Avail Free Health Check Ups with Your Health Insurance

Yes, free medical check-up is another significant benefit that health insurance companies offer to its policyholders. Regular check-ups help in early detection of any ailment or health condition making it important for individuals for good health.

However, a lot of people are unsure of the process of availing it, whereas others simply fear increased premium rates. 

To bust the myth, note that medical tests do not have any impact on the health insurance policy. The use of check-ups is only for underwriting if the policyholder wishes to increase the SI later during policy renewal. For the policyholder, regular health check-ups hold utmost importance and they should get it done at least once in a year for a healthy self and not just as a formality for the insurance company.      

Here is how the policyholder can avail the facility of free health check-up from their health insurers- 

How to apply for a free health check-up?

You must be thinking of the steps you need to follow in order to avail the facility of free health check-up. Well, it really simple. As explained above, you first need to contact your health insurance company through a call, e-mail, or by going to its office. Some health insurance companies also provide a form online. To be able to avail the benefit, you are required to fill that form.

Generally, your insurer will inform about the centres where free check-up is done. In case you wish to get a health check-up done in a laboratory of your own choice that doesn't come in company’s network, then you can ask it to arrange for a check-up and later claim for reimbursement from them.

Once the appointment is scheduled, you will receive the authorisation letter. You need to show that letter to the concerned person at the diagnostic centre and the health card. 

To avail faster service and carry the process smoothly, it is a wise option to get your tests done at network hospitals. For the health check-ups at empanelled hospitals or centres, the policyholders are not asked to pay anything. All the bills are settled directly by the insurance company with the agreed rates. But the process of reimbursement might be a little inconvenient.  

List of medical tests

The number of tests in health insurance varies with different health insurance plans. However, some common medical tests include-Lipid Profile, Blood Count (CBC), Urine Routine, Fasting Blood Sugar and Chest X-ray among others. Insurers such as Bajaj Allianz and ICICI Lombard also cover the routine medical examination of the policyholder. 

Also, understand that the sum insured and the amount of free health check-up are directly proportional to each other. Higher the sum insured, greater will be the amount of free health check-up.  

How are claim-free years relevant here?

Most of the health insurance plans state that the benefit of free medical test is available only after the block of claim-free years. Claim-free years could vary between 4-5 years. For example, in SBI General, a free medical check-up is allowed for every 4 claim-free years. Which means that the option of a free medical test can be availed only in the 5th year. Provided the last 4 years are claim-free.

On the other hand, there are health insurance companies like Religare that offers the policyholders with yearly health check-ups irrespective of the claim made by them in the last year.       

So, figure out the problems instead of making them bigger, with regular free health-check-ups. Get in touch with your health insurance company today and plan your free medical test as it does NOT increase the premium amount. Stay healthy, stay insured! 

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