Tag: hospitalisation

10 things young buyers should consider before going for a health insurance policy

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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For long, young individuals have believed that health insurance policies are for old people. But nowadays, they have realised the importance of health insurance policies. Now, they are buying policies in their 20s and 30s.

Critical illnesses, disabilities, diseases, and medical emergencies are not just confined to the elderly. Also, medical inflation in India is at an all-time high rising over 8 percent, thus, paying for treatments can take a massive toll on your savings. Therefore, to protect from these unforeseen situations all young individuals need a health insurance plan.

ALSO READ: How hospital room rent sub-limits can impact your health insurance claim

Here are 10 things you should consider before making a decision

1. Type of policy required: Depending on your needs you may choose a policy or a family floater to cover your family as well.
2. Policy duration: You can choose 1, 2, 3 years and so on. If you are satisfied with all the benefits and terms of your policy, you may choose a longer term.
3. Claim settlement ratio: Claim Settlement Ratio (CSR) is the indicator of an insurer’s credibility. It shows the percentage of claims that an insurance provider settles in a year out of the total claims it receives. Ideally, the claim settlement ration of your policy should be more than 85 percent.
4. List of network hospitals: You should carefully check the complete list of network hospitals given in your policy to make sure the nearest and the best hospitals are covered. Also, the list should have hospitals where you can avail cashless treatment.
5. Claim settlement process: Claim settlement is the process by which an insurer pays money to the policyholder. Your health insurance policy should have both cashless payments and reimbursement of costs.
6. Policy features: Make sure your policy has features like hospitalisation cover, maternity cover, daycare procedures, add-on cover options, etc.
7. Room rent capping/ sub limit: Room rent capping or sub limit is the limit of hospital room cost that is borne by the insurance provider. This can be a fixed sum, or a certain percentage of the total sum insured. For instance, for a policy of Rs 1 Lakh the room rent capping could be 5 percent or Rs 5,000 per day. If the room rent exceeds the capping then the extra cost will not be borne by the insurer and a certain percentage deduction in other costs may also occur.
8. No-claim-bonus: No-claim bonus is a reward given to the policyholder for having a claim-free year. Make sure your policy has this feature. A no-claim bonus of more than 5 percent is ideal.
9. Waiting period: A waiting period is a fixed time span after which a select list of ailments starts getting coverage under your health insurance policy. It usually includes pre-existing diseases, critical illness, maternity benefits, etc. As per your needs, choose a policy that has the right waiting period for you.
10. Policy premium: It is important to plan and budget your health insurance expenses. Go for a policy that fit right into your budget but remember that the higher the coverage amount the more is the premium and vice versa.

ALSO READ: View: Identity theft to bullying and extortion, your cyber insurance policy covers these risks

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

COVID-19 Pandemic: Experts discuss what to do and what to avoid while treating COVID-19

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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COVID hospitalisations remain largely stable as of now, government data across big cities suggests there is no noticeable spike in hospital admissions. Delhi continues to have 84 percent of COVID beds still vacant despite a surge in cases.

On the treatment front — top doctors on our channel have been cautioning against over-medication and the use of drugs like molnupiravir to treat COVID-19.

Now a group of 30 top health experts have written an open letter to the Union government, states, and the Indian Medical Association, appealing to them to stop the unwarranted medication, tests, and hospitalisations.

They said mistakes made by medical practitioners across the country in 2021 are being repeated in 2022 as well.

In the letter, the doctors have urged the government to discourage the use of medications that have no supporting evidence for the treatment of COVID.

Further, they also requested the government to discourage unwarranted diagnostics, especially for asymptomatic and mild cases, as it puts unnecessary financial burden on families.

To discuss current treatment protocol and things that need to be avoided while treating COVID, CNBC-TV18 spoke to Professor Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director and Senior Paediatrician at Apollo Hospitals Group; Doctor Rahul Pandit, Director-Critical Care of Fortis Hospitals, Mumbai; Doctor Vishal Rao, Member of Karanataka COVID Task Force; and Doctor Rajeev Jayadevan, Vice-Chairman, Research Cell at IMA, Kerala.

Watch accompanying video for more.

Click here for the latest updates on COVID-19

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Hospitalisation rate lower for Omicron than Delta coronavirus variant: UK study

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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COVID-19 infections with the Omicron variant of coronavirus are less likely to result in hospitalisation compared to the Delta strain, according to early results from a study conducted in the UK. The yet-to-be peer-reviewed study suggests that Omicron cases are 15-20 percent less likely to attend hospital, and 40-45 percent less likely to be hospitalised for a night or more, compared to Delta.

The researchers from the Imperial College London, UK, noted that these estimated reductions in severity must be balanced against the larger risk of infection with Omicron, due to the reduction in protection provided by both vaccination and natural infection. For example, at a population level, higher number of infections could still lead to large number of hospitalisations, they said.

