General insurers to settle claim for black fungus treatment: Comprehensive policies will cover Mucormycosis even if it is during Covid treatment or independent of Covid treatment

Individuals with comprehensive health covers that include pre and post hospitalisation expenses, critical illness covers, preventive health checkups will stand to benefit from the policy

With cases of the fungal disease shooting up during the pandemic, policy holders are worried whether their health cover would include or exclude the treatment of the disease: Shutterstock

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Staff Reporter   |   TT  |  Calcutta   | 07.06.21: General insurers have said they will settle claims on the health policies of individuals undergoing treatment for mucormycosis or black fungus.

Individuals with comprehensive health covers that include pre and post hospitalisation expenses, critical illness covers, preventive health checkups among other benefits, will stand to benefit from the policy. With cases of the fungal disease shooting up during the pandemic,  policy holders are worried whether their health cover would include or exclude the treatment of the disease.

“All our health indemnity policies cover hospitalisation expenses arising out of various infections. mucormycosis, which is also known as black fungus, is one such infection which is covered under our health policies. In fact, we have settled claims pertaining to this condition. We have been working towards swiftly settling such claims,” said Bhaskar Nerurkar, head – health claims, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.

“Comprehensive policies will cover Mucormycosis even if it is during Covid treatment or independent of Covid treatment. We have seen a few claims but not too many,” said Sanjay Datta, chief of underwriting and claims at ICICI Lombard.

Datta said most patients with the disease were being treated in hospitals. The hospitalisation expenses as per the policy terms are being covered whenever claims are raised.

“All comprehensive policies are covering black fungus. The claim process is normal like any other policies and there is no differentiation,” said Amit Chhabra, head of health insurance, Policybazaar.com.

He added that certain policies which offer only specific treatments only may not cover the disease.

Uncontrolled diabetes, weakening of immune system because of the use of steroids, prolonged hospital stay, comorbidities are among the conditions that can elevate the risk of the fungal infection in Covid-19 patients.

Several states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh among others have registered patients under the treatment of the disease.