Is Diabetes Covered Under Critical Illness Insurance?

Diabetes is not included in a critical illness policy as it generally covers chronic conditions like cancer or a heart attack. However, a standard critical illness plan can cover diseases, such as stroke and kidney failure, that often result from the complications of long-term diabetes.

In fact, this disease is mostly considered a pre-existing condition in a health insurance plan. A pre-existing condition is generally any health issue that was diagnosed or treated before your insurance policy began. Therefore, it often impacts your coverage and premiums.

How is Diabetes Covered Under a Health Insurance?

According to the Times of India, with around 17% of total diabetic patients found in India, this country is referred to as the diabetes capital of the world.

This is why many reputable health insurance companies in India designed a specialised healthcare plan for individuals with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. However, to avail the benefits of this policy, the policyholder has to serve a waiting period of 12 to 36 months.

So, before purchasing this specialised policy, here are its certain features you must know about.

• Policy Type:A diabetes healthcare policy can be taken as an Individual plan or a floater plan. However, the family floater option is available for just two family members.

• Age limit:Policyholders between the ages of 18 and 65 years can get the policy benefits to get comprehensive health coverage.

• Critical Illness Add-on: This policy also offers critical illness cover as an add-on to provide a lump-sum payout upon diagnosis of severe conditions that diabetics are at higher risk for.

• Flexible Plan Options: This healthcare plan provides flexible plan options with Plan A and Plan B. While Plan A requires a medical check-up before approval, Plan B activates without a pre-medical examination.

• Premium Payout: The premium amount of this plan can be paid after every 6 months, yearly, every 2 or 3 years.

What is Covered Under a Health Insurance for Diabetes?

• Hospitalisation Cost: This policy covers inpatient expenses, including room rent, nursing fees, and ICU charges.


• Outpatient Benefits: You reimburse the expenses for medical consultations, diagnostic tests, and drugs up to specified limits with this plan.


• Diabetes Complications: A diabetes health insurance plan provides coverage for complications such as diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy.


• Modern Treatments: Policyholders will also get coverage for advanced medical procedures, such as robotic surgeries, deep brain stimulation, and immunotherapy.


• Daycare Procedures: This policy alsocovers medical procedures that do not require a full 24-hour hospital stay.

Who Should Get Health Insurance for Diabetes?

To maintain good health with regular monitoring, checkups and coverage for high-cost treatment, the following people must get health insurance for diabetes:

• People with a family history of diabetes.

• People above 45 years of age can develop this condition.

• Individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can have diabetes.

• Women who have given birth to a baby weighing over 4 kg are at a major risk of it.

• Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) are more prone to gestational diabetes.

Final Words

Although diabetes is not covered under a standard critical illness plan, you can still get this benefit as an add-on in a critical illness plan.

So, to reduce your financial burden from high hospital bills and major health complications, purchase a diabetes health insurance plan now.