Health insurance for Parents: Claim & Reimbursement Process

Life is a wonderful gift and turning 60 is a great milestone in one’s life. But with growing age, vulnerability to health risks increases and also with time the cost of medical treatments takes an upward trend. And to be financially strong at this age for many people it's difficult. Thus, it is always wise to have a health insurance plan for your parents to keep them in good health.
But only owning a health insurance plan is not enough, you should also know how to make a health insurance claim when required.

What is Health Insurance for Parents?

Health insurance for parents is medical insurance which is specially curated plans for parental care. Imagine your parents or senior citizens of the family getting unwell. We all want our loved ones to stay as healthy and fit as possible. However, it can be very expensive to take care of their health without medical insurance. That is why we need medical insurance for parents to take good care of their health without worrying about financial issues.

Types of Parent's Health Insurance Claims

A health insurance claim can be made in two ways:

i. Cashless claim
ii. Reimbursement claim

When you avail the required medical treatment at a network hospital i.e. a hospital that has a partnership for claims with the insurance provider, then the claim is settled in a cashless manner. Under such claims, you need not pay the hospital from your pocket as the bills are directly settled by the insurance provider with the network hospital.

However, when you visit a non-network hospital i.e. a hospital that is not a partner of your insurance provider, then you need to spend from your pocket. After completion of your parent's medical treatment, you need to submit the required documents and follow the shared instructions by your insurance provider for the claim. If your claim is accepted then you will be refunded all the charges and expenses of the hospital subject to the sum insured.

Steps To Make A Parent’s Cashless Health Insurance Claim

Following are the steps that are to be followed while making a cashless claim for a parent’s health insurance policy -

Step 1: Inform Your Insurance Provider
The first and foremost step is to inform your insurance company about the hospitalisation for your parents.

Step 2: Share Your Health Card Details With The Hospital
Share your insurance health card details with the hospital. Since you are visiting a network hospital, you need not submit any other document at this point besides your ID proof.

Step 3: Medical Treatment
Get the required medical treatment for your parents.

Step 4: Claim Settlement
At the time of discharge, your insurance provider will directly settle the hospital bills under your health insurance plan’s coverage and sum assured.

How To Make A Parent’s Reimbursement Health Insurance Claim?

Below are the steps that are to be followed while making a reimbursement claim for a parent’s health insurance policy -

Step 1: Intimate Your Insurance Provider

The first step is to inform your insurance provider about the hospitalisation requirement of your parent at a non-network hospital.

Step 2: Get the Medical Treatment

After the admission to the hospital, get the required treatment done.

Step 3: Pay All Medical Expenses

Since you have visited a non-network hospital, you need to pay all the expenses yourself to the hospital at the time of discharge.

Step 4: Submit Required Documents

To make a reimbursement request, submit all the required documents including the claim form, doctor’s prescription, medical bills, medical reports, pharmacy bills, discharge papers, etc to the insurance provider.

Step 5: Claim Settlement

Upon successful verification of the documents submitted by you, the insurer will reimburse the incurred medical expenses under your parent’s health insurance plan’s coverage and the sum insured. Generally, a reimbursement claim takes around 7-8 working days’ time to get settled.

Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and is meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.