Factors To Check Other Than Premium When Buying Health Insurance

There are different types of health insurance plans in the market which can be bought according to the requirements of the individual. Some of the commonly bought health insurance policies are individual health insurance plans, family floater plans, critical illness plans, maternity benefit plans, etc. You must analyze your needs before planning to invest in a health insurance policy as it helps you determine the inclusions in your policy. Included features of a policy are important and some of them are hospitalization costs, ambulance charges, room rents, tax deductions, etc.

There are certain factors which must be considered while buying a health insurance policy to make sure that the purchased policy is comprehensive and affordable for you. One of these essential factors is premium costs, which is decided according to your financial budget. However, there are other factors apart from the premium rate that are worth considering while buying a health insurance plan for yourself and your family.

Important Factors To Consider While Buying Health Insurance Policy

Let us look at some of the most crucial factors to consider, at the time of purchasing a health insurance policy:

1. Pre-Existing Ailments

When selecting a health insurance plan, you must carefully note if the policy is covering your medical history or treatment of pre-existing illnesses. If the health insurance provider denies to cover your pre-existing disease then, the cost of its treatment will be looked after by you. Therefore, you must buy a plan which helps you with the treatment of your pre-existing disorder.

2. Medical History of The Family

You can buy a health insurance policy for both yourself and your family, either under different individual covers or under a single family floater plan. But, you must make sure that the treatment of the pre-existing illness of your family member must be included in your policy, else its cost will be borne by you in case of hospitalization. In case your family member is suffering from a critical disease, it is better to get a separate plan for that person to get maximum coverage.

3. Network Hospitals

Policyholders can get cashless claim benefits at the network hospitals of the insurance company under which they do not have to pay any amount for the medical dues from their pocket. Under cashless claims, the claims are cleared by the insurer directly to the hospital, without involving the customer, thus making the whole claim settlement process quick, smooth, and hassle-free.

4. Maternity Benefits

The cost of treatments and pregnancy deliveries are increasing rapidly due to the rise in inflation and therefore, it is necessary to have a maternity benefits plan to cover the cost of delivery in case of pregnancy. You must check its sub-limits, outpatient expenses, and exclusions to avoid any inconvenience at the time of claim settlement process.

5. Lifetime Renewability

These days the health insurance policies come with lifetime renewability of services. Under this service, a policyholder can renew its policy with the same set of benefits at ease.

6. Free Health Checkups

You must buy a health insurance cover which offers you free medical checkup as there are additional costs of checkups at the hospital. Having such a cover can save your money and help you keep a track of your health at regular intervals.

7. Claiming Process

The health insurance provider you choose to buy your policy from must have a good track of claiming the health insurance policies as claim settlement is one of the essential parts of having a health insurance policy. You can check the claim settlement ratio of a company before investing your money in their plans. You must be thorough with the claim settlement process of the company and the necessary documents required to be ready at the time of a medical emergency.

Conclusion

After having considered the above-mentioned factors along with the premium rates, you can make a wise choice of selecting a suitable health insurance plan for yourself and your family. You must read the fine print of your policy to understand the inclusions and exclusions of the policy, that will help you with the claim settlement process.

Also Read: Factors To Consider While Buying The Best Cashless Insurance Policies In India

A Guide For Paying Health Insurance Premiums In Instalments

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