A health insurance policy has become a necessity in today’s age when medical costs have become unaffordable. That is why insurance companies offer a range of health insurance policies which provide comprehensive coverage benefits for your health insurance needs. There are more than a hundred health insurance plans available in the market but you should choose the best health insurance plan for your coverage needs. Choosing the best health insurance policy would ensure that you do not miss out on the comprehensive coverage benefits which are offered by health insurance plans. Moreover, the best medical insurance plan would also have the best premium for the coverage that is offered. Besides the coverage and the premium, if you choose the best medical insurance policy, you would be able to avail easy cashless treatments at a wide network of hospitals and get your claims processed smoothly. Thus, for an all-round coverage, pocket-friendly premiums and smooth claim process, you should choose the best health insurance coverage.
Table of Contents
- What Is Health Insurance?
- Types of Health Insurance Plans
- How to choose the best health insurance plan?
- Cost and Coverage of Health Insurance in India
- List of best health insurance plans
- Details of the best health insurance plans
- Who Should Buy Health Insurance Plans?
- Factors affecting your health insurance premium
- Health insurance plan inclusions
- Health insurance plan exclusions
- Health insurance plan eligibility criteria
- How much coverage do I need?
- Benefits of having the best medical insurance
- Optional add-ons in health insurance
- Why do you need medical insurance?
- How to buy the best health insurance plans from Turtlemint?
- Conclusion
What Is Health Insurance?
Health insurance primarily refers to an official agreement between the insurance company and the insured (policyholder) that the insurer would offer financial coverage to the insured in case of any emergency hospitalization or medical expenses. This agreement is made through the insured purchasing and signing a health insurance policy. The document must be retained by the insured and renewed from time to time to continue availing the benefits of the policy. This blog details the best health insurance in India to buy in 2024.
Types of Health Insurance Plans
Different health insurance providers in India offer different types of health insurance plans to customers. Different plans also come with different benefits to the insured. Listed below are some of the most popular types of health insurance plans offered by different insurance companies in India:
- Fixed Benefit Health Insurance Plans: As the name suggests, these plans offer a one-time fixed monetary benefit to the insured and can be particularly helpful in case of critical illnesses. A lump sum coverage amount is paid by the insurer to the insured or their family in one go to cover the hefty expenses incurred on the prolonged treatment of the insured. Some of the critical illnesses covered under this plan include chronic kidney disease, cancer, and brain tumors.
- Indemnity Health Insurance Plans: This is one of the best health insurance policies in India since it provides coverage for the actual expenses incurred on the medical treatment of the insured. The insurance provider offers coverage for both cashless treatments and reimbursement demanded by the insured. The coverage is offered up to the limit of the sum insured chosen by the policyholder at the time of buying the plan. Indemnity health insurance plans are offered both as individual and floater plans.
- Top-Up Health Insurance Plans: These plans are an add-on benefit to the policyholder, offering additional coverage over and above the sum insured in the existing basic policy. Even after the sum insured by your base plan gets exhausted, top-up health insurance allows you to continue enjoying health insurance benefits. This plan is particularly helpful when the actual cover amount opted for proves insufficient to cover the medical requirements.
How to choose the best health insurance plan?
In order to choose the best health insurance plan, you should compare the available plans on some important parameters. These parameters are as follows –
- The coverage benefits offered
This is an important parameter of judging a health insurance plan. The more comprehensive the scope of coverage offered, the better would be the plan. When the coverage is comprehensive the plan would cover maximum medical expenses and reduce your out-of-pocket costs. So, an all-inclusive plan is always recommended. That being said, you should ensure that the coverage benefits are suitable for your needs so that you pay for exactly what you need. Do not opt for unnecessary coverage benefits which would drive up the premium. For example, if you already have kids and have planned your family, opting for a plan with maternity coverage would be unnecessary. You should, alternatively, look for other coverage benefits for comprehensive coverage. - The sum insured level
Look for the minimum and maximum sum insured offered by the policies. Health plans which allow higher coverage levels would be better since they would allow you to opt for an optimal sum insured for covering expected medical costs. - The premium rate
The premium of the policy should be affordable and competitive compared to other similar health
insurance plans. However, when comparing the premiums, also compare the coverage offered along with the premium charged to judge the premium rate. - The network of cashless hospitals
The best health insurance plan would be the one which has a wide network of hospitals for providing cashless treatments. This would help you easily locate a networked hospital in your area and avail convenient cashless claims. - Pre-existing waiting period
If you or any family member suffers from any pre-existing illness, you should opt for a plan which has low pre-existing waiting period so that such illnesses get covered at the earliest. - Coverage limits
Opt for health plans which have no room rent capping so that you can get treated in a single private AC room without worrying about the costs. Moreover, the best health insurance policy should also have minimal coverage restrictions and sub-limits on coverage benefits for a more holistic scope of coverage. - Add-on riders
Many health insurance plans allow optional riders which you can add to the coverage at an additional premium. These riders help in enhancing your coverage and are recommended. So, look for plans which have optional riders so that you can customize your policy as per your needs. - Premium discounts
The best health insurance plans would allow you attractive premium discounts which would help you bring down your premium costs. So, hunt for the best discounts available so that your premiums get affordable. - Value-added benefits
Modern-day health insurance plans also offer different types of value-added benefits in their coverage like free medical consultations, second opinion, wellness rewards, health check-ups, etc. The best health insurance coverage would be the one which has a range of value-added services which enhance your coverage and give you something extra.
