Is Dermatology Covered by Health Insurance Plans?

Understanding Dermatology

Dermatology is a medical specialty that is associated with skin concerns or disorders. Under this, both surgical and medical aspects of skin concerns are covered. A dermatologist is a specialist in dermatology. They diagnose and treat conditions related to skin, nails, hair, fat, and more.

Some of the common dermatological conditions include:

• Acne
• Warts
• Rash
• Fungal infections
• Skin cancer
• Autoimmune skin concerns
• Measles, chickenpox, etc
• Dermatitis
• Sunburn, and more.

Skin Conditions? They’re Common Than You Think

You might think of a skin concern as something rare. However, here are some data pointers that suggest you might need to rethink the severity of the situation.

Dermatitis, acne, and more have significantly contributed to the burden of skin concerns in India.

Both types of skin concerns, infectious and non-infectious, like psoriasis and dermatitis, have increased in the last three decades.

Out of the total years lived with disability (YLD), YLD due to skin concerns was significant.

Dermatitis is one of the leading causes of skin concerns, YLD.

Is Dermatology Coverage a Part of Your Health Plan?

If you have also been struggling with the question of whether dermatology is covered under your health insurance plan, then here is the answer.

Typically, health insurance plans offer dermatology treatments. However, the scope of coverage differs from one insurer to another. For instance, most insurers just offer hospitalisation bills, keeping the day care and consultation charges out of the policy coverage.

Alternatively, some policies may offer OPD consultations, hospitalisation coverage as well. Therefore, it is important to carefully follow the terms and conditions of your health insurance before you complete your purchase.

You may also choose to add riders like critical illness to enhance your dermatology coverage. The waiting period under the critical illness policy, including skin cancer, is covered after a period of 90 days and a survival period of 30 days.

In case you're struggling with skin concerns even before your policy purchase, then this issue falls under a pre-existing condition. In that case, you'll have to wait for a certain fixed period to claim the dermatology coverage. This may differ from one insurer to another and commonly ranges between 1 and 4 years.

Inclusions of Dermatology Treatments in Your Health Insurance

Wondering what concerns are generally included in your health plan? Well, here is a list of common inclusions you may look out for. However, make sure you check the specific dermatology cover under the plan you have/ wish to purchase.

• Acne
• Rashes
• Psoriasis
• Skin allergies
• Reconstructive concerns
• Skin viral concerns
• Skin allergies
• Eczema
• Diagnostic tests
• Skin infections.

Exclusions of Dermatology Treatments in Your Health Insurance

Here is a list of common policy exclusions that might not be covered in your health insurance plan.

• Cosmetic treatments like Botox, liposuction, fillers, etc.
• Aesthetic treatments like hair transplant, and more.
• Aesthetic treatments like fillers, chemical peels, etc.
• Laser treatment for acne scars and other cosmetic procedures.
• Tattoo removal procedures.

How to Choose Suitable Coverage?

Reading all this and understanding the importance of dermatology coverage, you might feel the need to add the same to your health plan. However, how do you ensure appropriate coverage?

Here are some tips and ideas that might help you pick the right health coverage.

Carefully Read the Fine Print

Before you choose a policy, make sure you thoroughly read the fine print. Cross-check the sections related to skin concerns, dermatology, and related areas.

Understand the Waiting Period

Next, make sure you read the waiting period for the different concerns mentioned in your policy. Consider reading about the waiting period in case of pre-existing skin concerns. Or the waiting period for critical concerns like skin cancer, and more.

See the Inclusions/ Exclusions

Make sure you carefully check the policy inclusions and exclusions. For instance, features like OPD, day care, hospitalisation expenses, and more are covered or not.

Look into Riders of the Policy

You may also enhance your policy coverage and make it more comprehensive with suitable riders. For instance, by adding critical illness cover, you can shorten your waiting periods.

Keep Your Medical Documents Updated

Also, to support your policy claims, make sure to keep your medical documents, like diagnostic reports, prescriptions, referrals, and more, in place.

Over to You

You might think of a skin concern as something superficial. However, with serious dermatological treatments, this is far from reality. In fact, they may take a toll on your overall well-being. Therefore, it is important to have insurance that covers dermatological treatments.

However, it is equally important to understand that when it comes to insurance, all skin concerns are not equal. For instance, medical conditions might get coverage. But your policy might exclude aesthetic treatments. Therefore, it is better to compare different policies, look into their coverage details, and then make a choice.

Jio Insurance Broking helps you with that. We help you compare different plans, understand their features, premiums, and details so that you can pick a policy best suited to your needs and requirements. No compromises!