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Worried that unexpected hospital bills may leave you stranded?
If you have not built up your health kitty and are looking to buy health insurance but don't know where to begin, don't fret. You can discover the features of health insurance policies available in the market from your home, as several providers have started offering assistance online.
Aggregator websites such as insurance.com, policybazaar.com, apnapaisa.com, eHealthInsurance.com, click2insure.in, policytiger.com, myinsuranceclub.com and many others help you compare the basics of various plans and required premium under each plan, helping you to zero down on the policy that best matches your needs.
Browsing these websites will let you take your own time and research policies well, without being pressured or misguided into a policy.
The services on these websites are freeto use, but some of them will require youto provide your mobile number and otherdetails, which are then shared with insurance companies. So in case you are using theseand giving away your mobile number, beprepared to get calls from insurers offering you their products.
These websites help you purchase health insurance both as an individual cover — where only one person is covered — and also a family floater plan, which lets you share the sum insured among family members.
Remember however, that in case of a family floater plan, many insurance companies do not allow the removal of any member during the policy tenure, except at the time of renewal of policy. Buying from an aggregator First, fill up the basic details along with the kind of cover needed. Choose an adequate coverage amount, depending upon your age, pre-existing diseases and ability to pay the premium.
Immediately, you will be shown various health insurance plans and the premium charged for the personal details that you have mentioned. This will show the premium range for similar health covers across all insurers. If you wish to know what is covered under the said plan, you can view the policy details by selecting "View Info/ Details."
The policy details will also mention ailments that are not covered, waiting period before coverage of certain diseases is offered and limits for room rent and ambulance charges as well as other exclusions. Look for these, as the limitations, if any, should fit in with your needs.
You can then compare the policies which interest you. Simply tick the boxes of the insurance provider and click on the 'Compare' command.
Once you select the policy you want to buy, you will be required to fill in your personal details needed for the issuance of the policy. These include things such as any kind of ailments in a given list that you are suffering from. It is best to include correct details here to avoid confusion during the claim stage when you least want complications. Based on the details you provide, will be told whether you will need to undergo any medical check-ups before obtaining a policy.
Usually, before taking the policy, a medical check-up is required only if the customer is above a certain age, which is different for different companies. In such cases, the company itself arranges for the check-up and will coordinate with you for the same. A policy will be issued only after medical tests are done. This process will take 3-4 days, depending on the situation.
"In ICICI Lombard Health Insurance, if the customer is below 55 years of age, there is no health check-up requirement and the policy is issued instantly by sending him a soft copy via e-mail and a hard copy which is sent via courier," said Kartik Jain, head of marketing & direct at ICICI Lombard General Insurance.
If you do not need to undergo a test, you can simply pay the premium online and get your policy.
Payment can be done either by either credit or debit card, net banking, or 'cash card' — a prepaid card available in different denominations which can be used for different types of payments.
Simultaneously, you will have to download the proposal form. After the payment is done, you'll have to physically fill the proposal form, which will then be collected by the insurance company's agents. Keep your identity, age and residence proofs ready along with the form for when the agent arrives.
Buying from the insurer
In case you do not wish to make a comparison between policies and want to directly make a purchase, you can also visit the website of the insurance company.
Premiums are the same whether you go to the company website or through the online aggregators, so it is best to compare policies online and then either buy through the same aggregator website, or through the website of the company you have decided to get insured with.
Some insurers help you buy a policy without having to deal with an agent. Insurance company websites also boast a number of calculators that could prove useful for prospective buyers. For instance, ICICI Lombard General Insurance has a provision that allows people can calculate their actual tax benefit based on details of their health insurance premium, such as the amount they are paying and the person who they are paying for. |
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