Health insurance for dialysis

When a person's kidneys are damaged, the removal of waste material, salt and excess fluid from their body stops. Because of this, fluid starts accumulating in the body and serious problems start to occur. In such a situation, a dialysis machine is used to take over the functions of the kidney. Dialysis is used until the kidney disease is treated or the kidneys are replaced.

If the kidneys stop working completely, there is a need for dialysis for as long as it takes to transplant the kidneys. Therefore, to save the life of the patient, a dialysis machine is needed to keep the body functioning normally. In most cases, dialysis is used only for a fixed period of time but some may require lifelong dialysis. This is because the life expectancy of a person using a dialysis machine for a lifetime is reduced.

(Read more: Chronic kidney disease)

As you are probably aware, the inflation rate in the medical field has increased a lot and expensive treatments like dialysis are not very affordable for the common person. But when it is needed to save a life, the patient or their family members either resort to taking a loan or selling their assets. It is necessary to be prepared in advance for such unforeseen circumstances to avoid debt.

A good health insurance plan keeps you financially prepared for such situations. If you think that you or someone in the family may need dialysis, then taking health insurance to support you through it is a good idea. Some people need to be on dialysis for a long time, while others may need it for life; a health insurance plan can cover their dialysis expenses.

(Read more: Which is the best health insurance)

If you or a family member of yours is on dialysis and planning to choose a suitable health insurance plan, then you need to consider the following:

• Cost of dialysis: First of all, it is important to understand the cost structure of dialysis. Dialysis includes not only the cost of the machine but also the cost of erythropoietin, medicines, routine tests, hospitalization expenses and doctor's fees. So whichever health insurance plan you are going to buy, check to ensure that all these expenses are included in it.
• Network hospitals: It is also important to know the number of hospitals in the network of the insurance company from which you are planning to buy the policy. Make sure your nearby hospitals are included in it in case of an emergency. Additionally, while buying health insurance, check the list of network hospitals and what their dialysis charges are.
• Family coverage: It is also important to see whether health insurance is providing family coverage for dialysis patients. A good health insurance plan also covers the insured person and his dependent members (like parents, wife and minor children etc.) You should also choose a health insurance policy that provides coverage to the family as well or that would be an additional expense. 
• Additional benefits: The health insurance plan purchased for a dialysis patient should provide coverage of the medical expenses of an organ donor, ambulance, annual health check-up and doctor's consultation. All these benefits will help you reduce the total cost of the treatment.
• Premium: Check whether the rate of premium is appropriate for the benefits you are getting from the insurance policy. If you feel that the premium is high considering the benefits offered by the company, then you should talk to the company or compare plans with another company.

(Read more: Which is the cheapest health insurance)

Expensive and long-lasting treatments like dialysis can be heavy on the pocket. In such a situation, myUpchar Bima Plus can be a good option for you, with the help of which you can get a critical mediclaim that covers the medical expenses associated with critical illnesses. With myUpchar Insurance Plus you can get the following help:

• Coverage of pre and post hospitalization, in-patient, daycare procedures, ambulance, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and ICU related medical expenses
• Alternative treatments like Ayurveda (AYUSH) are covered under myUpchar insurance, plus 24x7 free tele-OPD.
• Along with this, benefits like lifetime renewal, no claim bonus and free tele-OPD coverage are also offered.
• With the help of Bima Plus's vast hospital network, you can choose the nearest hospital to you.
• If you buy Bima Plus, you also get a special exemption in income tax.
• Insurance Plus can also be bought online, so you do not need to travel anywhere.
• Dialysis can take a long time and you may have to make several trips to the hospital. With each round, you will have to undergo some tests and have to pay the doctor's consultation fee. A proper health insurance plan does not allow you to become financially weak in such a situation.

(Read more: What does health insurance cover)