Is LASIK Surgery Covered by New India Assurance Health Insurance?

What is LASIK Surgery?

LASIK surgery is a laser refractive surgery performed to correct vision problems like myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. It involves changing the shape of the cornea through a special cutting laser, which improves eyesight.

Thus, getting a LASIK or laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis surgery done eliminates the need for wearing spectacles or contact lenses.

A LASIK surgery can be an expensive procedure as its cost may vary from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1.2 lakh. A blade-free LASIK surgery may cost you more than surgery with a blade. Moreover, LASIK surgery is costlier in metro cities like Mumbai and Delhi as compared to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Does New India Assurance Health Insurance Cover LASIK Surgery?

Yes. New India Assurance health insurance plans cover the cost of LASIK surgery. They cover this surgery as a day care procedure as it does not require hospitalization of 24 hours.

The insured can avail cashless treatment at a network provider of the insurance company. On the contrary, the patient can also get reimbursement for getting the surgery done at a non-network hospital of the insurance company.

However, not all LASIK surgery cases are covered by New India Assurance health insurance for surgery plans. Only LASIK surgeries conducted to correct a refractive error of equal to or more than 7.5 dioptres are covered by these health plans.

In case you have a refractive error of less than 7.5 dioptres and get a LASIK surgery done, the insurance company will deny the claim and you will have to bear the surgery cost.

But in case you suffer from a refractive error caused by an accidental injury or as a consequence of another surgery, then all health insurance plans by New India Assurance Company will cover the surgery cost.

New India Assurance Health Insurance Coverage for LASIK Surgery

When it comes to LASIK eye surgery, most New India Assurance health insurance plans cover the cost of the day care procedure. It includes the doctor’s fees, surgery cost, nursing fee, operation theatre charges, cost of diagnostic tests, medical equipment and medicines. That’s not all!

The policy will also cover any medical expenses incurred on pre-surgery consultations/diagnostics and post-surgery follow-up.

However, the coverage available under one New India Assurance health insurance plan may vary from another. Therefore, it is important that you go through the policy wordings before buying a New India Assurance health plan for LASIK surgery. 

Waiting Period for LASIK Surgery Under New India Assurance Health Insurance

The cost of laser eye surgery will not be covered by your New India Assurance health policy as soon as you buy the plan. You need to first spend the applicable waiting period before a claim can be raised.

To begin with, all New India Assurance health insurance plans come with a 30-day initial waiting period. 

However, some plans may cover the cost of a LASIK eye surgery after a waiting period of 1 or 2 years. Therefore, it is best to check your New India Assurance insurance policy documents to know the waiting period applicable to your policy.

In a Nutshell

LASIK eye surgery can solve eyesight problems, which affects a large population in India. Although the surgery is an expensive procedure, you do not have to worry about arranging the money as long as you have a New India Assurance health insurance policy. However, make sure to check the coverage and the waiting period for LASIK surgery before you raise a claim.