“Whilst the reduced risk of hospitalisation with the Omicron variant is reassuring, the risk of infection remains extremely high,” said Professor Azra Ghani, from Imperial College London. “With the addition of the booster dose, vaccines continue to offer the best protection against infection and hospitalisation,” Ghani said.

Also Read | Omicron impact less severe than previous Covid variants: S African study

The study estimated hospitalisation risk for Omicron cases in England, included all PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases between December 1 and 14, 2021. The dataset included 56,000 cases of Omicron and 269,000 cases of the Delta variant.

The researchers cautioned that insufficient time has passed for enough data to have accumulated for severity to be judged for more severe outcomes such as intensive care unit admission or death. The estimates suggest that Omicron cases have, on average, a 15-20 percent reduced risk of any hospitalisation and an approximately 40-45 percent reduced risk of a hospitalisation resulting in a stay of one or more nights, they said.

Reinfection is associated with approximately a 50-60 percent reduction in hospitalisation risk compared with primary infections, according to the researchers. Moderately reduced severity is also supported by the observation that the mean lengths of hospital stay for Delta and Omicron cases in the study were 0.32 and 0.22 days, respectively, they said.

Also Read | Pfizer pill becomes first US-authorised home COVID treatment

“Our analysis shows evidence of a moderate reduction in the risk of hospitalisation associated with the Omicron variant compared with the Delta variant,” Professor Neil Ferguson from Imperial College London said. “However, this appears to be offset by the reduced efficacy of vaccines against infection with the Omicron variant,” he said.

The researchers noted that Omicron cases on average had less follow-up time in the study. They said that as more data accumulate, with longer periods of follow-up, assessment of more severe outcomes will become feasible. The study authors said it is essential to place the severity of Omicron in the context of reinfection risk in countries, like England and South Africa, where a large proportion of the population may have already been infected.

“Given the high transmissibility of the Omicron virus, there remains the potential for health services to face increasing demand if Omicron cases continue to grow at the rate that has been seen in recent weeks,” Ferguson added.

For all the latest updates on Coronavirus, click here.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

US coronavirus hospitalizations hit eight-month high over 100,000

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The number of coronavirus patients in US hospitals breached 100,000 on Thursday, the highest level in eight months, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, as a resurgence of COVID-19 spurred by the highly contagious Delta variant strains the nation’s health care system.

US COVID-19 hospitalizations have more than doubled in the past month. Over the past week, more than 500 people with COVID were admitted to hospitals each hour on average, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The United States reached its all-time peak for hospitalizations on January 6 when there were 132,051 coronavirus-infected patients in hospital beds, according to a Reuters tally.

As the vaccination campaign rapidly expanded in early 2021, hospitalizations fell and hit a 2021 low of 13,843 on June 28.

However, COVID-19 admissions rose suddenly in July as the Delta variant became the dominant strain. The US South is the epicenter of the latest outbreak but hospitalizations are rising nationwide.

Florida has the highest number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients, followed by Texas and California, according to data from the US Department of Health and Human Services. More than 95 percent of intensive care beds are currently occupied in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

The Delta variant, which is rapidly spreading among mostly the unvaccinated US population, has also sent a record number of children to the hospital. There are currently over 2,000 confirmed and suspected pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to HHS.

Three states – California, Florida and Texas – amount to about 32 percent of the total confirmed and suspected pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States.

Children currently make up about 2.3 percent of the nation’s COVID-19 hospitalizations. Kids under 12 are not eligible to receive the vaccine.

The country is hoping for vaccine authorization for younger children by autumn with the Pfizer Inc vaccine.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said this week that the nation could get COVID-19 under control by early next year if vaccinations ramp up.

The United States has given at least one dose of vaccine to about 61 percent of its population, according to the CDC.

Catch all the coronavirus live updates here.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

COVID-19 patients: First 10 days after leaving hospital carry high risk, says study

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The first week and a half after leaving the hospital carry a high risk for COVID-19 patients, including trips back to the hospital, and death, according to a study. Researchers found that COVID-19 patients had a 40 to 60 percent higher risk of ending up back in the hospital or dying in the first 10 days, compared with similar patients treated at the same hospitals during the same months for heart failure or pneumonia.

The study, published in the journal JAMA, found that by the end of 60 days, the COVID-19 patients’ overall risk of readmission or death was lower than that for the other two serious conditions. It compared post-hospital outcomes for nearly 2,200 veterans who survived their hospitalisation at 132 hospitals for COVID-19, with outcomes for nearly 1,800 similar patients who survived a stay for pneumonia that wasn’t related to the disease, and 3,500 who survived a heart failure-related stay.