Cost and Coverage of Health Insurance in India
Just as there are different health insurance plans offered by different providers, the cost of each plan and the coverage provided by it also differs, as explained below:
- Coverage under the plan: Pre- and post-hospitalization expenses, in-patient hospital expenses, day care treatments, personal accident cover, and critical illness coverage
- Cost of the plan: Factors affecting the cost of the health insurance plan include the plan type, the policyholder’s age, and the coverage that the plan provides
List of best health insurance plans in India
Considering all the above-mentioned factors, here is a list of the best health insurance plans available in the market that offer the best-in-class coverage benefits at the most reasonable premium rates. So, here’s a look –
| Name of the plan | Company Name | Entry age | Claim Settlement Ratio 2021-22 (Health Insurance Company) | Value-added services | Network Hospitals |
| ICICI Lombard Complete Health Insurance Plan | ICICI Lombard | 6 years onwards.Dependent children aged 3 months to 5 years can be covered under the floater policy | 99.7% | Free health check-ups, pre and post-hospitalization, AYUSH Treatment dietician and nutrition consultations, vaccination care, physiotherapy consultations, etc. | 7,500+ |
| Star Comprehensive Insurance Plan | Star Health Insurance | 3 months to 65 years | 90% | Health checkups, extra cover, maternity cover, OPD cover, complex medical procedures, mid-term inclusion, automatic restoration, etc. | 14,000+ |
| Care Health Care Insurance Plan | Care Health Insurance | 91 days onwards | 95.2% | Covid-19 treatment, in-patient hospitalization, advanced medical treatments, the medical second opinion, free health check-ups, etc. | 22,900+ |
| Aditya Birla Activ Health Platinum – Enhanced Insurance Plan | Aditya Birla Health Insurance | 91 days onwards | 94% | Up to 100% Health Returns, Modern Treatment Expenses, Mental Illness Hospitalization, second e-opinion, international emergency assistance, wellness coach, etc. | 10,500+ |
| Manipal Cigna ProHealth Protect Insurance Plan | Manipal Cigna Health Insurance | 91 days onwards | 96% | Hospital daily cash benefits, cumulative bonus booster, maternity expense, new bornbaby expense, Free health check-ups, etc. | 8,500+ |
| HDFC ERGO Health Optima Restore Individual Health Insurance Plan | HDFC ERGO Health Insurance | 91 days to 65 years | 98.49% | E-opinion in critical illness, Stay Active benefit, health check-ups, etc. | 12,000+ |
| Universal Sompo Complete Healthcare Insurance | Universal Sompo Health Insurance | 1 day to 70 years | 82.58% | In-patient hospitalisation, mother and childcare benefits, Wellness benefits, dial-a-doctor, health education library, second opinion, specialist consultations with follow-ups, etc. | 4,000+ |
| Royal Sundaram Lifeline | Royal Sundaram Health Insurance | 91 days onwards | 95% | Free health check-up, second medical opinion for critical illness, preventative healthcare and disease management wellness programs | 10,000+ |
| Reliance HealthGain Health Insurance Plan | Reliance Health Insurance | 91 days to 65 years | 98.6% | Pre and post hospitalisation expenses, tax benefit, maternity cover, wellness benefits, a guarantee of policy servicing, a guarantee of claim servicing, etc. | 9,100+ |
| Future Health Suraksha | Future Generali Health Insurance | 90 days to 70 years | 93% | In-patient treatment expenses, pre and post hospitalisation, cumulative bonus, hospital cash, free medical check-ups, no claim bonus, premium discounts, instalment premiums, etc. | 8,000+ |
| Niva Bupa Reassure 2.0 | Niva Bupa | 18 – 65 years | 90.1% | No room capping, full coverage provided regardless of the disease, full cost of treatment covered (up to the sum insured opted for), pre- and post-hospitalization expenses covered, day care treatments covered | 10,000+ |
| Bajaj Allianz Health Guard Gold | Bajaj Allianz | 18 – 65 years | 96.59% | 100% restoration of cover upon exhaustion of entire coverage, full treatment cost borne by insurer, coverage for single private room | 7,067+ |
