Are Allergies and Its Treatment Covered Under a Health Plan?

Given the pollution of present times; allergy is a common disease among masses. You will find every second person exhibiting an allergic response to various substances like pollen, dust, mold spores, pet dander, etc. It is such a common and rampant health problem amongst Indians that most of us accept it as a part and parcel of our lives.

According to estimates about thirty percent of the Indian population is suffering from allergies. People not only show the reaction to a wide array of substances but the degree of reaction also varies from person to person. Unfortunately, even though it is one of the leading reasons for the people visiting a hospital; people are unsure whether allergic treatment is covered by your health policy. Here, we explore various aspects of the topic for better perception.

Types of Allergies

Before we proceed any further, let’s understand the two major types of allergies.

• Common allergies

This is the most common type of allergy. Here people show an allergic reaction to pollutants like dust, the smell of petrol, diesel, etc. and exhibit difficulty in breathing, uncontrollable sneezing, a bout of vomiting or even temporary rashes erupting on your skin. These allergic reactions are neither severe nor fatal and do not cause any death. The reaction diminishes and disappears after some time either naturally or with a mild medication.

• Severe allergies

Some allergens cause a severe anaphylactic reaction in the body of some persons. Here the immune system of the body reacts in a severe way to the allergen and can cause severe breathing problems, loss of consciousness, etc. The reaction exhibited is often fatal and life-threatening if not treated at the right time and requires hospitalization most of the time.

Allergic Reaction and Health Insurance

Now let’s answer the most important question of whether allergies are covered under a health insurance plan or not. In blunt words, common allergies are not covered under a Health Insurance Plan but severe allergies are covered under it as it requires hospitalization and treatment.

It must also be understood that many policies might not cover it. Hence, you must always double-check its cover before buying the health policy. IRDAI has made health coverage mandatory only for severe allergic conditions like asthma and allergic rhinitis. It has also listed insurance eligibility for immunotherapy which is known to help to treat the allergic conditions in a much better way. Therefore, one might infer that health insurance has the provision for immunotherapy-based treatment for allergy.

It has also been found that most often the root cause of allergic reactions is sinus condition and it often leads to hospitalization. They suffer from various reactions like coughing, sneezing, running nose, rashes, itching, etc. But what most people are unaware of is that today, we have various treatments available in immunotherapy, homeopathic treatment, and AYUSH treatment.

AYUSH stands for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy. These are all alternate avenues of medicines that are fast gaining ground because of their effectiveness in treating various diseases. Moreover, the treatment cost is low in these avenues compared to mainstream medicine. Because of their high effectivity and low cost; they had become very popular in the masses. This popularity has made the insurance companies sit up and give it recognition in their policy as well.

However, many insurance companies still do not cover these avenues of treatment. Hence one must verify that these avenues of treatment are covered by the health insurance policy that you are purchasing.

Another point that you must remember that if you are getting your allergies treated by alternative medicine mode; you will have a cap on the extent of coverage provided. Usually, it is a certain percentage of the sum assured that varies from insurer to insurer.

Another point that one must always remember is that insurers consider allergy as a pre-existing disease. Hence, it must be disclosed at the time of purchase of the policy.

Wrapping up

Suffering from allergies does not mean that you will not be eligible for a health insurance plan. There are several health plans available offering you all kinds of coverages. Few health plans also cover diseases like HIV or Aids. All you need to do is ensure that you are selecting the right plan that meets your needs and covers the allergic reactions that you are prone to.