While one may gasp at the ever-increasing costs of medical treatment in India of late, they also have great respite in the form of health insurance. With so many reputed insurers offering a vast range of policies, it is rather convenient for customers to choose one depending on their unique needs and circumstances. While comprehensive policies cover practically every kind of hospitalisation need, there are specific policies for cardiac care, critical illnesses, child health insurance plans and even those for women and senior citizens. The competitiveness is making every insurer come up with top-notch plans that are customer-centric and one is better than the other. These are five new-age features that will make your health insurance policy more beneficial.
Free Medical Checkups
Erstwhile, free medical checkups were usually associated with group insurance policies. Of late, however, many insurers provide this benefit. The insured may have to fulfil some requirements, such as being a customer for a specific number of years or not having made a health insurance claim. These conditions differ from insurer to insurer, as do the number of free checkups during the policy term. Some companies offer annual checkups, while others provide once in three years. This feature benefits both parties, as the insured can treat this as a regular preventive health checkup, be aware of their health status and opt for the right policy and coverage, and the insurer can determine the premium amount knowing the risks.
Pre-hospitalisation and Post-hospitalisation Expenses
Medical expenses are not limited to only hospitalisation charges. The entire course of treatment includes many other factors such as diagnostics, doctor's consultation, medicines and post-hospitalisation care such as follow-up consultation, tests and so on. These turn out to be as expensive as a hospital stay. But, insurers now cover these as well, whether you have cashless health insurance or get reimbursed. The company may provide cover for 30 to 90 days before and after hospitalisation, but you must submit a hospital discharge summary and valid bills.
Maternity Coverage
In the past, policyholders had to pay a higher premium for maternity health insurance. But not anymore. Most insurers now provide coverage for things such as labour pain, C-section procedures, etc. Moreover, they even offer coverage for the newborn for three months; some may even pay for the baby's vaccines for the first year. All these really depend on the insurer, and not everyone may provide the same benefits. Do some research, and you may even find companies who double up the coverage amount for the second child as a thank-you gesture for choosing them for your first delivery.
At-home Medical Treatment Coverage
It may surprise many, but you can now buy health insurance covering domiciliary medical treatment or treatment provided at the insured person's home. This especially came into effect due to COVID-19 when there was a shortage of hospital beds, and people had to be home quarantined and treated. There aren't many insurers who give this benefit, but it's worth checking out. If opting for this, find out the number of days the insurer will provide coverage, as some offer it for a limited time while others are open to a maximum period.
Alternative Treatment Coverage
For the longest time, health insurance benefits were only available for allopathic treatments. However, in 2013, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) decreed that alternative therapies, such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy, also be included in plans. Thus, many companies now have the six Indian medical care systems called AYUSH in their plans. Even though not widely implemented, one can at least compare health insurance plans and pick one according to their preference. This is good news for believers of alternative medical philosophies.
Conclusion
The health insurance industry has seen an immense change over the years. As they vie for your attention to win your patronage, they offer some great features like never before. From maternity coverage, at-home treatment, alternative medical care systems, and pre and post-hospitalisation expenses, these policies are increasingly becoming customer-friendly and beneficial. However, you must check out all the policy wordings, no matter how helpful a plan seems to you.
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