| Acko Platinum Health Plan | Acko Health Insurance | 18 – 65 years | 96% | Online doctor consultations, annual health check-ups, diagnostic tests, surgeries, no deductions on claim amount, waiver of non-medical expenses | 29 |
| TATA AIG Medicare Premier | TATA AIG | 91 days – 65 years | 96.43% | No-claim bonus, shorter waiting period for pre-existing diseases, free annual health check-ups, full coverage for domiciliary hospitalization, coverage for alternative medicine treatments | 10,000+ |
| Cholamandalam Healthline Insurance Plan | Cholamandalam Health Insurance | 18 – 65 years | 87.5% | Free health check-ups every two years, cover for organ donor, emergency ambulance, child hospitalization | 10,000+ |
| Digit Health Insurance Plan | Digit Health Insurance | Children: 91 daysAdults: 18 years | 84.6% | Add-on sum insured, sum insured refill, wellness benefits provided, accidental hospitalization cover, dental treatments covered, second medical opinion covered | 7,281+ |
| IFFCO Tokio Individual Health Protector Plan | IFFCO Tokio | 18 – 65 years | 89.38% | Family health insurance plans, online health insurance available, wellness programs covered, individual health insurance offered, free health check-ups, AYUSH treatment coverage up to sum insured | 4,200+ |
| Kotak Mahindra Health Premier Plan | Kotak Mahindra | 18 – 65 years | 85.4% | In-patient treatment, coverage for liver conditions and nerve disorders, hospital daily cash, home nursing benefit, cover for air ambulance, critical illness coverage | 3,976+ |
| Liberty HealthPrime Connect Plan | Liberty General Insurance | 18 – 65 years | 90.5% | Ambulance cover, life support benefit, accidental hospitalization, hospital daily cash | 6,000+ |
| New India Assurance Mediclaim Policy | New India Assurance | 18 – 65 years | 97.7% | Cashless hospitalization, top-up mediclaim, individual and family health insurance plans, surgical treatments covered, coverage for modern treatments | 8,000+ |
Details of the best health insurance plans
Here’s a brief look into the above-mentioned best health insurance plans –
- ICICI Lombard Complete Health Insurance Plan: The best health insurance company in India, ICICI Lombard offers the Complete Health Insurance Plan that provides complete coverage for the whole family under one single plan in return for a one-time premium.
- Features and Benefits
- No medical tests needed up to 45 years
- Multiple sum insured option offered
- Free health check-ups at specific centers
- Coverage of up to Rs. 10 lakh
- No sub-limit option provided
- Exclusions
- Eye treatment and cost of glasses
- Cost of treatment during the first 30 days of the start of the plan
- Replacement of joints except during accident
- Alternative treatments
- Infertility tests
- Star Comprehensive Insurance Plan: Yet another of the best health insurance for families, Star Comprehensive lives up to its name, offering financial protection for even dental problems (subject to certain terms and conditions). Moreover, coverage for pre-existing diseases such as diabetes can also be sought only after 1 year of policy purchase on an additional premium.
- Features and Benefits
- Maternity benefits
- Single private room covered
- Full coverage regardless of the disease
- No co-payment required
- Pre- and post-hospitalization expenses covered
- Exclusions
- Cosmetic treatments
- HIV/AIDS
- Self-inflicted injury
- Infertilityt and IVF
- Mental illness
- Care Health Care Insurance Plan: Among the best health insurance plans in India is Care Insurance Plan designed for both individuals and their family members.
- Features and Benefits
- Cashless treatment
- Cashless claim approval within 2 hours
- Auto recharge of sum insured
- Annual health check-ups for all insured
- NCB discount offered
- Exclusions
- Suicidal attempts not covered
- Diseases diagnosed within 30 days of start of policy
- War and riot-triggered hospitalization
- Congenital disease treatment
- Treatment for drug overdose
- Aditya Birla Activ Health Platinum: Enhanced Insurance Plan: Offering some the unique features and benefits like recharge of sum insured, variety of choices for hospital rooms, and chronic management program, Aditya Birla Activ Health is the best medical insurance in India.
