Can You Get a Health Insurance if You Have Food Allergies?

Posted on: Jul 5, 2024 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

Can You Get a Health Insurance if You Have Food Allergies?

These days, with contamination levels rising, food allergies are not uncommon. Also, you could be allergic to a particular food, which may lead to severe complications. Due to this, there is a growing understanding of the need to get health coverage. What happens if you have an allergy and require hospitalisation? Does it get covered by health insurance? The good news is that healthcare policies do cover costs associated with treating allergies. However, you must read the policy's terms and conditions and, if required, talk to your insurer to get clarity.

What is a Food Allergy?

Your immune system's sensitivity to a foreign body or pathogen in your body is known as an allergic reaction. Although the pathogen may not be contagious, your immune system views it as dangerous and builds an antibody-based defence against it. The cells in our body release IgE (i.e., immunoglobulin E) to fight against the allergen.

Food allergies are usually caused by specific proteins in foods such as soy, walnuts, milk, eggs, fish, pine nuts, almonds, tree nuts, wheat, and shellfish. Other causes include a person's family history and allergic reactions to certain foods brought on by medical conditions like eczema, asthma, and hay fever.

Signs & Symptoms of a Food Allergy?

There is a broad spectrum of severity for allergic reactions, from mild and moderate to potentially fatal. Symptoms of allergy can appear within some hours of consuming a particular food. You can have symptoms, including skin irritation, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, vomiting/diarrhoea in children, hives around the face/mouth, and itching/swelling on the lips and face and in the mouth. Some individuals can have anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that may be fatal. Moreover, allergic reactions can sometimes be dangerous, necessitating emergency medical assistance. The symptoms of anaphylaxis include swelling of the tongue/throat, itchy rash, hypotension, and laboured breathing.

Allergies and Health Insurance

Common allergies are easily treatable. However, severe allergies can occasionally be fatal, leading to unconsciousness or reactions in the body. These cases call for hospitalisation and costly medical care, which is why it's important to have a comprehensive health insurance plan that includes allergy coverage. In most cases, insurance companies cover both the cost of allergy treatments and hospitalisation expenses associated with the treatment of severe allergies.

Healthcare policies usually cover certain speciality foods associated with the treatment of food allergies, such as:

• Specialised meals and hypoallergenic formulas for infants and kids with food allergies/intolerances

• Formulations for individuals with gastrointestinal issues or food allergies

• Gluten-free food options for those diagnosed with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease

• Protein-free or low-protein food options for those diagnosed with metabolic disorders

How can I pick a suitable health insurance plan, such as an allergy plan?

When choosing an appropriate health insurance plan for a pre-existing condition such as a food allergy, there are specific parameters you ought to consider.

• Choose a health insurance plan with hospitalisation coverage if you have a pre-existing condition, such as a food allergy. There may be instances in which admission to the hospital right away is the only option. The healthcare plan can then cover the costs associated with the medication and hospital stay.

• Check whether your healthcare plan covers pre-and post-hospitalisation costs. Usually, insurers cover costs pertaining to 30 days before hospitalisation and 180 days post-hospitalisation; however, the timeframe varies between insurers, so check your policy document carefully to avoid unpleasant surprises.

• In some circumstances, the patient may choose to receive alternative therapies (AYUSH). In the case of some allergies, for example, various medications assist in treating the allergy's underlying cause while also providing patients respite from the symptoms. Check whether your health insurance plan covers AYUSH treatments for food allergies.

• Check the scope of coverage of your chosen healthcare plan. Your plan must cover specific diagnostic tests and procedures linked to the treatment of food allergies, like blood tests specifically done to detect allergies, skin prick allergy tests, FeNo (i.e., fractional exhaled nitric oxide tests), immunotherapy (allergy shots and medicines), and spirometry (a test that measures lung function)

Conclusion

Due to their uncertainty about whether or not allergies would be covered, many choose not to purchase health insurance. Having allergies should never prevent you from obtaining a health insurance policy. It is important to select a healthcare plan that assists in managing costly treatment related to allergies, particularly food allergies. Whether you have an allergy or not, a health plan might come in handy when you need it. Thus, purchasing an individual or family health insurance policy is essential. As the scope of coverage of healthcare plans differs, you assess your needs and choose a policy that takes into account your unique medical requirements, such as any allergies or existing medical disorders.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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