When you or a loved one is ill and in hospital the last thing you want to worry about is the means to pay the hospital bill. Hospital expenses reimbursement policy (called mediclaim or Health insurance policy in common parlance) enables you to pay for hospitalization expenses when you or your loved one are unfortunate enough to get admitted to a hospital.
You should take health insurance when you and your family members are healthy because you are unlikely to get the Insurance if a serious illness or disease has already set in. Answer the proposal form fully and completely without hiding any facts as it is better to get the health insurance policy at a higher premium or even not to get it at all instead of paying premium and then not getting the money when the claim arises.
Check the age up to which the policy is renewable, any sub-limits for room rents, any requirements to pay part of the eligible hospitalization expenses yourself (called co-payment), formula for increase in premium if you make a claim, formula for no claim bonus and the coverage of pre-existing disease. Or you can just fill up the form alongside and get competing offers from the leading health insurance companies. Don't forget to ask them about the parameters pointed out above.
Another policy that you may definitely need is a serious illness disability policy (also called Critical Illness Policy). When a serious illness such as a stroke or kidney failure hits you the mediclaim policy only pays for the hospitalization expenses. It obviously does not cover you for the loss of income arising from the loss of job or business due to the serious illness. This is what a critical illness policy covers. You can buy standalone critical illness policies from non-life Insurance companies or take a critical illness rider along with your life insurance policy.
Health Insurance FAQs about Coverage
Read on to know about the benefits of a health insurance plan.Apnainsurance.com Research Bureau
05 Dec 2007
Is maternity benefit available under an individual Health Insurance Plan?
No maternity benefit is available under individual health insurance plans. However, it may be available on a group plan; this varies from company to company.
How do you decide if a disease is a pre-existing one or not?
At the time of purchasing a health insurance plan, you are required to fill a form stating the illnesses suffered during your lifetime. The illnesses declared at the time of filling the form are considered to be pre-existing diseases.
Is it alright if I do not disclose my blood pressure or diabetes problems?
It is prudent to be truthful when making disclosures about your existing health problems (even if your agent might ask you to avoid mentioning them), since the insurance company is not liable to pay for any claims in case of misrepresentation of facts.
At the time of purchasing insurance, one must be aware of the diseases or illnesses they have suffered from and the treatment they are going through, if any. Insurers refer health issues to their medical panels to differentiate between pre-existing and newly contracted illnesses.
What is the amount of
insurance offered by a Critical Illness policy?
The sum assured under critical illness insurance ranges from Rs.100,000 to Rs. 50,00,000. A few insurance companies even offer smaller sums (Rs. 50,000) as part of a comprehensive health insurance package.
Does a Critical Illness plan cease on making a claim?
Usually, the policy ceases in the event of a claim. However, certain insurance plans offer to cover the insured for the remaining critical illnesses, at a lower sum assured and a revised insurance premium.
For how long is a Critical Illness policy issued?
Usually, a critical illness policy is issued for a period of one year. Some insurers offer to provide the insured for a term of two to five years while a few offer it for a period of 10 years to 30 years; with the premium remaining constant for three years or five years.
What is the meaning of domiciliary hospitalization?
When the condition of the patient is such that she/he cannot be moved to the hospital or when there is no bed available in any of the hospitals, the treatment is administered at the patient's home. Importantly, the treatment is reimbursable under the health plan only if the treatment is comparable to that provided at a hospital or a nursing home.
Usually, the limit of compensation is low and does not apply to certain diseases, such as asthma, bronchitis, diabetes, epilepsy, etc.
If a claim has been made for a particular ailment, does it become a
pre-existing disease for the next policy term?
An ailment for which a claim has been made already does not become a pre-existent disease if there is no break in the term of the insurance policy and it is renewed by the due date. However, the ailment becomes a pre-existent disease and exclusions will apply in the event there is a break in the term of insurance. A break of up to 7 days is allowed under certain conditions; although it may vary by company.
If I am already covered by my office for health insurance, will it cover me for
my holiday in Singapore?
For an overseas journey, you need the overseas health or travel insurance plan. You should check with your office regarding the type of health insurance cover provided when you are traveling abroad on company business, and then act accordingly.
If one is suffering from blood pressure and diabetes and gets admitted for a
heart ailment, can she/he still claim for the same?
Insurers will not pay for heart ailments during the first four or five years of a health plan in force since heart ailments are considered as a complication of a pre-existing condition.
Is there a limit as to how long I can stay in hospital?
There is no limit as to how long a person can stay in hospital. There is, however, a limit to the amount that the insurer will pay as hospital charges. It is usually a room rate or a proportion of the sum insured.
See also:
Miscellaneous Health Insurance FAQs
Health Insurance FAQs about Claims
Health Insurance FAQs about Premiums