India’s health insurance world is buzzing with more claims tied to air pollution! According to fresh data from Policybazaar, families and insurers are feeling the heat as pollution-linked claims shoot up. Why? The nasty air after Diwali, thanks to crop burning and firecrackers, is playing a big role. Policybazaar reveals a jump in pollution-related claims from 6.4% in 2022 to a spicy 9% in 2025. That means almost 1 in 10 hospital stays in September 2025 were due to problems caused by dirty air like breathing troubles, heart problems, and irritated eyes or skin. Guess who’s catching the worst of it? Children under 10! They count for a whopping 43% of these health claims because they spend lots of time outside breathing the polluted air. Adults aged 31 to 40 make up 14%, and seniors over 60 are at 7%. Delhi leads the charge with 38% of these claims, but pollution's dirty fingers are spreading. Hyderabad and Bengaluru follow with 8.34% and 8.23%. Even Pune (7.82%) and Mumbai (5.94%) are not spared. Cities like Jaipur, Lucknow, Indore, and Nagpur also report rising cases, showing pollution's reach is widening. The troubles are beyond just cough and cold. Heart diseases, high blood pressure, skin rashes, and eye infections are climbing too. Common issues include asthma, COPD, arrhythmia, eczema, and conjunctivitis. Money woes add to the misery. Pollution-related treatment costs have climbed to an average ₹55,000 per claim, and hospital stay expenses hit ₹19,000 daily. Between 2023 and 2024, treating breathing problems got 11% costlier, and heart-related care rose by 6% because patients need more serious help like oxygen and nebulizers. The WTW 2026 Global Medical Trends report warns of a 14% jump in medical costs in Asia-Pacific next year. It shows 57% of insurers expect rising costs for at least three more years due to new medical tech, with 77% blaming advanced treatments, 63% pointing to better medicines, and 51% noting less cost-sharing with patients. Consumers aren’t happy either. The 2024 Manulife Asia Care Survey found 75% of Asians worry most about rising healthcare expenses, even more than the general inflation. According to 8,400 respondents, they feel healthcare costs rise by 23% on average, with big hikes in medicines, checkups, outpatient visits, and hospital stays. Air pollution isn’t just choking air—it’s choking wallets and health across India!