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Kidney Stones Health Insurance

What are kidney stones and how are they formed?

In the medical context, kidney stones are termed urolithiasis, renal calculi, or nephrolithiasis. This is a common ailment, especially among men. Although some smaller kidney stones may remain and go away undetected, some stones are painful and require medical intervention for treatment. Considering your current health status, a kidney stone may tend to pass through the urine flow while some others may require surgical intervention for removal.

The principal function of the kidney is to remove the body’s wastes through urine. The kidney acts as a filter of the human body. If your urine possesses excess waste or becomes concentrated, then crystals begin to develop. This eventually leads to the formation of kidney stones as there is no hindering factor that may restrict its growth.

The kidney stones may develop in either one or both the kidneys. Elements like oxalate, calcium, cysteine, urate, phosphate, and xanthine remain attached to these crystal formations in the urine making one or more pieces of solid stone structure.

Warning signs of kidney stones

You must watch out for the following warning signs that may end up forming kidney stones:

Blood presence in urine
Lower back pain
Painful urination
Unexplainable intermittent stomach pain
Back cramps
Frequent urge to pass urine
Stinky urine
Dark-coloured urine
Vomit and nausea
Chills and fever if there is any infection in the kidney stones
Stomach bloating
Hardness on the penis tip if the stone has traversed downward

Types of kidney stones on the basis of symptoms

The 5 typical types of kidney stones are:

Calcium oxalate stones:
This is the most popular variant of kidney stones. When the urine begins to develop low levels of citrate and excessive calcium levels, these stones are formed. Oxalate-enriched stones like black tea, beets, potatoes, nuts, chocolate, and spinach aid in developing these types of kidney stones. If you tend to develop these types of stones often, your doctor may advise you to undergo a urinary function test and metabolism assessment. Apart from these, urine tests and blood tests are also essential to know the root cause. Certain dietary alterations are also essential to prevent further formation of these stones.
Struvite stones:
The formation of these types of kidney stones is quite popular among women, especially during UTIs. These stones are quite fast-growing and sometimes, even tend to occupy an entire kidney. If left untreated, it may cause loss of kidney function and severe levels of urine infections.
Calcium phosphate stones:
If there are any abnormalities recorded in the normal functioning course of the urinary tract, these types of kidney stones are formed. To understand the root cause, your doctor may prescribe certain specific urine and blood tests.
Uric acid stones:
This is a common phenomenon among people who habitually consume less water, consume excessive animal protein, and usually among men. It can also be seen in patients suffering from gout, who maintain a hereditary history of kidney stones or are undergoing chemotherapy.
Cystine stones:
Cystinuria is a genetic disorder responsible for the formation of these kidney stone variants. Under the circumstances, excessive levels of amino acid cysteine get collected in the urine leading to such stone formation. These stones may not only form in the kidneys but also in the bladders and the ureters.

Kidney stone size chart

Depending on the size of the kidney stone, passing it through urine using proper medication is possible. However, it is not possible for a golf-ball-sized crystal. Depending on the nature of the therapy, small kidney stones can effectively pass through the urinary tract.

KIDNEY STONE SIZE	CHANCES OF NATURAL PASSING	TIME REQUIREMENT (approx.)	TREATMENT
Less than 2 mm	Nearly 80%	8 days	Home remedies
2-4 mm	Nearly 80%	12 days	Home remedies
4 mm	Nearly 80%	31 days	Home remedies
4-7 mm	Nearly 60%	45 days	Home remedies and painkilling medicines
Bigger than 7 mm	Nearly 20%	12 months	Ureteroscopy
1-2 cm	Cannot pass	—	Lithotripsy
Bigger than 2 cm	Cannot pass	—	Percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Kidney stones removal methods

The advancement of medical science has led to several methods of effective kidney stone removal. For smaller kidney stones, excessive water intake is essential till the stone(s) flush(es) out; consuming alpha-blocking medicines as prescribed by the doctors along with anti-sickness meds and painkillers.

However, these remedies might not be entirely fruitful for removing larger kidney stones. Surgical intervention becomes essential in this context like ureteroscopy, shockwave lithotripsy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, etc.

Getting a kidney stone diagnosis

A kidney stone can be easily diagnosed using several image screening tests like CT scan, USG, or X-ray. The location and size of the stone(s) will determine the following treatment procedure. Smaller stones may naturally pass through urine, while larger stones need complicated medical intervention for effective removal.

Tips to take care of kidney stone patient
How is health insurance helpful for patients with kidney stones?

Causes of kidney stones

The reasons behind the formation of kidney stones may be known or unknown. Some triggering factors may include consistent low water intake, severe exercising or no exercising, undergoing any surgery for weight loss, consuming too sweet or salty foods habitually, and obesity. At times, a family history of regular urinary infections may also increase the risk of kidney stone formation. Moreover, consuming too much corn syrup and table sugar also increases the risk in this respect.

