Comprehensive health insurance policies are health plans that provide a wide range of coverage against healthcare emergencies. It covers preventative treatment, treatment for any injury, and illness. It includes physician visits, medical room emergencies, hospitalisation expenses, ambulance charges, lab reports, etc.
Comprehensive health insurance plans have an extensive range of coverage. Some common healthcare services these plans cover are -
• OPD treatment
• In-patient hospitalisation
• Organ transplant expenses
• Surgical interventions
• Emergency ambulance
• AYUSH treatment
• Pre and post-hospitalisation
• Emergency hospitalisation
• Accidental cover
• Vaccination
• Consumable expenses
• Treatment of critical illnesses
• Childbirth delivery
• Tax benefits
While buying a plan from a health insurance provider, it is advisable to compare their plans with the premium costs of other companies. Also, check their claim settlement ratio to know how likely you are to get your claim.
List of Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans in India
| Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans | Sum Insured (In INR) | Eligibility Criteria |
| Bajaj Alianz Health Care Supreme | 5- 50 lakh | Child - 03 months to 25 years Adult - 18 years onwards |
| Digit Health Care Plus Policy | 3 crore | Child - 91 days onward Adult - 18 years onwards |
| Aditya Birla Activ Assure Diamond Policy | 2 lakh-2 crore | Child - 91 days to 25 years Adult - 18 years onward |
| Bharti AXA Health AdvanEDGE Policy | 2 lakh-3 crore | Child - 91 days onwards Adult - 18 years to 65 years |
| Care Health Insurance Plan | 3-75 Lakh | Child - 91 days onwards Adult - 18 years onwards |
| Edelweiss Health Insurance | 1 lakh-1 crore | Child - 03 months to 26 years Adult - 18 years to 65 year |
| Future Generali Health Total | 3 lakh-1 crore | Child - 1 day to 25 years Adult - 18 years onwards |
| Kotak Mahindra Health Insurance | 2 lakh-1 crore | Child - 91 days to 25 years Adult - 18 years to 65 years |
Read more - 5 Main Reasons Why a Health Insurance Policy is Important
Benefits of Buying Comprehensive Health Insurance Policies
Comprehensive health insurance offers several benefits and protection compared to a disease-specific plan, wherein the range of diseases covered may be limited. That’s why one must get comprehensive health insurance to feel financially secure against numerous health hazards.
Below are the few benefits comprehensive health insurance plans provide:
1. Overall Protection
Life is unpredictable. You never know what might happen the next moment. These plans cover life-threatening critical illnesses such as cancers, kidney or heart diseases, unfortunate accidents, and all other kinds of health issues. Most plans cover AYUSH treatment, organ donor expenses, and domiciliary hospitalisation expenses.
2. Cashless Treatment
With a wide range of network hospitals available with the health insurance provider, you can get healthcare services without out-of-pocket cash as the insurer settles the claim directly with the hospital.
3. Coverage for Pre-existing Illnesses
Comprehensive health insurance plans also cover pre-existing diseases, which are illnesses you suffer from before buying a policy. However, such diseases are covered only after a waiting period. Generally, there is a waiting period of 2 to 4 consecutive years from the policy inception date. But if the disease is not at all covered under a particular comprehensive policy, it will not get covered even after the waiting period. So, check the list of diseases covered in the brochure.
4. Outpatient Treatment
Contrary to the basic plan, comprehensive health insurance policies will reimburse the cost of outpatient treatment or OPD expenses. This means hospitalisation is not required to file a claim. You can receive coverage for the fees of a doctor’s consultation.
5. Lifelong Renewability
Continuous payment of the plan enables you to enjoy the benefit of lifelong insurance, irrespective of your age or the number of claims made.
6. Preventative Care
These include annual complimentary health check-ups which help you monitor your health status and avoid undiagnosed medical conditions.
7. Add-on Covers
The comprehensive health insurance cover also comes with the option of add-ons. You can purchase them to expand your coverage. Some popular add-ons are maternity cover, critical illness cover, daily hospital cash, personal accident cover, critical illness cover, etc.
8. Benefit of Cumulative Bonus
Comprehensive health insurance plans also come with a cumulative bonus benefit. This means if you do not raise a claim for health insurance in the previous year, your total policy insured amount increases by a certain percentage without any additional cost.
What is the Difference Between Health Insurance and a Mediclaim Policy?
| Health Insurance | Mediclaim |
| It covers the costs before and after hospitalisation and treatment costs. | It pays only hospitalisation costs. |
| You can receive health insurance benefits even if you are not hospitalized including OPD and daycare treatment. | Hospitalisation is required to receive mediclaim benefits. |
| You can also add additional coverage to health insurance. Some prominent ones include critical illness, personal accidental, accidental disability, and more. | You cannot add add-on coverage with mediclaim. |
Comparing Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans
Before purchasing a health insurance plan, we strictly advise comparing plans of different policy providers. As there is no perfect plan, please compare and choose a plan that fits your needs.
Here are a few points to look for while comparing health insurance policies:
• Total sum insured
• Network hospitals
• Waiting period for pre-existing illnesses
• Sub-limit on certain coverages
• Room rent limit
• Available add-ons
• Long-term renewal policies
• Claim settlement ratio
• Online reviews
• Digital setup
Summing Up
Purchasing a comprehensive health insurance plan will likely be the best decision to ensure the health and financial security of yourself and your family. You’ll get the best treatment available and never have to worry about high hospital bills. Just don’t forget to compare the policies of different health insurance providers to find the best plan for you.
Read more - 9 Ways You Can Better Utilise Your Health Insurance
