Insurance claims may rise as dengue cases spike

Even as cases related to dengue, chikungunya and other vector borne diseases rose by about 60% this year, the worst is yet to come, said insurance companies, which are expecting a spike in claims.

Even as cases related to dengue, chikungunya and other vector borne diseases rose by about 60% this year, the worst is yet to come, said insurance companies, which are expecting a spike in claims.

Even as cases related to dengue, chikungunya and other vector borne diseases rose by about 60% this year, the worst is yet to come, said insurance companies, which are expecting a spike in claims. (HT Archive)

Claims from these diseases — dengue being a major one — forms 3-5% of the total health insurance pie and they peak during August to November, just after the monsoons. Until now, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Pune have accounted for the maximum number of claims.

Claims have already gone by about 30% this year. There have been over 1,300 cases related to chikungunya and dengue in the Capital already. Across India, 12,255 cases of chikungunya and 27,879 cases of dengue were reported until August 31, 2016. There have been 60 deaths so far from dengue fever.

“There has been some spike in claims as of now but the bulk is likely to come now just after the monsoons,” said Reliance General Insurance spokesperson.

“We believe that as per previous experience, the annual dengue season starts peaking in the month of September and October..therefore we expect the claims to increase sharply in these two months of 2016,” Antony Jacob, CEO, Apollo Munich Health Insurance added.

However, there is a silver lining for insurance firms. The claim sizes have shrunk to an average of Rs 33,000 to Rs 35,000 compared to an average ₹60,000 about three years ago thanks to early detection and awareness.

“Earlier, the claim size was significantly bigger that often would involve charges for intensive care too but now with patients generally do not come at a time when the situation is critical,” said a senior executive at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.

Sources also said that a large number of patients especially from the smaller towns are yet to be covered by insurance schemes.

Government officials said that the health insurance scheme under the Jan Suraksha would help consumers avail facilities in the future.

Penetration of health insurance in India is about 5%. In the urban areas, it is about 13-14%.