Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Does health insurance cover TACE and Y-90 for liver cancer? | CION Cancer Clinics
Most Indian health insurance policies pay for TACE when it is advised for liver cancer. Y-90 is covered by many policies too, but it is more often capped, queried or partly paid. This page explains what decides how much your insurer pays, how to get approval before the procedure, how government schemes differ, and what to do if a claim is cut. At CION Cancer Clinics, we explain costs in writing and help families from across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh plan treatment in Hyderabad.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
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On this page
- Will my health insurance pay for TACE or Y-90?
- How much is the insurer being asked to pay?
- What decides how much of the bill the insurer pays?
- How do I get TACE or Y-90 approved by my insurer?
- How do insurers usually treat TACE compared with Y-90?
- What if I have Aarogyasri, Ayushman Bharat or a government scheme?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about insurance for TACE and Y-90
The short answer
Will my health insurance pay for TACE or Y-90?
Most Indian health insurance policies do pay for TACE when a doctor has advised it for liver cancer, because it is a hospital procedure and not an experimental one. Y-90 (also called TARE or radioembolisation) is more often questioned, capped or partly paid, so it needs more paperwork and an earlier conversation with your insurer.
What these two procedures are, in one line each
TACE (transarterial chemoembolisation) sends cancer medicine down the artery feeding the tumour and then blocks that artery. TARE or Y-90 sends tiny radioactive beads down the same route instead. Both are done by an interventional radiologist. The TACE procedure page and the Y-90 page explain the technique.
Why the answer is not simply yes
Cover depends on the wording of your own policy, not on the procedure's name. Sub-limits on room rent, caps on newer treatments, the waiting period for a condition you already had, and how the hospital bills the beads or the medicine all change what you actually receive. Two families with the same treatment can end up with very different bills.
This page is about primary liver cancer and cancer that has spread to the liver. The insurance questions are the same for both.Indicative cost
How much is the insurer being asked to pay?
These are 2026 Hyderabad estimates, not quotes. Knowing the size of the bill helps you check whether your sum insured is enough.
₹75,000 – ₹2,50,000
TACE, per session
Many people need more than one session, and each one is usually a separate admission and a separate claim.
₹3,00,000 – ₹12,00,000 or more
Full multi-step treatment
When TACE is one step in a longer plan that may include surgery, ablation or systemic therapy.
Indicative only. Y-90 is quoted separately by the treating hospital, because the beads are a large and variable part of the bill. Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your policy, its sub-limits and any scheme you hold. Ask the treating hospital for a written, itemised estimate before you sign anything.
What changes the answer
What decides how much of the bill the insurer pays?
Read your policy wording for these five things before the procedure date is fixed.
Day-care or admission
TACE and Y-90 often need only a short stay. Most policies cover listed day-care procedures, but check that yours names them or covers all day-care treatment.
Caps on newer treatments
Some policies limit payment for treatments the insurer considers modern or advanced. Y-90 is more likely than TACE to be caught by such a clause.
Look for words like
- Modern or advanced treatment
- Sub-limit or capping
- Consumables or implants
Room rent limits
If you choose a room above your policy's limit, many insurers cut the whole bill in proportion, not just the room charge. This surprises a lot of families.
Existing liver disease
Hepatitis B, hepatitis C or cirrhosis present before the policy started may carry a waiting period. Undeclared conditions are a common reason for rejection. See insurance with pre-existing hepatitis.
How the medicine and beads are billed
The cancer medicine in TACE and the beads in Y-90 may appear as separate line items. Ask how they will be billed, because some insurers treat them differently from the procedure fee.
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Before the procedure
How do I get TACE or Y-90 approved by my insurer?
Get the plan in writing
Ask your oncologist for a short note saying why TACE or Y-90 was chosen. A tumour board recommendation helps, especially for Y-90.
Get an itemised estimate
The hospital where the procedure happens prepares this. It should list the procedure, the medicine or beads, the stay and the scans separately.
Send the pre-authorisation request
The hospital's insurance desk sends the plan, estimate and reports to your insurer or its TPA. Do this before admission, not on the day.
Answer queries quickly
Insurers often ask for past scans, the biopsy or imaging report, and your hepatitis history. Keep copies ready to send.
Check the approved amount
An approval may cover less than the estimate. Ask what is approved and what you will pay before the procedure starts.
Side by side
How do insurers usually treat TACE compared with Y-90?
TACE
Y-90 (TARE)
Widely recognised as standard treatment
Recognised, but more often queried by insurers
Often repeated, so several claims over time
Usually fewer treatments, but a larger single bill
Available at more hospitals in Hyderabad
Offered at fewer centres, which limits network choice
Medicine and beads usually within the claim
Beads may face a cap on consumables or advanced care
May be listed in government scheme packages
Check scheme cover carefully before planning on it
Schemes and help
What if I have Aarogyasri, Ayushman Bharat or a government scheme?
