Pain in the muscles, joints, and especially knees is a common complaint of most elderly people. After all, the knee starts getting weaker as age progresses and keeps making it difficult to continue with your daily activities. In some cases, the situation worsens to such an extent that a knee replacement surgery becomes unavoidable.
The good news is that health insurance companies have paid attention to this predicament and have insurance plans for this purpose as well. And here are a few things you need to know about such insurance policies.
Knee Replacement Surgeries are Pretty Expensive
Going for knee replacement surgery is a life-altering decision because it puts you under considerable mental and physical pain. And one of the reasons why you need health insurance plans to fund the surgery is because it is an expensive procedure.
Knee implants are pretty costly because they have to be imported from outside India for most cases. Additionally, you need to spend on the surgeon, and hospital fees and the taxes levied on the imported implants. Thus, it is hard to undergo this process without relying on health insurance due to the ever-increasing medical costs.
Special Health Insurance Plans for Knee Surgery
Getting a health insurance policy for knee surgery is a new occurrence in the country. In fact, most people still don’t know that they can buy such an insurance plan which covers the knee replacement as well.
Knee surgeries were earlier counted as cosmetic procedures, which a typical insurance plan does not cover. Also, more claims are being filed nowadays for knee replacements. Thus, several government-run insurers have also started including knee replacement in their Health Insurance policy. And it was not long before private insurers followed suit to roll out their special plans, which covered such surgeries.
Your Present Insurance Plan Might Cover It
About ten years ago, there was a high rejection ratio for knee replacement surgeries as the process fell under the grey area of cosmetic implants. But the best health insurance providers have now begun honoring the insurance claims made for this surgical procedure.
As such, your present Health Insurance policy can also be used for your surgery. But if you have had the same health insurance plan for years, it’s important to contact your insurer to ensure that knee replacement is covered in your policy before undergoing surgery. Some of the best health insurance plans in India would pay for the entire procedure but things like charges for bandages and medicines etc. are not covered.
The Waiting Period of Two to Four Years
Every health insurance company in India has a particular waiting period during which you aren’t allowed to file your claim. Though this period is around one to three months in general insurance, you might need more time for pre-existing conditions, such as arthritis.
The Bottom Line
Knee replacement surgeries are expensive and, most of us can’t afford it. Fortunately, many insurance companies offer special plans that cover the cost of knee replacement surgery and post-surgery rehabilitation costs. You must go through various health insurance plans to get help for your knee replacement surgery.
This post was published on November 9, 2021 6:28 pm