Kidney stones symptoms

Some common symptoms of kidney stones are:

Stabbing pain begins from the back or under the ribs to the lower abdomen area all the way to the groin
Very painful urination
Painful tip of the urinary organ in the case of men
Stinky urine with the presence of blood
Frequent urination in small amounts
Fever and chills for infection
Nausea and vomiting

Preventive measures against kidney stones

Some common preventive measures to block the formation of kidney stones include:

Consuming enough water throughout the day regularly
Consuming lemon juice daily
Stay away from carbonated beverages
Restrict excessive salt intake
Regulated usage of dietary supplements
Regulated calcium consumption
Manage a healthy body weight

Benefits of bird flu health insurance

The spread of bird flu can be very unpredictable in a densely populated country like India. Receiving the right and quality treatment at the earliest is one of the most vital factors in getting the situation under control and checking the spread.

With simple flu-like symptoms, it becomes quite difficult to detect the actual reason and it often gets quite late in detection, making the situation quite tense. Under such circumstances, hospitalisation often seems to be the only solution.

Hospitalisation affairs usually are not quite budget-friendly. If you possess a proper health plan that covers bird flu or avian flu, it can save your day and finances well. Some of the most highlighting benefits of possessing a health plan with bird flu coverage include:

Peace of mind: Maintaining a health insurance protection cover acts as a protective shield. You can rest assured that you can receive quality medical facilities without worrying much about finances.
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Cashless hospitalisation: If you maintain a health insurance plan, you can avail of a cashless hospitalisation facility at any network hospital of your choice.
Quality treatment: You can get standard quality medical care and treatment facilities if you have health insurance coverage without worrying about finances. You do not have to compromise on any front if you possess the coverage of a health plan.

Health insurance for kidney stones

PLAN NAME	SALIENT FEATURES
Aditya Birla Activ Assure Diamond	An affordable family floater cover Coverage for 568 daycare procedures Cashless treatment facilities at over 7000 hospitals
Royal Sundaram Lifeline Health Insurance	Indemnity health plan with wide coverage options Auto restoration of the sum insured Zero room rent capping Available on both family floater and individual basis
HDFC Ergo My Optima Secure Health Insurance	Allows you to double the coverage benefits from the initial day of buying the plan with a special Secure benefit 100% restoration benefit with a partial or complete claim Enriched cashless network facility at over 13000 hospitals
ICICI Lombard Complete Health Insurance Policy	Allows comprehensive coverage Zero co-payment option Waiting period of 2 years for PEDs

Types of costs incurred related to kidney stones

The common types of costs associated with kidney stone treatment include:

Screening costs
Doctors’ fees
Medicine costs
Surgery costs
Ambulance charges
Hospital costs
Room rent
ICU charges

Benefits of kidney stones health insurance

Treating small kidney stones is not a matter of too much concern. Home remedies are sufficient for treatment. However, if the stone sizes are big it requires proper medical and surgical intervention. This makes it evident that treating larger kidney stones is an expensive affair.

If you maintain a suitable health insurance plan that covers kidney stone treatment, you ensure easy accessibility to quality medical treatment and care even in times of dire emergency without any significant financial worries.

A health insurance protection cover allows comprehensive coverage for the treatment of kidney stones. Be it domiciliary treatment or hospitalisation, your health insurance will cover you under all circumstances, depending on the terms and conditions of your chosen plan.

Key features of kidney stones health plan

Some of the salient features of a kidney stone health insurance plan are:

Comprehensive treatment cost coverage
Cashless hospitalisation facility
An enriched list of network hospitals
Easy accessibility to several wellness programs
Allows additional benefits

Health insurance policy coverage for kidney stones

Kidney stone removal may either happen naturally for smaller stones or you need to undergo complicated medical procedures for effective removal.

Kidney stones are protected by specific health insurance policies. A comprehensive coverage protection will cover all the associated costs related to stone treatments. A simple search will reveal tons of information regarding the availability and easy accessibility of several health insurance plans specifically providing coverage for kidney stones.

Inclusions in a health insurance policy for kidney stones

The standard inclusions of a comprehensive kidney stone coverage policy are:

Domiciliary treatment cost cover
Doctor’s fees
Hospitalisation cover
Pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses
Surgery costs
Ambulance charges
ICU charges
Room rent
Medicine costs

Exclusions in a health insurance policy for kidney stones

Some standard exclusions for kidney stone health insurance include:

Coverage for diagnostic expenses
Coverage for any experimental treatment course
Any cosmetic therapy or treatment
Coverage for PEDs
Coverage for ailments before the waiting period is covered
Coverage for self-inflicted injuries
Coverage for accidents caused due to war or riot-like situations
Coverage for accidents caused due to adventurous or defence activities
Coverage for venereal issues or STDs like AIDS/HIV

How to apply for a kidney stones health insurance plan?