- Features and Benefits
- Annual health check-up
- Coverage for diagnostic tests, consiltation for lifestyle diseases, medicines, and the like, from day 1 of policy
- 100% sum insured restoration
- Individual and family floater plans available
- 100% premium earned as health returns
- Exclusions
- Diseases trasmitted sexually
- Purposeful self-harm
- Veneral diseases
- Maternity expenditure
- Intoxicant abuse
- Manipal Cigna ProHealth Protect Insurance Plan: This policy finds a mention among the best mediclaim policies in India, offering complete financial coverage against any medical emergency.
- Features and Benefits
- In-patient hospitalization
- Day care treatments
- Ambulance expenses
- Worldwide emergency cover
- Health maintenance benefits
- Exclusions
- Maternity/newborn expenses
- Expenses incurred due to war-inflicted injuries
- Expenses due to law infringement
- Expenses triggered by an attempt to suicide
- Hospitalization for investigative reasons
- HDFC ERGO Health Optima Restore Individual Health Insurance Plan: This is undoubtedly the best health policy offered by HDFC Ergo, offering comprehensive health insurance benefits to both individuals and families.
- Features and Benefits
- Lifelong renewal facility
- No-claim bonus
- Choice of hospital room as per patient’s preference
- Day care treatment coverage
- Full coverage for domiciliary hospitalization
- Exclusions
- Alternative treatments
- External congenital diseases
- Cosmetic treatments/plastic surgery
- Obesity treatments
- Drug/alcohol abuse treatment
- Universal Sompo Complete Healthcare Insurance: Offering the best individual health insurance as well as family protection benefits for your loved ones, Universal Sompo promises to take care of all your healthcare needs.
- Features and Benefits
- No medical check-up required up to 55 years of age
- Income tax exemptions permitted
- Plan restricted to nursing homes/hospitals in India only
- Sum insured up to Rs. 10,00,000
- Dependent children up t0 25 years of age covered under the plan
- Exclusions
- Alcohol/intoxicating substance abuse treatments not coverd
- OPD treatments and pre-existing diseases not covered
- Aesthetic or cosmetic treatments not covered
- Royal Sundaram Lifeline: Offered both as indivisual and family floater nealth insurance plans, Royal Sundaram Lifeline is a must buy for all. Anyone over 18 years of age can buy this policy to secure their future and that of their loved ones.
- Features and Benefits
- Coverage for organ donor expenditure
- No-claim discounts
- Vaccination for animal bite
- Coverage for AYUSH and other alternate treatments
- Emergency domestic evacuation cover
- Exclusions
- Claims made within the first 30 days of the start date of the policy
- Critical illnesses diagnosed or treated during the first 90 days of the policy start date
- Cataract, renal failure, hip replacement surgery, and the like, not covered for the first 2 years of policy start date
- Reliance HealthGain Health Insurance Plan: One of the renowned names in the Indian insurance sector, Reliance offers complete financial protection to its customers via this plan. It is a single plan offering multiple benefits to the insured, such as:
- Features and Benefits
- 5% additional discount for girl child or single women
- No-cost auto-extension of policy
- Cumulative bonus after each claim-free year
- Family floater benefit provided
- Income tax benefits
- Exclusions
- Injury due to war or invasion
- Diagnosis during first 30 days of start date of policy
- Alcohol abuse treatment
- Waiting period of 2 years for specific conditions
- Future Health Suraksha: A family floater health insurance plan by the Future Generali group, it is specifically designed to cover all types of medical emergencies. The company has a wide network of hospitals in the country.
- Features and Benefits
- Medical test for entry into the plan not required up to 45 years of age
- In-house cash settlement offered
- Cashless treatment at all network hospitals
- Ambulance charges up to a specific limit
- Hospital cash benefit
- Exclusions
- Alternative treatments
- AIDS/HIV related diseases
- Diagnosis 48 months before the start of policy coverage
- Congenital diseases
- Drug/alcohol abuse
- Niva Bupa Reassure 2.0: A policy designed keeping the end customer in mind, Niva Bupa Reassure 2.0 comes with a set of unique features, such as coverage for hypertension and diabetes from day 1 of coverage and the option to completely remove the waiting period for pre-existing-diseases.
- Features and Benefits
- Lock the clock – option to pay the premium as per the entry age under the plan
- Hospitalization for a minimum period of 2 hours covered
- No room rent capping
- Cashless treatments at all network hospitals
- Unlimited sum insured forever
- Exclusions
- Obesity treatments
- Adventure sports injuries
- Plastic surgery
- Artificial life maintenance
- Dental treatments
- Bajaj Allianz Health Guard Gold: One of the most affordable plans in the market, this offering by Bajaj Allianz is worth consideration, with a host of benefits at a good pocket-friendly price.
