12 Things You Must Know Before Buy Health Insurance

Health Insurance (popularly known as Mediclaim) offers protection in case of unexpected medical emergencies. In case of a sudden illness or accident, the health insurance policy takes care of the hospitalization, medical and other costs incurred. So this is important for us to know some important things before buy a health insurance. You can also read basic of health insurance, if you don’t know much about it.

 

  1. Buy a basic health insurance plan, which  is an indemnity policy that reimburses all the medical costs incurred during hospitalization.
  2. Buying a health  insurance policy for you family from the same insurer could entitle you to a discount of up to 10 per cent of your premium.
  3. A basic policy pushing up the sum insured by 5 per cent every year that you do not make a claim. if a claim is raised on your policy, the accrued bonus is reduced by 10 per cent till sum insured is reached.
  4. You could push up basic policy by adding defined benefit plans.
  5. The plans offered by life insurer come with death  cover. the premium you pay is tax deductible under section 80D up to Rs. 15,000 and under section 80C up to Rs. 1 Lakh.
  6. If you are relying on the medical benefits given by your employer, then during the period between two job, your  policy might suffer a break. Buy these defined benefit plan in order to keep yourself insured at all times, so that you  policy does no suffer a break in between.
  7. Buy floater plan to cover entire family
  8. Opt for a cashless plan, keep cashless mediclaim cards at hand
  9. Ask insurers for premium rates to find the cheapest policy
  10. Keep an eye on exclusions and inclusions in the policy
  11. Undergo medical tests, if required
  12. Buy health insurance even if you have one from your employer.

regards,

ratan

Replies (3)

Thanks Ratan,

 

The article is very informative and will help many people in understanding the intricacies and importance of a health insurance policy. I completely agree with you that everyone should buy a personal health insurance policy irrespective of the availability of the employer health insurance as it might prove useful during trying times since medical emergency can strike anyone, anytime. Also it would have been great if you shared your knowledge on claim settlement process by insurance company involving third party.

I had heard that claim settlement by insurance company involving third party is a very complex process and the insured is compelled to run from pillar to post in order to settle claims. Thus in order to avoid such a situation, I chose Max Bupa Health Insurance for my health insurance policy as claims are settled directly by them and involves no third party.

One point I'd add to the discussion is that buying health insurance isn't just about checking the premium or the sum insured. The real difference shows up at claim time, and that's where many people realize they never compared things like room rent limits, disease-specific waiting periods, co-payment clauses, restoration benefits, and the actual claim settlement experience.

I've also found that people often focus only on tax saving under Section 80D, but that's probably the least important reason to buy a policy. Choosing the right coverage for your family's health needs matters much more than saving a few thousand in tax.

If someone is comparing policies today, it also helps to look at independent comparison resources instead of relying only on insurer brochures or sales pitches. I came across https://BimaScore.com/?INT0091, which breaks down policy features and makes it easier to compare what you're actually getting. It's worth using alongside your own research before making a decision.

A little extra time spent comparing the fine print can save a lot of disappointment later when a claim actually arises.

One more point that deserves to be on this list is: don't buy a health insurance policy just because someone recommended a particular company or because the premium is the lowest.

Many people compare only the sum insured and price, but the fine print often makes the real difference. Things like waiting periods for pre-existing diseases, room rent limits, co-payment clauses, sub-limits on specific treatments, restoration benefits, and the claim settlement process can have a much bigger impact than saving a few thousand rupees on premium.

I also feel it's a good idea to review your policy every few years. Medical costs change, family responsibilities change, and the cover that looked sufficient five years ago may not be enough today.

For anyone trying to compare plans without getting overwhelmed by technical insurance terms, I found https://BimaScore.com/?INT0091 useful because it explains and compares policy features in plain language instead of just listing them. Even if you don't use that particular resource, spending some extra time understanding what is actually covered before buying can save a lot of disappointment at claim time.

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