Health Insurance – 4 Reasons to Buy Cancer Care Plans

by Kanika Shelatkar Insurance Consultant

There was a time when cancer was considered a rare disease. Only a few people were diagnosed with this monstrous disease and the treatment afforded wasn’t worth mentioning. But in the last two decades, the number of people seeking cancer treatments has increased significantly. The disease has become as common as a common cold. As such, it has become necessary to invest in cancer care policies along with your regular health insurance policy. Here are 4 reasons why you should consider buying cancer care plans.

You have a family history of cancer

As ghastly as it may sound, it is a fact that cancer runs in the family. Studies show that people who have relatives, especially parents who have suffered from cancer, have higher chances of being diagnosed of the disease. This is especially true of people who have been diagnosed with cancer before they turn sixty years old. There is a 50% chance that the children of men or women suffering from cancer may inherit the disease from their parents. If your immediate family members are battling from or have battled the disease, you must invest in a cancer care health insurance plan.

Treating cancer can burn away your life savings

Cancer is one of the most draining, the most expensive disease. It can take several months, if not years, to be rid of this disease completely. For instance, a breast cancer patient may have to undergo a mastectomy. In case the treatment is not sufficient, she may even need to undergo several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. The coverage offered under basic medical insurance may not suffice, and you may have to bear the remaining cost of treatment from your own pockets. So ugly is this disease that it may even drain your life savings away and still not provide the desired result.

A cancer care plan covers you against almost every type of cancer

As we all know, various types of cancers can creep up at any time. No matter how healthy you are or how much you exercise, this disease can attack different parts of the body slowly and gradually. One may not even realise that they’ve developed cancer until it is too late. Fortunately, cancer care health insurance covers you against various kinds of cancers – be it breast, prostate, skin, blood, lungs, pancreas, and so on. You can encash a single policy to seek treatment irrespective of the type of cancer you’re battling.

You don’t have to encash your regular health policy if you have a cancer policy

The way health insurance works is that your premium amount increases if you file an insurance claim; especially if you are diagnosed with a life-threatening disease. Now, if you encash your regular health policy to seek treatment for cancer, the premium amount will shoot up considerably, and you may still have to pay for the cost of treatment from your pockets. However, if you have a cancer care policy, then you can keep your regular health policy intact. Cancer care policies generally come with high amounts of sums assured – from several lakhs to a few crores. You can seek treatment without touching your savings.

Final words: Undergoing cancer treatment is extremely challenging for patients and their loved ones. While the patient is fighting a physical battle, the loved ones are fighting an emotional and financial one. Instead of letting this disease be a burden, it is better to invest in a cancer care health insurance policy and be prepared to fight it.