Does Critical Insurance Cover Heart Attack?

Written by : Knowledge Centre Team

2022-10-07

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In India, a heart attack is one of the leading causes of death. It is responsible for nearly one in every four deaths in the country. What exactly is a heart attack and does critical insurance cover the cost of treating a heart attack?

A heart attack, or myocardial infarction, is a serious medical emergency in which the supply of blood to the heart muscle is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot. This can cause the heart muscle to become damaged and may lead to the heart not being able to pump blood effectively. Heart attacks can be fatal, so it is important to seek medical help immediately if you think you may be having one.

Many risk factors may contribute to a person having a heart attack. Some of these include: -

High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Smoking
Diabetes
Obesity
Family history of heart disease
Sedentary lifestyle
Stress

What is Critical Illness Insurance?

Critical illness insurance is a type of insurance that pays out a lump sum benefit if the policyholder is diagnosed with a specified critical illness. The benefit can be used to cover medical expenses, pay off debts, or replace lost income. Covered illnesses typically include cancer, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.

Heart Attack under Critical Illness Insurance

Under some critical illness insurance plans, heart attacks are covered, but the definition of a heart attack can vary from one plan to the next. Be sure you fully understand the definition that is used by the plan you are considering.

If a heart attack is covered under your critical illness insurance policy, it means that if you are diagnosed with a heart attack, you will be eligible to receive a lump sum payment from your policy. The amount of the payment will depend on the specific policy that you have, but it is typically a percentage of the total death benefit.

Key features of heart attack benefit under critical illness insurance:

Lump sum benefit on diagnosis
It has the most minimal survival period clause
The life insurance policy also offers a health check-up benefit, which reimburses the policyholder for the cost of health check-ups undertaken every policy year
Waiver of all future premiums on the first diagnosis of any critical illness

Benefits of Having a Separate Heart Cover

It can provide you with peace of mind, knowing that you have a specific policy in place to cover your heart-related expenses.
It can help you budget for your heart-related care, as you will know exactly what is covered by your policy.
It can give you access to specialist heart cover providers, who can offer you tailored cover and support.
It can provide you with peace of mind if you need to claim on your policy, as you will know that your heart-related expenses are covered.

How to Get Critical Illness Cover?

There are a few ways to get critical illness covered:

1. Buying it as an add-on to your life insurance policy:

If you already have a life insurance policy, you can buy critical illness insurance as an add-on. This is useful if you want to increase the level of coverage you have. You might also be able to buy critical illness cover as an add-on to your health insurance policy. This can be a good option if you don’t have a life insurance policy.

2. Taking out a standalone critical illness policy:

You can buy a critical illness cover on its own, but it will usually be more expensive than buying it as an addition to life/health insurance. If you are buying critical illness cover as a stand-alone insurance policy, you will need to make sure that you are covered for the full amount of the critical illness cover that you need.

Separate Heart Cover Vs Critical Illness Cover

Critical illness cover pays out a lump sum if you’re diagnosed with a serious illness listed in your policy. It can help you with the financial costs of treatment and make life a little easier while you recover.

Critical Illness Cover	Separate Heart Cover
Covers the last stages of more than 40 critical health conditions Higher premium cost One-time claim Lump sum + regular income benefit Premium waiver for life cover when bought as a rider Option to receive second opinion and consultation Cover will increase if bought as an individual policy	Covers only heart ailments arising out of lifestyle habits Low premium Covers early stages of the illness Lump sum + regular income benefit Premium waiver in case of early-stage diagnosis Option to get second opinion and consultation Cover continues to increase up to 100% of the original sum assured or until a claim

Critical illness cover pays out a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a specified illness, whereas heart cover pays out a lump sum if you suffer from a heart attack or undergo certain surgical procedures.

Critical illness cover is often more expensive than heart cover, as it covers a wider range of illnesses.

Heart diseases and heart-related surgeries are on a rise. The cost of treatment is also high, which is also a cause of concern. However, with a heart cover, you can ensure that your loved ones are not financially burdened in case of an unforeseen heart-related event.

Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised to exercise their caution and not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature. Readers should research further or consult an expert in this regard.