Choose an insurance company that has a human touch and is there for you at your time of need
There are many info notes on why taking a health insurance policy is important for you and your family. We see disease patterns fast changing with newer diseases attacking us and old medical conditions getting more severe. We all know medical care is expensive and not having an adequate health insurance cover can deplete your savings considerably. Sure premiums, additional top-ups, cashless facility is what we look for, but we also need to check on simpler finer and practical aspects of health insurance offerings. Make your health insurance policy work magically for you – ensure it is easy to choose, buy and use.
Easy to choose
This is the most important step, choose carefully and you will not have any regrets during claim settlement if any. While choosing a health insurance product, ensure you visit the company website and see their offerings. Spend time to understand what is on offer and look for videos and charts to have a quick understanding of the benefits and covers. There are a few important aspects that you should look into. First, make sure the policy you choose comes without any sub-limit and deductibles. This is important and goes a long way to make sure you get the best treatment without any constraint when you need it the most. Another part is the free look in the period. This gives the liberty to take a refund in case you discover any limitation in your health policy. One should always look for maximum flexibility and minimum complexity.
Secondly, make sure the policy you choose is future ready both in terms of the quality as well as quantity of cover. It is important to see that the health policy you choose is ready to accept treatment that is new and has better results. Many times these new treatments like robotic surgery, etc are more expensive and hence don't get covered. You should make sure to look for them while choosing a policy. Another part of being future ready is the quantity of cover. Many come with renewal benefits and few come with an upfront bonus. You should always look for a cover that comes with an additional sum insured amount either at the start or at the renewal of the policy. This keeps you adequately covered.
Thirdly, an important aspect is to choose the right sum insured. One should opt for the maximum sum insured level that one can afford. Under-insurance is a bigger menace. Lastly, look for the added benefits that are very helpful at the time of needs such as pre- and post-hospitalisation tenure, ambulance benefits, etc. Pre- and post-hospitalisation benefits are important as we end up spending a lot before a procedure and while recuperating. This added benefit covers both.
Easy to buy
With the digital revolution around us, insurance buying should also be revolutionised. An end-to-end paperless digital process where all aspects are integrated is more desirable as the buying process. This is not only faster but also transparent for the customers. This is advisable as the chance of carrying an understanding gap remains minimal. Secondly, when you need the policy or the policy documents, it should always be a click away. There is no need for the physical restoration of the documents.
Easy to use
This is the moment of truth. Firstly, it is advisable to see the number of cashless providers an insurer of choice offers. Secondly, one should look at the network of cashless facilities around the place you are likely to stay, as the probability of using one of the providers around where you are likely to stay is higher.
One should also understand the claims process and decide if the insurer always stays a call or a click away. A dedicated call centre team empowered to make decisions is always better than the ones driven by BOT or a chat window. Choose an insurance company that has a human touch and is there for you at your time of need.
The writer is ED & CEO, Reliance Health Insurance
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