5 Health Insurance Hacks Every Breast Cancer Patients Should Know

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is a tumor that occurs in the breast area of the body and can spread to other parts of the body. It mainly occurs when the cells of the breasts start to grow uncontrollably, as it mostly occurs in the milk glands. It mostly affects women and those in their 50s or older than the age of 50. There are chances that men can get breast cancer. However, doctors can perform surgery and remove the tumor to kill the cancerous cells. 

Symptoms of breast cancer

This condition can affect an individual’s breast in different ways, as some symptoms of breast cancer are not that common, but for some, the area looks vastly different from the other areas. But some of the symptoms are common include:

• Change is the shape, size and colour of the breast. 
• A small lump or mass in the breast area that feels like a pea.
• A marble-like hard area under the skin.
• Blood-stained discharge from nipples.

What are the main causes of breast cancer?

The main cause of breast cancer is breast cells mutation or uncontrollable growth. There is no sure reason for what triggers the growth. However, there are some reasons that can increase the chances of an individual being at risk of developing the condition, and the reasons include:

• Age: Age can be a big factor if an individual is 55 or above is at risk of developing the condition. 
• Sex:  Women have a higher chance of developing the condition than men.
• Family history: If anyone in your close family members, like your mother, sister, or children, has breast cancer, there are chances of you developing it. 
• Genetics: Genetic mutation is one of the main causes of the disease. 
• Smoking: Tobacco is linked to many types of cancer, and breast cancer is one of them. 
• High BMI: Obesity can be the reason for breast cancer.
• Alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol can increase the chances of breast cancer. 

After learning about breast cancer symptoms and causes, it is also particularly important to keep in mind that early detection can benefit treatment and help in getting a cure properly. 

However, when we talk about breast cancer treatment, the first thing that comes to mind is that it is costly in India and can affect an individual’s savings funds. So, it is recommended to buy health insurance for breast cancer for easy and better treatment. 

Here are five important things to know before buying health insurance for breast cancer

1. Breast cancer coverage doesn’t come under regular health insurance

If an individual has a regular health insurance plan that covers all basic illnesses, it won’t give coverage for breast cancer. These policies will only cover hospitalization expenses or medication, but critical conditions like breast cancer need coverage for surgery, chemo check-ups, etc.

As breast cancer disease falls into the critical condition category, it cannot be covered in a regular health insurance plan. 

2. Breast cancer coverage comes under the critical illness plan:

As breast cancer falls in the category of critical illness, the coverage of breast cancer is also done by a critical illness plan. Health insurance for critical illness covers conditions like cancer, kidney disease and stroke. 

The critical illness plan can cover the lump sum amount of the diagnosis for breast cancer, irrespective of the cost of treatment. This coverage cost can help in taking care of pre and post hospitalization expenses. 

3. You can add a rider to your existing health insurance plan

In the need of medical emergency for critical condition, you can add critical illness rider to your regular pre-existing health insurance plan for coverage against such illness, such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, etc. The rider plan can get a pay-out up and above sum insured of the policy. 

Whereas, going for critical illness plan is also a good idea, as the coverage offered by the critical illness plan is better than the rider plan. 

4. A waiting period applies for breast cancer

No matter if you go for a regular health insurance or a critical health insurance plan the waiting period will apply to the breast cancer coverage. One important thing to keep in mind is that you cannot claim during the waiting time as it can get rejected. So, make sure to learn about the waiting period before you buy the health insurance plan and try to choose health insurance plan with short waiting period. 

5. Some expenses may not be covered under the insurance plan

While going for the treatment of breast cancer, you must know that there will be some expenses that you have to spend from your pocket, as your health insurance won’t cover that. For example, expenses like medical tools, travelling expenses as you travel to chemotherapy sessions, diet plans, etc. 

What should you keep in mind before buying a health insurance policy?

Always read all the documents for the terms and conditions before you buy breast cancer insurance policy. As it is important to know what the benefits it covers and what is the waiting period. 

Why should you buy breast cancer coverage even after you have regular medical insurance?

Regular health insurance for individual can cover most of the illness but for some critical illness, people need special insurance plans like critical illness health policy. These policies helps in getting better claims and coverage for critical conditions like breast cancer. Medical care is getting costly day by day, that’s why getting health insurance help a lot with medical facilities. 

Here are a few more reasons you should go for a critical illness health policy for critical illness:

• Special coverage like pre- and post-hospitalization coverage is available.
• Financial protection for your savings funds.

Conclusion

Breast cancer is a common condition in females as it affects those at the age of 55 or above. If detected at an early stage, it can be cured completely. However, the charges of breast cancer treatment are expensive in India. Therefore, it is suggested that patients go for a critical illness insurance for better and easier access to treatment. Some of the points to keep in mind before going for a health insurance policy are mentioned above.