Understanding the Difference between Terminal Illness, Critical Illness, and Serious Illness

Posted on: Sep 23, 2021 | | Written by:

Understanding the Difference between Terminal Illness, Critical Illness, and Serious Illness

Published on September 20, 2021. EST READ TIME: 3 minutes

Critical Illness Insurance - Health insurance

Bring prepared for any kind of healthcare emergencies is extremely important. The last one year has made us realise the importance of the phrase – ‘Prevention is better than cure’. One of the preventive measures to deal with any health emergency is to buy a health insurance policy to beat rising healthcare costs and inflation. The health insurance policy is a safety net for you and your family’s health. This also means that you need to choose the right health insurance and add-on covers. To do so, it is important that you understand the difference between serious, critical and terminal illnesses. This will help you decide the coverage that fulfills you and your loved ones’ health insurance needs.

What are serious illnesses?

The term serious illness refers to a situation/condition for which you may require hospitalization. This may or may not include undergoing a surgery. In most cases of serious illnesses, it may not be life-threatening. However, it may lead to discomfort and require medical treatment. Serious illnesses, mostly, are also curable. A good health insurance policy covers the costs involved for treatment of such illnesses. This includes expenses such as those pertaining to hospitalization.

What are critical illnesses?

Sometimes when left untreated, there’s a chance that a serious illness may turn into a critical illness. However, this may not necessarily always be the cause of a critical illness. Critical illnesses have the potential to be cured, however, in some cases it can also be life-threatening. This means that the treatment for these illnesses is more expensive. For example, a heart attack, cancer, chronic liver disease, etc is a critical illness and can be cured, or culminate into a more serious condition. A good way to protect yourself and your family is to buy critical illness insurance. HDFC Ergo’s critical illness insurance provides you a variety of benefits, which can be found here.

What are terminal illnesses?

Sometimes an illness is so severe that it is likely to cost the patient’s life. These illnesses are typically incurable and the survival chances of a patient are almost zero, and they are known as terminal illnesses. If you purchase a health insurance plan, your insurance company will pay for the medical expenses of your treatment as per your coverage. However, in a customized terminal illness insurance plan, the benefit is typically higher, you can either opt for a lump sum amount or in installments based on the severity of the condition, and the amount is paid upon death or the diagnosis of a terminal illness. It is essential to submit required reports and diagnosis details issued by a medical practitioner to make a claim.

Conclusion

Now that the difference between serious, critical and terminal illnesses is understood, taking a health insurance policy which covers these conditions is a smart way to protect yourself and your loved ones against sudden financial challenges.

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

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