You can apply for kidney stone insurance both online and offline.

Online
First, do thorough research and a comparative study of all the available and seemingly suitable plans. This is essential to land you up with the best deal at the most affordable price.
Once decided visit the official website of your chosen health insurance provider.
Search the chosen plan.
Enter all the relevant details.
Click on “submit”.
Pay the premium dues using any suitable online mode.
Click on “purchase”.
Once the application is processed, you will shortly receive the policy documents in your registered email address.
Offline
For offline purchases, visit the nearest branch office of your preferred health insurance company.
Brief your requirements to the insurance executive.
Submit the application form along with other documents like identity proof, address proof, etc.
Pay the necessary premium.
Once your application is processed and verified, you will receive the policy documents at your registered address.

How to make a claim?

You can make both cashless and reimbursement claim settlements for treating kidney stones under any standard health insurance policy.

Cashless claim
Get admitted to any network hospital.
Contact the hospital TPA desk and inform your insurance provider.
Submit the claim application form within 24 hours of hospitalisation.
Let the course of treatment begin.
During discharge, submit the original discharge summary along with the final bill at the TPA.
The insurance authorities will verify your application.
The approved amount will be directly settled with the hospital authorities.
If there are any dues left that are not approved or covered by your insurance, settle it out of your pocket.
Reimbursement claim
In the case of a reimbursement claim, you can get admitted to any non-network hospital.
Inform your insurer about the development.
Let the treatment course begin.
Ensure to collect all the documents, bills, prescriptions, and reports that are issued during the course.
Never miss to collect the final bill and the discharge summary.
After discharge contact your health insurance provider within the stipulated time frame.
Submit all the relevant documents along with your claim settlement application.
After verification, you will receive the approved amount credited to your registered bank account.

Treatment for small kidney stones

Very small kidney stones do not require much complicated treatments. Consuming ample fluids like water, healthy homemade fruit juices, lemon water, etc. is enough to flush them out of the system. Hydration is key to preventing stone formation too.

Treatment for large kidney stones

Surgical intervention is required for treating and removing large kidney stones. Some of the popular surgical procedures in this respect are:

Shockwave lithotripsy:
Here ultrasound waves are administered to break the kidney stones into smaller pieces and let them pass through the urine flow. You might require multiple sittings if there are too many small stones present.
Ureteroscopy:
Here a thin, long telescope called a ureteroscope is inserted to pass the urine through the urethra into the bladder to the ureter. The doctor may use certain instruments to remove the stone during the course or break it into small pieces using a laser to pass through the urine.
Percutaneous nephrolithotomy:
Here your back is cut and a thin telescope called a nephroscope is inserted through it. The stone is either pulled out through it or broken into smaller pieces using laser or pneumatic energy.

Kidney stones treatment and cost in India

The average cost of treatment of kidney stones in India may range anywhere between INR 30000 and INR 1 lakh. The costs are naturally on the higher side if the tone size is comparatively bigger and requires surgical intervention for removal.

Home remedies for kidney stones treatment

Some common home remedies that aid the kidney stone treatment process include:

Enough water consumption to effectively flush out the toxins
Green tea reduces calcium deposition in the kidney and reduces oxalate excretion
Raspberry consumption may effectively manage kidney stone formation and management
Pomegranate is loaded with phytochemicals that effectively reduce the burning sensation while passing urine
Coconut is a rich and reliable source of diuretic elements to keep yourself fresh and hydrated
Anjeer water helps treat kidney stones
When bay leaf is boiled with cardamom, and reduced to 1/3 of its original amount, it produces effective medicinal properties to reduce kidney stones

Waiting period on kidney stones insurance

Depending on the terms and conditions of the health insurance policy that you have chosen, the waiting period may vary from one plan to another. It may range anywhere between 3 months and 2 years. You need to clarify the clause with your respective health insurance provider before purchasing the policy.

How much do kidney stones affect a person’s daily life?

The formation of kidney stones may cause stabbing back or side pain, frequent urgency but low output, painful and burning urination, blood loss through urination, nausea, vomiting, occasional chills, and fever at advanced stages.

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the terms of your chosen insurance provider. Usually, kidney stones are not considered critical ailments and therefore not covered under critical illness insurance under normal circumstances.

Kidney stone formation is mostly an adult ailment and does not affect children much. However, there are exceptions as well. Due to certain rare health disorders, some children may develop kidney stones.