3 Ways You Can Extend Your Health Insurance Cover
3 Ways You Can Extend Your Health Insurance Cover
3 Ways You Can Extend Your Health Insurance Cover
Bhanvi Arora
12 Jun, 2020 6 min
E
ven the best healthcare systems around the world have been overwhelmed by the Covid-19
pandemic. In India, news reports pouring in about inadequate hospital capacity, public and
private combined, are beginning to reach alarming proportions. The prevailing exorbitant cost
of treatment at private hospitals is sure to decimate the personal finances of even those with
reasonably good planning. This is the time to re-evaluate if your health cover offers adequate
protection against utterly unforeseen emergencies such as the Covid-19 pandemic. The desire to opt
for a lower health insurance cover to save on a few thousand rupees in premium might truly make you
appear penny wise and pound foolish in these times.
If you have a health cover and feel that the sum insured is not enough to cover possible medical
emergencies, you have three options to remedy the situation:
Suppose your top-up cover has a deductible of Rs 5 lakh and in a year you submit as claim two
separate hospital bills of Rs 4 lakh and Rs 1 lakh, then your top-up plan won’t be activated. In such a
case, super top-up comes into play. A super-top up has provisions for multiple claims.
It is best to buy a super top-up plan from your existing insurer as it is easier for hospitals to coordinate
with one insurer for a customer at any given time. There are many health insurance plans available in
the market which have a base plan and a top-up health cover. Super top-up plans also provide
coverage for both pre and post-hospitalization expenses, along with pre-existing diseases (with a
waiting period) and daycare procedures.
The premium paid for super top-up plans is also eligible for income tax deduction under section 80D.
Top-up or super top-up plans are also cheaper as compared to a comprehensive individual health
insurance policy. The higher the deductible, the lower will be the premium of your top-up or super top-
up plan and vice-versa.
3. PORTABILITY
Portability is when you switch your health insurance policy from one insurance provider to another.
While applying for portability, you can seek an increase in sum assured. However, this request for an
increase in sum assured is subject to acceptance by the insurer. The extent of the increase in sum
assured is decided by the underwriter depending upon the age and health of the customer. Your claim
record has the biggest impact on the insurer’s decision to give you an expanded cover. If the request
is made for a claim-free policy, the chances of approval are high. An individual should also carefully
check the benefits being offered by the new health insurance plan while porting a policy.
When you want to port your health insurance policy, you need to approach the new health insurer at
least 45 days before the expiry of your existing policy. You need to fill a proposal form for portability
and provide copies of the existing policy. On receipt of the request, the new insurer will approach the
existing insurer to know your medical and claims history. Once the new health insurer obtains all the
details, it has to take a decision on whether to accept porting within 15 days. If the insurer fails to do
so, it will have to perforce accept the application.
Written By
Bhanvi Arora
Bhanvi writes @ PBLife. She loves to sing, travel, play badminton, eat white chocolates and sweet corn.
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