Health Insurance for Physically & Mentally Disabled People

The number of differently abled people keeps increasing by the year. Currently, there are more than 2 billion disabled people in the world, leaving about 37.5% of the population of the world differently-abled. Out of the 2 million, India houses nearly 21 million of them. However, options of health insurance for the physically challenged are quite limited.

 

Who are the Specially Abled?

Specially-abled people typically have any of the below-mentioned disabilities:

 

1. Accidental Disability

Conditions caused due to accidents qualify under accidental disabilities. For example, those who have been through an accident leading to broken or impaired limbs are covered under this disability. Also, those with complete or partial blindness are covered under Accidental Disability.

 

2. Congenital Disability

Congenital essentially means a condition or illness that has been passed on through genes that affect a person from the time of their birth. For instance, some congenital conditions include spina bifida, cerebral palsy, heart issues, cystic fibrosis, Fragile X syndrome, and many others.

 

3. Mental Disability

Any kind of disability related to the brain comes under medical disability. It also includes people who have a mental impairment, behavioral stress, and psychiatric disorders.

 

Health Insurance Policies for the Physically and Mentally Challenged

2 main schemes are offered by the Indian government as health insurance for the mentally challenged as well as health insurance for the physically handicapped. The benefits of health insurance offered by these 2 schemes are beyond appreciable.

 

1. Niramaya Health Insurance Scheme

This insurance plan by the government offers a mediclaim policy for the physically handicapped and the mentally disabled, all over India except for Jammu and Kashmir. This government policy offers coverage for cerebral palsy, autism, multiple disabilities, and mental retardation. You can exercise this mediclaim policy for mentally challenged individuals. Also, it has the following benefits.

 

• High Sum Insured: A high insured sum of Rs. 1 lakh is offered for the person with a disability.

• Premium Support: The premium is to be paid by the trust of the insurance provided once the person with the disability is enrolled with the trust.

• Flexible Coverage Period: The period of coverage is provided till the end of the financial year, i.e. till March 31st.

• Primary Person Insured: In the presence of a valid identity card issued by the government, as per the National Trust Act of 1999, the person with a disability will be insured.

• Low Processing Fee: A very low processing fee of only Rs.250 for the person with a disability in the BPL (Below Poverty Line) category and Rs. 500 for people in the non-BPL category.

 

Besides, Rs. 1000 worth of transportation costs will be covered. The treatment can be availed at any hospital with no mandatory pre-insurance medical tests.

 

2. Swavalamban Health Insurance Scheme

This government-offered health insurance policy provides cover for beneficiaries along with their families. The plan offers coverage for locomotor disability, blindness, low vision, and hearing impairment among others. This plan also comes along with the following benefits:

 

• High Sum Insured: A high insured sum of Rs. 2 lakh is offered for the person with a disability, given that the family income is below Rs. 3 lakhs per annum.

• Premium Support: The premium is subsidized to a level of 90% by the Indian government.

• Flexible Coverage Period: The period of coverage is provided for 12 months from the issue date of the policy

• Primary Person Insured: In the presence of a valid identity card issued by the government, as per the Person with Disabilities Act of 1995, the person with a disability will be insured.

• Insurance for Family: The spouse along with 2 children (below 18 years of age) will be covered given that the person with a disability is above 18 years of age.

 

Besides, an OPD cover of Rs. 3000 will be provided as part of the health insurance for the mentally disabled. Besides, this is the best health insurance plan that also provides coverage for Siddha, Ayurveda, AYUSH (homeopathy) care, and Unani. With any of these existing health insurance plans, you can claim medical and hospitalization expenses.

 

Eligibility Criteria for this Health Insurance Policy

There are 3 important factors that determine the eligibility for this health insurance policy -

 

1. Premium Paying Capacity

The applicant’s bank account should hold enough balance to pay the premium amount as every insurance requires a health insurance premium to be paid.

 

2. Current State of Health

This is the most important factor that the insurer checks for. Two-month health status is requested by the insurer. In cases of chronic disability, the chances of the insurance getting approved are slim.

 

3. Family Earnings

Based on the overall income of the family, the insurer offers a suitable policy for the person with a disability.

 

Conclusion:

If you or anybody you know are specially-abled, it is best to avail of a health insurance plan at the earliest to save medical expenses and also make claims for a tax deduction. The Indian government has launched two plans to financially support people with physical and mental disabilities. Besides, it is important to choose the right health insurance before buying health insurance plans. Finally, purchasing a cashless mediclaim policy can help provide coverage of medical tests, treatment, and hospitalization expenses.