In the first two months, 9 percent of the COVID-19 patients who survived hospitalisation had died, and almost 20 percent had suffered a setback that sent them back to the hospital, the researchers said. That was in addition to the 18.5 percent who had died during their hospitalisation, they said.

”patients’ long-term outcomes with those of other seriously ill patients, we see a pattern of even greater-than-usual risk right in the first one to two weeks, which can be a risky period for anyone,” said John P. Donnelly, the study’s first author and an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan in the US. All but 5 percent of the patients were male, and half were Black, which is not nationally representative but focuses on two high-risk groups.

However, within the veterans studied, the only factor that made a significant difference in outcomes was age, the researchers said. About half of veterans in their 70s and 80s died in the 60 days after leaving the hospital, they said.

The 2,179 COVID-19 patients spent a total of 27,496 days in the hospital, and the 354 veterans who were readmitted spent a total of 3,728 additional days in the hospital. The most common reasons listed for rehospitalisation were COVID-19, cited in 30 percent of patients, and sepsis seen in 8.5 percent, the researchers said.

More than 22 percent of the readmitted veterans went to an intensive care unit, they added.

Click here: For the latest news and updates on COVID-19

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Despite high testing levels, daily covid-19 positivity rate below 7.5% in India

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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With more than 11.70 lakh samples tested for COVID-19 for two successive days (Wednesday and Thursday), the total number of such tests conducted in the country has surged to 4,66,79,145, while the daily positivity rate is still below 7.5 percent, the health ministry said on Friday. ”Even with this very high daily testing, the daily COVID-19 positivity rate is still below 7.5 percent while the cumulative positivity rate is less than 8.5 percent,” it underlined.

With 30,37,151 people having recovered from COVID-19, the national recovery rate has risen to 77.15 percent, while the case fatality rate has further declined to 1.74 percent, according to the ministry’s data updated at 8 am. ”These results reflect the successful Centre-led strategy of ’test, track and treat’ being effectively implemented by most of the states and Union territories.

”No other country has achieved these levels of very high daily testing,” the ministry stressed. The sustained higher testing on a wide scale enables early diagnosis, prompt isolation and a timely hospitalisation.

Effective treatment, based on the Standard Treatment Protocol both in supervised home isolation and in hospitals, also results in a lower mortality rate. ”With the aim to reduce the fatality rate below 1 percent, India’s case fatality rate (CFR) has touched 1.74 percent following a gradient of steady and sustained decline,” the ministry underscored.

The daily testing capacity has been enhanced to more than 10 lakh tests. A total of11,69,765 samples were tested for COVID-19 on Thursday. ”With this steep exponential rise in daily testing, the cumulative tests are nearing 4.7 crore. The cumulative tests as on date have reached 4,66,79,145,” the ministry said.

The substantial increase in the testing levels is anchored in the daily expansion of the network of diagnostic laboratories across the country. As on date, there are 1,631 such laboratories in India — 1,025 in the government sector and 606 private ones. With83,341 new cases reported in a span of 24 hours, the country’s COVID-19 tally mounted to 39,36,747, while the death toll due to the disease climbed to68,472 with1,096 people succumbing to it in a day, the data showed.

Also, catch all the latest updates and trends on the novel coronavirus with CNBCTV18’s blog.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Coronavirus: British PM Boris Johnson admitted to hospital as precautionary step, for tests

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been admitted to hospital for tests, 10 days after testing positive for coronavirus. Johnson, 55, “continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus“, a Downing Street spokesperson said on Sunday.

His hospitalisation was described as a “precautionary step” taken on the advice of his doctor.

On the advice of his doctor, the Prime Minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests. This is a precautionary step, as the Prime Minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus ten days after testing positive for the virus,” the spokesperson said.

The Prime Minister thanks NHS staff for all of their incredible hard work and urges the public to continue to follow the Government’s advice to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives, the spokesperson added.

Johnson had extended self-isolation as he gave an update on his health via social media on Friday, which should have marked the end of the stipulated seven-day self-isolation period after his COVID-19 diagnosis last week.

He said he still has a temperature, one of the symptoms associated with coronavirus, and would therefore have to stay in isolation for longer.

“Although I’m feeling better and I’ve done my seven days of isolation, alas I still have one of the symptoms, a minor symptom, Johnson said in a new video message.

“I still have a temperature and so, in accordance with government advice, I must continue my self-isolation until that symptom itself goes,” he said.

Johnson was last seen, still looking quite poorly, when he made a brief appearance at Downing Street on Thursday night to join the national clap for carers applause in appreciation of the hardwork of National Health Service (NHS) workers on the frontline of the fight against the outbreak.

“Remember that incredible clapping again last night for our fantastic NHS. We’re doing it to protect them and to save lives. Let’s focus on doing everything we can. Stay at home folks, protect our NHS, save lives,” he said.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow