Is Monkeypox Virus Covered under Health Insurance Policy?
After Covid-19, the Monkeypox virus outbreak is the latest one alarming people in India. Amidst the scare of rapid spread, people want to know if this virus is covered under health insurance policies . Let’s find out.
With more than 27,814 people already being affected in 89 nations globally, including 9 cases from India till August 2022, Monkeypox is definitely causing an alarming situation. In fact, WHO also declared Monkeypox a global health emergency on 23 July 2022 with the highest alarm. But what is Monkeypox and where does it come from? Let’s find out in this post.
What is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a viral infection that is caused by monkeypox virus. This virus is a constituent of the Orthopoxvirus genus which comprises Variola virus – that causes smallpox. Monkeypox disease is a zoonosis or a disease that gets transmitted from an infected animal to humans.
The symptoms of Monkeypox are similar to smallpox. However, it is said to have milder effects in terms of contagiousness as compared to smallpox. Monkeypox is also said to affect children more as opposed to adults.
Being a communicable disease, Monkeypox can easily spread from person to person with close contact. It can also spread through animals and objects that are contaminated with the monkeypox virus infection. Bodily fluids of an infected person is another source that can spread Monkeypox. Once infected, the virus stays for about 2 weeks to 4 weeks before going away with proper Monkeypox treatment. However, with children it might cause complications and can become fatal.
Read More: Monkeypox Virus – Key Facts – Everything You Need To Know Including Symptoms, Causes, Prevention
Symptoms of Monkeypox Virus
As already mentioned, the Monkeypox symptoms are milder as compared to smallpox. Here’s a list of some common Monkeypox virus symptoms:
- Fever
- Rash like blisters (face, body)
- Headache
- Chills
- Muscle pain
- Back pain
- Exhaustion and low energy
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Exhaustion
- Pox rashes
- Discomfort
- Other medical complications
Monkeypox virus was first discovered in 1958 when a pox-like disease was detected in monkeys. These Monkeys were kept for research, which got infected with the disease and it was termed as Monkeypox. Human cases of Monkeypox have been detected in 11 African countries since 1970. Further, with International travel and imported articles, the virus spread outside Africa.
Is Monkeypox Virus Covered under Health Insurance in India?
With the increasing number of monkeypox cases across the globe, people are now curious to know if the new disease is covered under health insurance policy so that the treatment cost for the virus can be recovered. And you would be glad to know that Monkeypox is covered under almost all health insurance policies offered by different insurers in the country.
Being an infectious disease, Mokeypox is covered by all insurers in India to protect the policyholder against medical costs incurred in curing this disease. Hence, anyone with a suitable health insurance policy can get coverage for Monkeypox including hospitalization expenses, costs of OPD treatment and ICU charges, as well as ambulance charges among others.
However, depending on the insurance policy, the scope of the coverage will vary from individual to individual. For example, most health insurance plans cover hospitalization costs, but every plan may not cover OPD costs. Thus, it is important to go through the policy terms and conditions well before raising a claim for Monkeypox.
Is there a Waiting Period for Monkeypox Under Health Insurance?
Be it any health insurance plan, it will not offer coverage from the first day onwards for monkeypox. Rather, the insured will get coverage only after the completion of the waiting period. Most standard health insurance plans in India are available with a 30 days initial waiting period. Except for accidental claims, no other claims are covered by the company during this waiting period.
Hence, policyholders can raise claims against monkeypox only after the initial 30 day waiting period gets over. And if an insured raises a claim before that period, the insurer will not approve the claim.
How to Prevent Monkeypox Virus?
Below are some easy tips to prevent the virus of monkeypox infect you:
- Maintain distance from people with monkeypox like rash
- Never touch the rash of individuals infected by the virus
- Maintain the practice of regular washing of hands with soap and water. Also, you can use a sanitizer (alcohol-based) to clean your hands
- Do not drink from the glass used by a person infected with monkeypox. Also do not share food with an infected person
- Eat meat that is fully-cooked
- Do not touch bedding, towels and other clothes of an infected person
- Do not go near stray monkeys or rodents. Also, maintain distance from sick or dead animals
To Conclude
The spread of Monkeypox worldwide has become a cause of concern. Despite being less infectious, Monkeypox is still a dangerous disease, especially for children. We cannot predict at the moment if the Monkeypox virus will spread like other viruses in recent times such as Covid-19. However, it is always better to stay prepared for any such untoward situation. And covering yourself and your family under the best health insurance plan for your family is the most essential thing that you should do to stay safe from monkeypox in India. Further, securing elderly members of the family with health insurance for senior citizens is also important to ensure their safety from Monkeypox.
So, choose the best health insurance company in India offering the best plans to get protection from different diseases such as Monkeypox.
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