Chennai: Hospitalisation in the middle of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, even if you have contracted the virus or not is adding several thousand or even lakhs to the hospital bills as most of the health insurance policies do not cover you for the cost of personal protective gear that falls in the ‘Non-payable Items’ or ‘Consumables’ category.
The patients – even those who have a health insurance cover have to pay for the consumable items that include PPE kits, crepe bandage, tissue paper, slippers, gown, foot covers, disposable gloves, sheets, syringes, masks, etc. from their own pocket.
Often during hospitalisation due to Covid-19, the consumable items make for one-fourth of the entire hospitalisation bill and if the hospitalisation extends for a longer period due to comorbidities, the cost can rise significantly.
Fortunately, considering the high proportion of consumables in the hospital bills and help consumers pay for these non-payable items, some insurers have started to cover these costs through add-ons. For now, three insurers are offering this feature- Care Health Insurance, Max Bupa Health Insurance, and Digit Health Insurance, according to Policybazaar.com.