If You Get Coronavirus, Will Your Health Policy Cover It?

The coronavirus outbreak started in January 2020. Since then in China, 1300 people have succumbed to it and almost 60,000 are likely to have contracted coronavirus. It has spread to 26-30 countries and internationally, the death toll stands at 524. In India, 3 people were feared to have come down with this viral infection, but fortunately, 2 of them were tested negative.  Coronavirus is proving to be far more lethal and difficult to contain than the infamous SARS outbreak of 2003.WHO has labelled coronavirus a ‘public health emergency of international concern’, which means all nations must come together to defeat this common threat. In the midst of this international scare, you might be asking a very pertinent question, “Will your health insurance policy cover coronavirus if you contract it?”Chances of you getting it are slim because India is neither allowing its citizens to travel to China (the epicentre of coronavirus), nor allowing foreign nationals from China to come to India. But you can never be too safe. And since we have very little idea regarding how much the treatment for coronavirus will cost, it is important to get your ducks in a row.Coronavirus is not a pre-existing illness, something that insurers do not cover. It is an infection that you can contract anytime due to exposure.And since coronavirus is a recent development, it has yet not entered the list of illnesses covered by health policy.But, there are very little chances that your insurance provider will reject your claim if you test positive for coronavirus, because infections and diseases caused by viruses are covered by health insurance policies.The good news is if we are to go by precedent, health insurance policies had covered previous outbreaks of ebola (2014) and the H1N1 pandemic of 2009.

How would you know if you have coronavirus?

Coronavirus exhibits the same symptoms as a common cough or cold or the flu-

• Fever
• Runny nose and sore throat
• Headache and muscle pain
• Coughing
• Shortness of breath

If you witness any of these symptoms, seek the advice of a doctor because you really shouldn’t take any risk.

How can you avert coronavirus?

The best way to prevent coronavirus is by maintaining personal hygiene. Keep yourself clean.Wash your hands when you come in from outside and do not touch your eyes or nose with unclean hands.Use hand sanitizers often. And try to avoid people in public places who seem to have caught a cold.You can also wear a face mask.Most importantly do not travel to the nations with confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Conclusion

Your insurance policy will cover coronavirus. But to give yourself some peace of mind, talk to your insurer. [av_promobox button='yes' label='Learn More' link='https://www.medibuddy.in/corona?utm_source=blog_cta&utm_medium=blog_cta&utm_campaign=blogcta_corona' link_target='' color='blue' custom_bg='#f00' custom_font='#ffffff' size='large' icon_select='no' icon='ue800' font='entypo-fontello']Coronavirus is spreading at an alarming rate, and is something you should be cautious against! So, don’t leave space for any confusions! If you have medical queries on Coronavirus, call us on 080-47193456[/av_promobox]