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Everything You Need to Know About Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
PCOS has become incredibly common in India, with every one in five women1,2,3 being diagnosed with the condition. It is primarily caused due to stress and other lifestyle choices. However, the exact cause of PCOS remains unknown. PCOS typically affects women’s ability to reproduce. This article explains the causes of PCOS, why it occurs, and the PCOS treatment course. Also, find out whether PCOS is covered under health insurance plans.
What is PCOS?
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder commonly occurring in women. Women with PCOS suffer with unbalanced reproductive hormones. Hormones are essentially the chemical messengers that traverse through different organs and tell them how to function. The hormones in your reproductive system allow functions like menstruation and childbearing. For women struggling with PCOS, these hormones are unable to carry out their duties efficiently.
PCOS generally occurs in women during their childbearing years. Most women are diagnosed with PCOS in their 20s or 30s. However, most women may not even know that they suffer from PCOS. Only when they face difficulties conceiving, they typically learn about their PCOS diagnosis. Obesity due to lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet are among the leading causes of PCOS worldwide.
PCOS Causes
The exact cause of PCOS is still unknown. Doctors believe the following to be the significant PCOS causes.
Increased androgen levels
Androgen is a male hormone found in small quantities in women. It helps kickstart puberty and stimulates hair growth in underarm and pubic areas. When the androgen level rises, it inhibits ovulation. Without the ovaries releasing eggs, the menstrual cycles become irregular, causing sacs to develop in the ovaries. Increased androgen can also lead to acne and unwanted hair growth, especially facial hair, chest hair, etc.
Increased insulin
Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas. It controls the glucose levels that produce energy in the body. Increased insulin causes excessive release of the male hormone androgen, present in the female body. Elevated glucose level causes diabetes and obesity, which can further amplify PCOS.
Low–grade inflammation
Inflammation occurs when the body’s white blood cells (WBC) protect it from bacterial and viral infections. However, unhealthy lifestyle choices like excessive smoking and alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, and increased weight can reduce the pace at which WBC fights infections. Low–grade inflammation causes a rise in androgen levels, therefore, causing PCOS.
Common PCOS symptoms
The following are the symptoms that women with polycystic ovary syndrome typically experience.
- Abnormal menstruation: Irregular, scanty, or empty periods is the most commonly known PCOS symptom. Some women may experience a heavy period as well.
- Acne: PCOS can lead to facial, chest or back acne, which is generally difficult to treat.
- Skin darkening: PCOS can cause acanthosis nigricans. It is a skin condition causing discoloration in areas of the body with folds and creases, including the armpits, neck and thighs area.
- Hirsutism: Increased androgen levels can cause abnormal hair growth on the face, arms, abdomen and chest areas.
- Infertility: Another common PCOS symptom is infertility, i.e., the reduced ability of the ovaries to produce eggs that affect a woman’s ability to conceive or get pregnant.
- Hair loss: PCOS may cause women to lose patches of hair, leading to hair thinning and partial baldness.
- Ovarian cysts: PCOS can cause tiny sacs of fluid in the ovaries.
- Skin tags: Skin tags are little flaps of extra skin found in the armpits or on the neck.
- Metabolic syndrome: Women can suffer from various metabolic conditions such as abnormal cholesterol, high blood pressure or high sugar.
- Diabetes: It is caused due to increased sugar levels.
Diagnosing PCOS
There is no definitive diagnosis for PCOS. During the consultation, your doctor may ask for your period history and analyze noticeable symptoms like acne, facial hair, etc. Your doctor may recommend the following tests:
- Blood tests: Blood tests measure the hormone and glucose levels in the body. The doctor may also recommend screening tests to check cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
- Transvaginal ultrasound: A transducer placed in the vagina emits sound waves that get translated into images. Your gynaecologist or endocrinologist checks for the thickness of the uterus lining and the appearance of the ovaries.
There is no specific known cure for PCOS. Women can manage the PCOS symptoms by making changes to their lifestyle, taking medication or undergoing surgery in rare cases. You must work on a treatment plan with your doctor and consider long–term risks. PCOS treatment courses include:
- Home remedies: Maintaining a balanced diet and engaging in physical activities can help with weight loss.
- Medication: Depending on your condition, the doctor may recommend medicines like birth control pills, progestin, clomiphene, metformin, gonadotropins, spironolactone, orlistat, etc., to treat a range of PCOS symptoms.
