Suffering From A Chronic Illness? You Can Still Get Insurance!

A pre-existing condition such as diabetes or hypertension could impact the purchase or renewal of a regular health insurance plan. But a specific health cover can bail you out, explains Priya Nair

- Priya Nair

Minakshi Sharma, a 48-year-old housewife from Delhi, has been suffering from diabetes for the past decade. For most of that time her sugar levels and medications have only increased. But over the last few months Sharma’s sugar levels have shown an encouraging dip, and her doctor has reduced the dosage of her medicines. All this thanks to the monitoring app her health insurer gave her.

When she was first diagnosed with diabetes, Sharma had been advised by her doctor to follow a certain diet and exercise plan. But try as she might, she was not able to stick to it. Then two years ago she purchased Apollo Munich Health Insurance’s Energy Insurance Plan, a diabetes-specific health policy. As part of the insurance, she was initially given an app, which helped her monitor her food intake on a real-time basis. She used the app for few months. Also, Apollo Munich’s wellness portal, myapollomunich. com, enabled her to manage health goals with the help of a health coach.

“Using the app, l used to log what I ate during the day and I got to know the nutritional value of each food. It also told me the quantity of various food items I should be consuming. For instance, 50 per cent of my diet should comprise vegetables, either cooked or raw such as salad, about 25 per cent should be carbohydrates, and so on,” she says.

The policy includes two free health checkups a year. Sharma gets reminders from the insurance company and her results are monitored too. This helps her contain the illness and manage it better. She’s also able to get a discount on the premiums as her blood sugar levels are better now.

“I spend about ₹2000-3000 per month on my medicines and glucometer strips. If it weren’t for the app and the constant monitoring of my food intake and exercise, my sugar levels would not have been under control,” she says.

A Tough Call for Diabetics