Artificial Heart is available � Does your Health Insurance policy cover its cost

The Times of India has covered interesting news on availability of artificial heart.

According to this

�A tiny mechanized device weighing 400 grams may give hope to more than 4 million people in the country who die of heart failure every year. A Mumbai hospital has brought in the technology to implant an artificial heart that takes over all functions of the original heart and promises to double the patient�s life expectancy.�

Globally, over 10,000 people are believed to be living with this device so we can say it is a proven commercial alternative.

Rates announced by some hospitals in the country are:

Asian Heart Institute Mumbai                 Rs. 1 crore,

Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bangalore          Rs. 50 Lakhs

It is good to know that some of the Insurance Companies are new offering health insurance product under which you can insure yourself for Rs 50 lakhs /Rs 60 lakhs.

Some of these companies are:-

1. Religare Health Insurance Company Limited
2. L & T General Insurance Company Limited
3. ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited
4. Max Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited

We hope that in near future some insurance companies will come up with Top up/ Super Top products so that families can have insurance Cover of Rs. 100 Lakhs.

Why the newspapers do not reveal the name of the hospital

The Times of India has carried the following news

"Twenty-eight-year-old Javed Akhtar, who was recently admitted to a private hospital, agrees with the TPAs. Last month, Akhtar, who works with a private firm in Noida, met with a minor accident and was admitted at a city hospital. He gave his cashless policy number to the hospital for necessary approval from the TPA. To his horror, he found that the hospital had applied for a spinal surgery and had got Rs 80,000 cleared from the TPA.

"The doctor never got any diagnostic tests like CT scan etc done. I was not even told about the surgery. They took the approval by forging my signature," alleged Akhtar, who later refused to get operated and got a police complaint registered against the hospital. But as he didn't get operated, the TPA refused to clear the bill. '

The question before us is that if the newspaper has carried the news( we appreciate this ) then why not reveal the name of the hospital so that all the insurance companies and TPA's as well as insured can keep the name of the hospital in mind- whether to go there or not.It will be agreat public service.