Being differently-abled does not exclude you from availing good health insurance policies
According to Census 2011 there are 26.8 million specially-abled persons residing in India. This essentially means that 2 percent of the population of the country suffers from some kind of disability, be it mental or physical.
The government of India has taken several steps to ensure that disabled persons have health insurance covers available to fall back upon and to give an equal opportunity for benefits to all. Here is what you need to know about health insurance for differently-abled and mentally challenged individuals.
Health Insurance Schemes
If you or your family member suffers from a disability, the medical condition does not necessarily need to be an impediment towards obtaining a health insurance policy. The Niramaya and the Swavlamban Health insurance schemes are here to ameliorate your burden to a great extent. Read on to find out what the schemes are about.
Niramaya Health Insurance Scheme
The Niramaya health insurance plan has been introduced by the National Trust to help persons afflicted by diseases such as autism, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and related illnesses. The application fee for the Niramaya health insurance scheme is ₹250.
When you want to claim benefits under this plan, your reimbursement will be made after the process of review of your application. You will be entitled to get treatment in the hospital of your choice and claim benefits of up to ₹1 Lakh in total.
Swavlamban Health Insurance Plan
This plan is a group mediclaim policy meant for differently-abled persons. The objective of the health insurance plan is to provide affordable plans to persons suffering from blindness, hearing disability, loss of motor functions, mental disabilities, leprosy and related severe illnesses.
The aim of the Swavlamban health insurance plan is to improve the quality of health and life of differently-abled persons. The plan extends insurance cover to the insured and his or her family. The spouse and a maximum of two children along with any family member with disabilities can avail cover under the health insurance scheme.
Persons between the ages of 18 and 65 years can avail the policy. The annual income of the family of the insured is required to be below ₹3,00,000 per year. The plan covers preexisting medical conditions and offers a cover of a maximum of ₹2,00,000 per year for the insured and the other members included in the policy.
Health plans such as these are designed to increase the penetration of health insurance among differently-abled people, and give them a chance at living their life independently and with dignity.
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