drugs and/or alcohol.