Hazardous winter smog is now spreading across India, covering not only the Northern states but also cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Kanpur, and Patna. In Mumbai, particularly, the air quality recently dropped drastically which was worse than the capital city. Every winter, a combination of factors including crop stubble burning, cooler temperatures, carbon emissions from the enormous number of vehicles on the road, and dust from infrastructure construction cause smog and deteriorate the air quality. 

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The smog is already impacting the quality of life as many people have been reportedly suffering from medical conditions such as issues with the respiratory system, lungs, and other body organs. Some of the symptoms include difficulty in breathing, burns or respiratory attacks, asthma, throat irritation, etc. 

"It is important to note that with rising medical inflation, healthcare treatments are becoming costly. For instance, the lung is often the most affected organ if exposed to toxic air year after year, and lung transplant is one of the most expensive procedures costing between Rs 35 lakh and Rs 40 lakh in India," Rakesh Jain - CEO, Reliance General Insurance - said in an interaction with Zee Business.

It is therefore crucial to get health insurance that will help provide the best possible medical care for your family and yourself in the event of an emergency. 

"Be sure to choose a sum insured amount sufficient to cover significant medical costs, such as the price of an organ transplant. The plan should also cover all necessary elements, including pre and post-hospitalization costs and expenses related to organ donors," Jain told Zee Business.

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Before buying an insurance policy, keep the following factors in mind:

Cover for Organ Donor: Having an Organ Donor feature in your health plan can be a boon if ever you need an organ transplant. An Organ Donor Cover will cover the medical expenses of harvesting the organ from the donor. 

Pre and post-hospitalization treatment coverage: What if you have to undergo a surgery that may involve pre-surgery fitness tests, post-surgery follow-ups and medications? With pre and post hospitalisation cover, all these expenses will be taken care of.  

Benefit of Cashless health insurance: A cashless health insurance cover helps you get the best treatment without worrying about arranging cash. The hectic tasks of arranging cash to pay the medical bills and completing lengthy paperwork during medical emergencies can be easily avoided if you avail cashless treatment in which the bills are paid directly by the insurer.

Hospital Cash: Hospitalization involves a variety of additional costs, many of which needs be paid in cash. The Hospital Cash Cover will ensure that you receive cash-in-hand to cover these costs without having to pay out of your own pocket.

Reduction in Waiting Period for Pre-Existing Disease: If you are already suffering from any respiratory condition or any lifestyle disease for instance Blood Pressure, hypertension, diabetes, etc. all these regarded as a pre-existing disease (PED). Having this cover will help you shorten the PED waiting period under your health insurance policy and enable you to avail the healthcare benefits you may require. 

Double the benefit with Double Cover add-on: The cost of healthcare is rising exponentially and hence having a double cover can have several benefits. Most importantly it eases the financial strain as you will be able to use twice as much coverage for the same claim to ensure maximum financial protection.

Unlimited reinstatement of Sum Insured: Maintain the base sum insured amount throughout the policy year is imperative in health insurance to avail health care benefit from a plan. Opting for an unlimited reinstatement add-on cover will allow you to restore the base sum insured amount as many times it gets exhausted during the policy year.