- Ovarian drilling: A surgeon pokes your ovary with a needle through laparoscopy. The surgery can change your hormone levels and enable ovulation.
For the most part, the PCOS treatment involves a balanced diet, exercise and medication. However, if a woman faces difficulty in conceiving, the doctors may recommend treatments like in vitro fertilisation (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Selected health insurance policies pay for the costs associated with fertility treatments. The sum insured can cover hospitalisation, medication and treatment costs. You can also file claims for gynaecologist consultations.
Insurers may consider PCOS as a pre–existing condition. Therefore, ensure that you declare the same to your insurance provider. Treatments required to treat illnesses arising from pre–existing diseases may require longer waiting periods, up to 24 to 48 months. After the waiting period ends, you can use the sum insured for diagnoses and surgeries.
Things to Look Out for in a Health Insurance PolicyWhen choosing a policy, the following are the crucial factors:
Type of policy: Insurance companies offer several types of health insurance plans, such as general insurance, critical illness plans, cancer care policies, and policies covering pre–existing diseases. Every policy has different parameters.
Waiting period: The waiting period in health insurance is the duration when you cannot make any claims. You can file a claim only after riding out the waiting period which can be between 12 and 48 months depending on the policy.
Sum insured: Policies like critical illness plans and cancer insurance have a higher sum insured and more inclusions than a regular health insurance plan.
Add–ons: Your insurance provider may offer several additional services like free medical check–ups, which you can use for PCOS diagnoses.
With the rising medical costs, the prudent thing to do is be prepared. A health insurance plan comes to your rescue in such times and saves you from spending your life savings on a single medical event. Thanks to technological advancements in the insurance sector, you can now purchase health insurance online. You can also research the various health insurance providers, compare the products they offer, and assess their claim settlement ratios. Remember to buy a policy with a high sum insured to get maximum coverage during a health crisis. Click here to buy health insurance online.
Disclaimer: The above information is indicative in nature. For more details on the risk factor, terms and conditions, please refer to the Sales Brochure and Policy Wordings carefully before concluding a sale.
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Health Insurance
How to File a Health Insurance Claim?
With the rising medical expenses and changing lifestyles, it has become imperative to purchase a comprehensive health insurance plan in today‘s time. Additionally, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has further established the importance of health insurance even firmly. A health insurance policy is the finest way to receive the best medical treatment without burning a hole in your pocket.
Be it an unforeseen medical emergency or a planned treatment, a health insurance policy can always come to your rescue. However, to avoid any last-minute hassle, you must be well aware of the process to file a health insurance claim beforehand. Below is a quick guide on how to file a health insurance claim.
But firstly, let‘s understand what a health insurance claim is.
Health Insurance Claim
A health insurance claim is a request that a policyholder must submit to the insurer for getting the services that are covered in their health insurance policy. Depending upon their convenience, policyholders can either opt for a cashless claim settlement option or reimbursement for the availed medical services.
Cashless Claims
For cashless claims, the insurance provider settles the hospitalization bills directly with the hospital. However, to get the benefits of a cashless claim, the policyholder should be hospitalized only at a network hospital of the insurer.
Reimbursement Claim
In case of reimbursement claims, the policyholder pays for the hospitalization expenses and later requests for reimbursement by the insurance company. The reimbursement facility can be availed at both network and non-network hospitals.
Now that you are well aware of the types of health insurance claims, let‘s understand how to file a health insurance claim
How to File a Health Insurance Claim?
1. Get in touch with the insurance help desk at the hospital
2. Show the ID card of the insured provided by the insurance company
3. The hospital will verify the insured‘s identity and will submit the pre-authorization form to the insurance company
4. The insurance company will then review all the documents submitted and process the claim as per the terms and conditions of the health insurance policy.
5. For reimbursement claims, you will also have to submit original bills to the insurance provider. The insurer will then evaluate the claim and make a payment to the insured. In case the treatment is not covered under the health insurance policy, the claim will be rejected.
Make sure that you have the following documents readily available with you before filing a health insurance claim.
Documents Required to Make a Claim
Valid photo ID cards such as Aadhaar, PAN, and Driving License
Copies of prescription for diagnostic tests, treatment advice, and medical references
Original set of investigation reports
Original hospital and pharmacy bill
Original discharge card or discharge certificate
It‘s always advisable to opt for an insurance company with a high claim settlement ratio and a large number of network hospitals. This makes the claim settlement process completely hassle-free.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When can my health insurance claim be rejected?
Your claim can be rejected if you file a claim for an ailment that isn‘t covered by your health insurance policy. Moreover, your claim can also be rejected if you fail to submit the necessary documents or file a claim during the waiting period
2. What is the minimum time limit for hospitalization to make a health insurance claim?
You can file a claim if your hospitalization is for more than 24 hours. However, for certain treatments, such as dialysis, chemotherapy, etc., the stay could be less than 24 hours
3. What is claim settlement ratio?
The claim settlement ratio is the ratio of number of claims paid to the number of claims received
Health Insurance
All About Adding Spouse To Health Insurance After Marriage
Marriage brings a lot of changes in your life. Not only does it affect your lifestyle, but it also requires you to switch your investments in a way that are better suited for a family. You will now want to include your spouse to your financial world by adding them as a nominee in your banking accounts and other investment assets. Amidst all these personal and financial changes, do not forget to add your spouse to your health insurance plan. Adding spouse to health insurance after marriage is quite easy and can be done in three ways.
Buying a new family floater plan
If you do not have an existing health insurance plan, now would be a great time to invest your money in a family floater health insurance plan. Health insurance plans for family members cover your spouse, parents, and dependent children. The family floater plan allows you to pay a single premium to cover all named family members for medical expenses.
When buying a family floater plan, do ensure that it offers adequate coverage for you and your family. It is also important to keep in mind that the coverage amount is directly proportional to the health insurance premium you need to pay. This means that a family health insurance plan that offers a sum insured of Rs 10 lakh will require you to pay lower premium as compared to a family health insurance plan that offers coverage of Rs 20 lakh. However, it is advisable to opt for a higher sum insured if you have senior members in the plan.
Adding spouse to insurance after marriage
If you already have an existing health insurance policy, you can extend the cover to your spouse by adding their name to the policy after marriage. Upon adding you spouse, the individual health insurance plan will be transformed into a family floater plan. Since the coverage amount will increase, the premium of the policy will be recalculated. You can also add your spouse to your existing health insurance policy at the time of its renewal. You will need an application form and a few KYC documents like identity proof, residence proof, marriage certificate and photographs, to get this process started. You can easily get the application form from the insurer’s website.
Adding your spouse to the health insurance plan offered by your employer
There are many companies that offer health plans to their employees. These plans usually extend the coverage to the immediate family of the employee. However, this condition varies from one insurer to the other. Hence, it is better to check with your insurance company if they allow you to add your spouse to the existing health insurance plan that is issued by your employer. Here, it is important to remember that the health insurance policies offered by employers are group insurance plans and may, therefore, have certain limitations to coverage. Still, these plans offer a great option for coverage in case you don’t have health insurance of your own.
It is quite important to avail the health insurance cover for your spouse after marriage. This can help the both of you to securely plan your financial future.
Disclaimer: The above information is indicative in nature. For more details on the risk factor, terms and conditions, please refer to the Sales Brochure and Policy Wordings carefully before concluding a sale.
Health Insurance
Steps of adding spouse to health insurance after marriage
Marriage is a huge step in everybody’s life. And personal finance has a big role to play for a successful married life. Therefore, it is important to update the financial records, including the health insurance plan, post-marriage.
In case you did not have an individual health insurance policy before the wedding, you can invest in a family floater plan for yourself and your spouse. In case you already have an individual health insurance policy at the time of wedlock, then you do not need to buy another one for your partner. Instead, you can add your spouse to the plan and convert it into a single policy. It is a feasible and simple way of ensuring that you and your partner are adequately covered.
Porting health insurance after marriage is also important. When one of the partners already owns a plan, you simply need to add another partner to the current policy as the spouse. There is no specific rule which specifies who can add the partner. The process of adding the spouse to health insurance after marriage is simple. The one who owns the policy can start this process with the submission of KYC documents such as identity proof, proof of age, photographs and marriage certificate.
The change will come into effect in the next policy renewal by just submitting the additional form and paperwork. Once you do this, the premium will be calculated and pro-rated. It will become a family floater insurance policy that covers all the members of the family for a single premium. You will not have to worry about paying separate premiums for each member of the family. It will cover the entire family at the lowest premium based on the age of the members in the family. Let us take a look at the benefits of a family floater plan.
A major perk of the floater plan is that you can cover yourself and your entire family in one policy. The policy is easier to handle and you do not have to worry about handling separate individual plans
You enjoy additional benefits like a newborn cover, maternity benefits, etc. It will be highly effective for young married couples who are on the road to starting a family. You must ensure that you choose a plan that covers yourself and the spouse and invest in one right after marriage
You must also get maternity cover at the earliest. It has a waiting period between 0 to 4 years and if you buy the cover on time, you will be able to enjoy the maximum benefits
With a family floater plan, you enjoy the same tax benefits under Section 80D as you do on individual health insurance
Many plans come with a reinstatement feature where you enjoy the reinstatement of the entire coverage after it is exhausted in the policy period. This is only applicable to unrelated claims but it is very useful.
If you do not have a policy and are looking to buy one, consider a joint life policy. It will work on the same lines and will provide coverage to your children in future if anything unfortunate happens to the parents. The main reasons couples should think of joint life insurance are premium reduction and waiver benefits. In this case, if one partner dies due to an unfortunate event, the spouse will not only be entitled to enjoy the full sum assured on the cover but will also be absolved of the responsibility of the payment of premium. Alternatively, the spouse may have to pay premiums only applicable for their own cover for the remaining period of the policy.
After your marriage, it is your responsibility to ensure the safety and adequate coverage of your spouse. You must include your spouse in the decision and speak to them about the coverage you wish to buy. Only then proceed with the decision. The right health insurance plan will offer acomplete protection and peace for the future.
Disclaimer: The above information is indicative in nature. For more details on the risk factor, terms and conditions, please refer to the Sales Brochure and Policy Wordings carefully before concluding a sale.
Health Insurance
Advantages of Group Health Insurance
As the name suggests, group health insurance is aimed to offer health insurance cover to a group of people, usually employees, and if offered by an employer. It can also be offered to members of a professional association or a society. As compared to individual insurance, group insurance has many benefits for the employee as well as the employer who offers the insurance.
Comprehensive cover: Group health insurance plans offer wide coverage and can be customised by the employer. It comes with many benefits like cashless healthcare services at network hospitals. There is no waiting period which means the employee is covered from day one. Besides personal accident cover, some group health insurance plans offer cover to family members of the employee.
Guaranteed cover: All employees and in some cases their dependants are covered, even if they have existing medical conditions. A group insurance policy doesn't require a separate medical check-up. As long as an employee is working for the organisation offering group health insurance, he or she shall remain covered under the plan.
Low premium: As group health insurance plans are bought for a larger group of people, they offer comprehensive cover at affordable rates. The costs are much lower than individual health insurance plans. Group health insurance plans can be customised as per the employer’s budget and requirements.
Tax incentive for the employer: Besides safeguarding employees from health issues, group health insurance plans also provide tax benefits to the employer. Under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, tax relief is offered to businesses that give their employees the benefit of group health insurance.
Happy employees: When companies offer health insurance plans to their employees, they help retain and attract good talent. A Group Health Insurance plan is a significant part of the employees’ total compensation. A group health insurance plan provides employees with financial security against accident and illness.
Rider options: With a nominal extra payment, employees can take advantage of other additional benefits. The employee can also opt for a corporate plan along with the base plan offered by the employer. The riders may differ from one organisation to another.
Provide your employees SBI General Group Health Insurance
Group health insurance is a very important benefit that makes employees feel like a valued part of an organisation. It helps companies retain as well as attract talent. SBI General Group Health Insurance plans offer multiple coverages: Individual, family floater. It offers wide coverage from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 7.5 lakh. The group health insurance plans offer pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses. With SBI General group health insurance plans keep your employees happy.
Disclaimer: SBI General Insurance Company Limited I Corporate & Registered Office: 'Natraj', 301, Junction of Western Express Highway & Andheri - Kurla Road, Andheri (East), Mumbai - 400 069. | The information in the advertisement is indicative in nature. For more details on the risk factor, terms and conditions, please refer to the Sales Brochure and Policy Wordings carefully before concluding a sale. * ‘Tax benefits are subject to changes in tax laws’ I 'For SBI General Insurance Company Limited IRDAI Reg. No. 144 dated 15/12/2009 | CIN: U66000MH2009PLC190546 | SBI Logo displayed belongs to State Bank of India and used by SBI General Insurance Co. Ltd. under license. | Website : www.sbigeneral.in,Tollfree 18001021111 | UIN: SBIHLGP21330V022021 | ADDIG/20-21/AUG/652
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