Does health insurance cover Crohn’s disease?

Inflammation in the digestive tract can be annoying and frustrating due to the discomfort caused by Crohn’s disease. Another thing for those with Crohn’s disease is the need to manage the cost of treating the condition. The cost of tests and treatments can be expensive. The below sections dwells into everything about the disease and if there are health insurance plans that cover Crohn’s disease.

What is Crohn’s disease?

Crohn’s disease is a condition that deals with inflammation in your digestive tract. Characterised under Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) causes painful swelling and irritation in the digestive tract. You might experience symptoms such as diarrhoea, belly pain, rectal bleeding and weight loss.

Medical practitioners usually diagnose Crohn’s disease through a physical examination. You may also have to undergo X-rays and diagnostic tests and, in some cases, biopsy tests to look inside the colon to check if it is cancerous.

The disease is usually treated through medicine. However, the treatment depends on your symptoms and how bad they are. This brings us to whether Crohn’s disease is covered by health insurance. Read on to learn about it in the following section.

Does your health insurance policy cover Crohn’s disease?

Yes, health insurance plans in India cover the treatment for Crohn’s disease. There are several Critical Illness Insurance Plans that might cover the cost of the treatment of the illness. Typically, these plans offer a lump sum payment based on the sum insured you have opted for.

That said, not all health insurance plans cover the disease. Read the terms and conditions of the plans thoroughly before you buy.

Depending on the type of coverage, you might be covered for hospitlisation expenses, daycare procedures, outpatient consultations costs, diagnostic tests, ambulance services, etc. It is better to compare the different health plans online to make the right choice.

Types of Crohn’s disease

Since the inflammation is in the digestive tract, it can affect different parts of the tract. Here are the types of Crohn’s disease.

• Ileitis: Inflammation and swelling in the small intestine.

• Ileocolitis: Inflammation in the small intestine and part of the large intestine, or colon.

• Jejunoileitis: Small patches of inflammation in the upper part of the small intestine.

• Gastroduodenal: Irritation and inflammation in the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine.

Symptoms and causes of Crohn’s disease

Following are the symptoms and what causes Crohn’s disease.

Symptoms

• Abdominal pain

• Severe diarrhoea

• Fatigue

• Fever

• Mouth ulcers

• Weight loss

• Loss of appetite

• Blood in stool

• Malnutrition

Causes

• Autoimmunity

• Genes

• Smoking

• Environmental factors

• Excessive intake of oily and spicy food

Treatment of Crohn’s disease

The treatment for Crohn’s disease differs depending on the symptoms and the severity of the disease. Your medical practitioner might recommend one or more of the following treatments for Crohn’s disease.

• Antibiotics

• Antidiarrheal medication

• Bowel rest

• Steroids

• Immunomodulators

• Surgery

Waiting period for Crohn’s disease in health insurance

The waiting period for Crohn’s disease in health insurance depends on the insurer. From no waiting period to a certain number of days can be the waiting period for the coverage of Crohn’s disease in health insurance.

At ACKO, there is a Zero Waiting period for treatment of Crohn’s disease with the 1 crore health insurance plan. You need to make sure that you disclose pre-existing diseases at the time of buying ACKO’s health insurance plan to avoid rejection of claims.

It is better to refer to the terms and conditions of the policy to understand the required waiting period before you can raise a claim against the medical cost involved in treating the disease.

Tips to prevent Crohn’s disease

Here are some ways you can try to prevent Crohn’s disease.

• Follow a few dietary rules by avoiding troublesome, oily or spicy food and drinking lots of water.

• Learn to manage stress by exercising regularly, Yoga and meditation.

• If your current lifestyle is causing the disease, make the required changes to suit your digestive system.

In a nutshell

Inflammation in your digestive system can be a hassle, and if you don’t treat it during the early stages, you may end up dealing with Crohn’s disease lifelong. It is prudent to make lifestyle changes and ensure you eat nutritional food. Besides changes to your lifestyle, it is better to buy a health insurance plan or Critical Illness Cover that provides financial protection against the medical expenses in treating Crohn’s disease. Remember to compare the plans and read the terms and conditions to choose the best health insurance plan.

Frequently asked questions

Here are common queries about health insurance cover for Crohn’s disease.

Is Crohn’s disease considered a pre-existing condition in health insurance?

Yes, the insurance company could consider the disease a pre-existing condition.

Which is the most suitable health insurance plan for Crohn’s disease coverage?

Not all regular health insurance plans cover the medical cost to treat Crohn’s disease. However, you can buy the Critical Illness Cover, which may offer coverage for the treatment of Crohn’s disease.

Are there any natural remedies for treating Crohn’s disease?

You must alter your lifestyle and eating habits to ensure you are not affected by the disease. There are natural remedies to reduce inflammation, such as increasing the intake of probiotic drinks and diets that enable the digestion of food.

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