Having an appropriate health insurance plan is very important, especially in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. The situation can be exacerbated when more than one family member is hospitalised. To cope with these difficult times, you need solid financial support. Without medical insurance plans, it becomes difficult to cover medical expenses.
In addition, some serious diseases and conditions, such as kidney failure, heart attack, cancer, and stroke, are not covered by the basic mediclaim insurance policy. The good news is that health insurance service providers have recently launched critical illness insurance policies. This plan covers certain life-threatening illnesses and offers a lump sum payment if you are willing to pay a slightly higher premium.
A stroke occurs when a part of the brain stops working or loses its blood supply, causing brain tissues to die. In severe cases, it can be life-threatening, and the patient needs immediate resuscitation. People with a family history are at a higher risk of stroke, but unfortunately, it can occur at any age.
A critical medical insurance policy offering stroke coverage can help you manage your hospital bills and assist your family. In addition, this allows you to concentrate on recovery while the insurer does the rest.
What’s a Stroke?
Simply put, when the supply of oxygen to the brain (or part of it) suddenly stops, the result is a condition in which all brain functions stop, called a brain attack or stroke. This is medically called a CVA or cerebrovascular accident. In addition, brain stroke can happen when the blood that carries oxygen is blocked due to damage in an arterial vessel or a clot.
Patients with blocked or prone to blockage of arteries and recurrent clots are potential candidates for stroke. Learning to recognise the symptoms and early warning signs during an attack and provide prompt and appropriate treatment is the simplest way to prevent stroke.
Additionally, managing uncontrolled cholesterol levels and co-occurring risk factors such as diabetes, smoking cessation, and excessive drinking can effectively reduce the risk of stroke. Controlling arterial disease and defects and preventing obesity and high blood pressure can also reduce the chances of stroke.
Do Critical Illness Medical Insurance Plans Cover Stroke Treatment?
Health insurance is an essential safeguard for financial stability and providing quality health care to your loved ones. All salaried individuals need to purchase health insurance or a family floater policy to secure medical benefits and several tax benefits of health insurance.
Insurance companies are increasingly offering insurance coverage for conditions like stroke. Critical care, treatment, and recovery are covered with some of the best medical insurance plans. However, recovering from a stroke can take a significant amount of time, so you should use a plan that replaces your lost income.
If you are looking for adequate coverage for stroke, you should invest in an appropriate critical illness insurance plan. After diagnosis, you will receive a lump sum payout under the plan, allowing you to pay for medical expenses and compensate you for the lost income.
The critical illness plan provides coverage to policyholders for medical expenses incurred due to the treatment of critical diseases as mentioned in the policy, and the plan includes a range of critical illnesses. When buying a critical illness plan, ensure that stroke is included in the list.
What are the Symptoms of Stroke?
Stroke is mainly categorised into hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke. Hemorrhagic strokes can be further classified as subarachnoid or intracerebral. Ischemic stroke can be divided into thrombotic stroke and embolic stroke.
A transient ischemic attack or TIA is transient and usually resolves within 24 hours. They mimic stroke-like symptoms and are considered a serious warning sign for future strokes. They are not known to cause lasting brain damage, but one should always take precautions to prevent future complications.
An ischemic stroke, or stroke due to a blood clot, is similar to a heart attack in which a blood vessel is blocked, and the blood supply is interrupted. Hemorrhagic strokes are less common during a stroke and result from a vascular failure or rupture of an aneurysm in the brain, and in most cases, lead to certain death.
Preliminary signs and symptoms of stroke include:
- Total or partial paralysis
- Weakness in upper limbs
- Unexplained severe headache
- Droopy face
- Sudden speech difficulties
- Visibility impairment
What are the Treatments for and Costs of Stroke Treatment?
Stroke treatment depends on the severity and type of the stroke. In the case of ischemia, treatment focuses on dissolving the clots and restoring blood flow to normal levels, while the main task of the bleeding patient is to reduce the pressure and reduce cerebral haemorrhage as quickly as possible.
Thrombolytic drugs are given intravenously to people with ischemia within the first few hours after an attack. In addition, blood thinners such as clopidogrel, aspirin, and heparin are also prescribed. In these cases, the annual cost can run into the thousands, mainly the cost of medicines, routine examinations, and doctor consultation fees.
In some cases, intracranial vascular procedures such as aspiration systems, endovascular therapy, stents or balloons, medications, mechanical retrievers, or surgery may be needed to repair damaged vessels and correct bleeding. These costs can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars, so it’s important to get health insurance from a reputed insurer like Tata AIG that will cover your expenses and minimise your financial burden during these difficult times.
Conclusion
It’s important to understand that a serious illness like a stroke can drain your savings and put you in debt. A health insurance policy can eliminate the financial burden of dealing with these conditions. You can compare medical insurance plans along with their exclusive offers and choose the one that best suits your needs.
