The monsoon has finally arrived bringing relief from the scorching summer heat, excitement among children who look forward to drenching themselves in the rain, and smile to the farmers who have been on the tenterhooks because of its delay. As the monsoon gathers momentum, wells will be filled, water will be provided for cattle and irrigation, etc. bringing respite after a two-year drought condition.

Of course in the cities, roadside eateries will spring into action and adapt their menu to satisfy the seasonal taste buds of the common man. The monsoon menu boasts of “Bhajiyaas”, “Pakodas” and a “glass of hotChai (tea)”—a speciality during the rains.

However, as individuals devour these delicacies, they conveniently turn a blind eye to the risks associated with it. Monsoon is a busy season for hospitals and pathologists seeing serpentine queues of individuals who are affected by water borne diseases (Cholera, Typhoid, Diarrhoea and Filariasis etc.), Dengue and Leptospirosis.

Last year, the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (NVBDCP) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, reported 99,913 cases of dengue across the country, from 40,571 in 2014. A 146% rise in the reported cases!

The irony is that there is no specific treatment for dengue fever. According to World Health Organization (WHO), maintenance of the patient’s body fluid volume is critical in case of dengue fever. An experienced team of doctors and nurses can save lives, decreasing the mortality rates from 20% to less than 1%.

The treatment for Dengue fever can be costly and to battle this growing epidemic, DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance has launched “Dengue Shield”, a traditional fixed benefit individual health plan designed to provide financial security against the impact of dengue during illness and recovery process.

Here’s a snapshot:
 

A Bird's Eye-View of DHFL Pramerica's Dengue Shield Policy
Entry Age	Minimum: 91 days
	Maximum: 65 years
Coverage Type	Individual Cover: Single Member
	Family Cover: Maximum 6 members can be covered in the policy (spouse, children, parents, mother in law and father in law of the primary policyholder)
Policy Term	5 years
Premium Paying Term	Single Premium as well as Regular Pay Options
Premium Paying Mode	Annual; Semi Annual and Monthly
Sum Insured	Rs 25,000; Rs 40,000 and Rs 50,000
Example (exclusive of Service Tax)	Policy purchased through the offline format			Policy purchased through the online format
Sum Insured (Rs)	25,000	40,000	50,000	25,000	40,000	50,000
Regular Premium (Rs)	415	550	650	25,000	500	575
Single Premium (Rs)	1,550	2,100	2,475	1,500	2,050	2,400

(Source: Product Brochure of DHFL Pramerica’s Dengue Shield)  

The company boasts of a hassle-free policy with minimum paper work and no medical underwriting (irrespective of the age). To purchase the policy, all the policyholder needs to do is fill a simple application form, and a declaration stating he/she isn’t suffering from dengue fever or showing symptoms of dengue fever or have suffered from it in the past 1 month.

Since this is a traditional fixed benefit health insurance plan, the policyholder receives the entire sum insured, irrespective of the actual expenses and any claim from other insurance policy. What this means is that, a customer won’t be bogged down by sub limits and a co-payment clause. Moreover, the company charges a uniform premium for all the age groups and this can be claimed as a tax benefit under section 80 D of the Income Tax Act.

However, DHFL Pramerica isn’t the only company offering an insurance policy against Dengue. Apollo Munich offers “Dengue Care” Health Insurance policy carrying a high sum insured of upto Rs 1 lakh

Most comprehensive mediclaim policies cover treatment for Dengue fever. They not only cover expenses for 30 days immediately before hospitalisation, but also the medical expenses after hospitalisation for 60 days. Moreover, all mediclaims offer a “no-claim” bonus. Such benefits will not be available in case of Dengue policies mentioned above.

At PersonalFN, we suggest to our clients to purchase a comprehensive health insurance policy having a sum insured of Rs 5 lakh for every family member with an appropriate super top-up policy. Purchasing such standalone insurance policies does not serve the purpose.

Remember, there is absolutely no reason to not have substantial mediclaim insurance. The costs you will incur on increasing medical expenses as inflation rises and you grow older can be greatly reduced by the right insurance policy. And these savings can be channelized towards building a strong mutual fund portfolio to help you achieve your life goals faster. So be sure to choose the right policy, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to Contact Us.

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Comments
manas.puri@gmail.com Jun 28, 2016 Very informative.  I was planning to buy one dengue specific policy for my housemaid, Sheela. While i am not sure if she has an existing health policy, unlikely case, but even if she has one, can dhfl pramerica's dengue shield be used to not just cover her hospital expenses but also the loss of her daily wages if she falls sick? Sheela works on a monthly payouts with her regular clientele, but also takes up ad hoc assignments for Rs 100-200 on ad hoc basis with other houses
fns@personalfn.com Jun 29, 2016 Manas, Greetings! In lines with your query, we regret to inform you that there is no provision for loss of income when an insured is suffering from Dengue Fever. Note that, 'Dengue Shield' is a "fixed benefit" insurance plan (i.e. The entire sum assured will be paid to the insured irrespective of the medical expenses incurred). The sum assured will only be paid when the insured is sick with Dengue Fever only (all conditions laid down in the policy document needs to fulfilled for the payment to be received) Hope to have addressed your query.
sandy.ch1986@yahoo.com Sep 02, 2018 hi, please call me

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