Government schemes such as Aarogyasri, Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY), CGHS, ECHS and ESI pay set package rates at empanelled hospitals. They work differently from private insurance. Whether TACE or Y-90 is in the package list, and on what terms, changes from time to time and must be checked at the time you need it.
Ask the empanelled hospital directly
The scheme desk at the hospital where the procedure will happen can tell you whether your scheme covers it, what paperwork is needed and whether any part is not covered. See does Aarogyasri cover liver cancer for how that scheme works.
How CION helps
CION coordinates TACE and Y-90 through NABH-accredited partner hospitals. Our team can help you gather the reports, the treatment plan and the forms your insurer or scheme asks for. The claim itself is made at the hospital where the procedure takes place.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you what your own policy will pay. Only your policy document, your insurer or TPA, and the hospital's insurance desk can answer that. This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. If a claim is refused and you think it is wrong, your insurer's grievance cell and the insurance ombudsman are the people to ask.
Who this does not apply to
If your doctors have not yet decided between TACE, Y-90, surgery or tablets, the insurance question comes second. The treatment should be chosen for your tumour and your liver, not for what is easiest to claim. If TACE or Y-90 is not suitable for you, cover does not matter. Read TACE vs TARE: how the choice is made first.
Never delay a treatment your team says is urgent while waiting for a claim decision. Ask about paying first and claiming back.Questions we are asked
Common questions about insurance for TACE and Y-90
Is TACE covered as a day-care procedure?
Usually, yes. TACE is on the day-care or inpatient list of most policies, because it needs a hospital, an interventional radiologist and close watching afterwards. Check your own policy's list. If it is not named, ask your insurer in writing whether it will be paid as an inpatient procedure.
Why would an insurer question Y-90?
Y-90 is newer, offered at fewer centres and costs more in one go. Some policies cap advanced treatments or consumables, and the beads can fall under that cap. A clear note from your oncologist and the tumour board about why Y-90 was chosen often helps the approval.
Will each TACE session need a separate approval?
In most cases, yes. Each session is usually a new admission, so the hospital sends a fresh pre-authorisation each time. Keep a file of every approval, bill and discharge summary, because later claims often refer back to earlier ones and to your remaining sum insured.
Does the planning scan before Y-90 count as part of the claim?
Y-90 needs a mapping procedure first, and insurers handle it differently. Some pay it within the Y-90 claim, some treat it as a separate admission, and some query it. Ask the hospital to include it in the estimate and ask your insurer how it will be treated.
My policy is new. Will my liver cancer be covered?
It depends on whether the cancer, or a liver condition linked to it, existed before the policy started, and on the waiting periods in your policy. Declare your history honestly. Hidden hepatitis or cirrhosis is one of the most common reasons a liver cancer claim is refused later.
Can I choose cashless or reimbursement for TACE?
Cashless is possible if the hospital is in your insurer's network. Otherwise you pay first and claim back. Both work for TACE and Y-90. The page on cashless or reimbursement explains which suits which situation.
What if my claim for Y-90 is partly refused?
Ask for the reason in writing. Check it against your policy wording. You can ask the insurer to review it with fresh reports from your doctor, then go to its grievance cell, and then to the insurance ombudsman if you still disagree. A partial refusal is not always final.
Can CION tell me exactly what I will pay?
We can help you get a written, itemised estimate from the partner hospital and help with the paperwork your insurer or scheme asks for. The final amount you pay depends on what your insurer approves. Call the helpline and someone will walk you through it.
What moves the figure
What affects the cost
Four things change the total more than anything else.
The technique used
A shaped or image-guided delivery costs more than a conventional one, and is chosen on clinical grounds rather than preference.
How many sessions
The total is driven by the number of sittings or cycles, not by a single per-visit figure.
Supporting tests
Scans, blood work and pathology done alongside treatment are billed separately.
Your cover
Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or cashless insurance usually change the out-of-pocket figure substantially.
Paying for it
Insurance, schemes and payment
What you actually pay usually differs a great deal from the sticker figure.
AarogyasriEmpanelled. Bring the card and a referral where you have one.
CGHS / ECHS / EHSAccepted at CION centres for eligible treatment.
Cashless insuranceMost major insurers are empanelled. Pre-authorisation is handled by our desk.
Self-payItemised estimate given before treatment starts. No EMI scheme exists.
Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. One helpline books a consultation at any of these centres, and your team will tell you where each test and operation takes place.
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Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Managing Cancer Costs and Medical Information
- American Cancer Society — Embolization Therapy for Liver Cancer
- RadiologyInfo.org (RSNA/ACR) — TACE Cancerous Tumor Therapy
- RadiologyInfo.org (RSNA/ACR) — Radioembolization (Y90)
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Talk to us
Not sure what your policy will pay for TACE or Y-90?
Tell us your treatment plan and your policy or scheme. We can help you gather the reports and get a written estimate from the treating hospital. One helpline serves every CION centre.