- Features and Benefits
- 10% family discount for up to 2 members allowed
- Co-payment facility with 20% discount
- Lifelong renewal facility
- Daily cash benefits
- Tax-saving feature
- Exclusions
- Pre-existing diseases not covered before 3 years
- Drug/alcohol overdose not covered
- Diseases diagnosed in the first 30 days of the policy start date
- Acko Platinum Health Plan: Offering all of the exclusive health insurance benefits under one single policy, Acko Health Insurance offers this custom plan to its customers for all thier fhealthcare needs.
- Features and Benefits
- Coverage up to Rs. 1 crore
- No room rent capping
- Affordable premium
- Daycare treatments covered
- AYUSH coverage provided
- Exclusions
- Adventure sports injuries
- Treatments for gender change
- Plastic surgeries or cosmetic treatments
- Obesity-related surgeries
- Injury caused due to unethical or illegal activities
- TATA AIG Medicare Premier: Offering a wide range of coverage benefits, including COVID cover and cashless hospitalization at 5,000+ network hospitals, TATA AIG Medicare Premier is one of the finest health insurance plans in India.
- Features and Benefits
- Pre- and post-hospitalization expenses
- Domiciliary hospitalization
- In-patient hospitalization
- Daycare treatments
- Organ donor expenses
- Exclusions
- Alcoholic pancreatitis
- Treatment for injuries caused with criminal intent
- Congenital external diseases
- Attempt to suicide
- Anomalies
- Cholamandalam Healthline Insurance Plan: Cholamandalam offers comprehensive health insurance policies to customers to meet their varied healthcare needs.
- Features and Benefits
- Add-on sum insured for road accidents
- Tax benefits provided
- No medical check-up required pre-policy purchase
- Quicker claim settlement
- Exclusions
- Diagnosis during waiting period
- Drug abuse
- Partial decline of renal function
- No cover for consumables during hospitalization
- Pre-existing diseases
- Digit Health Insurance Plan: Offering health insurance plans with simple claim processes that make buying health insurance attractive for customers, Digit Health Insurance is fast emerging as a known name in the industry.
- Features and Benefits
- Simplified claim-filing procedure
- Tax exemptions provided
- No room rent capping
- Wellness benefits provided
- Exclusions
- Pre-natal and post-natal expenses incurred
- Artificial life maintenance
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- IFFCO Tokio Individual Health Protector Plan: Focusing on the health of every individual in the country, IFFCO Tokio comes up with its Individual Health Protector Plan with a range of benefits, some of which include:
- Features and Benefits
- Restoration benefits up to claim amount
- Critical illness cover benefit up to Rs. 20 lacs
- Ambulance expenses covered
- Surgical procedures covered
- Lifelong renewal of all health insurance plans by the company
- Exclusions
- Diagnostic tests
- Vaccinations
- Dental treatment or surgery except due to accident injury
- Oral chemotherapy
- Purposeful self-harm
- Kotak Mahindra Health Premier Plan: One of the most reliable health insurance providers in the country, Kotak Mahindra offers its Health Premier Plan for complete individual and family healthcare benefits.
- Features and Benefits
- Restoration benefits
- Second e-opinion covered
- Tax exemption permitted
- Exclusions
- Unproven and unauthorized treatments
- Claims raised for diseases still within the waiting period
- Self-incited harm or injury
- Liberty HealthPrime Connect Plan: A comprehensive policy offering several hospitalization and medical cost benefits to the insured, Liberty HealthPrime Connect Plan is a good buy at an affordable price. The plan offers the following:
- Features and Benefits
- Cumulative bonus
- Coverage for animal bite vaccination
- Bariatric Surgery for obesity treatment
- Exclusions
- Dental treatments or surgeries
- AYUSH treatment or alternative lines of treatment (non-allopathic
- Artificial life maintenance
20. New India Assurance Mediclaim Policy: Yet another comprehensive plan for your entire family, New India Assurance Mediclaim Policy comes with the following key features:
- Features and Benefits
- Co-pay benefit up to 20%
- Room rent coverage for up to 1% of sum insured
- Daily hospital cash benefit in case of hospitalization for more than 24 hours
- Exclusions
- Benign ENT disorders
- Piles or fissures
- Varicose Veins
- Renal failure
- Skin disorders
Take your pick from any of these plans for availing the best health insurance coverage.
Who Should Buy Health Insurance Plans?
Although buying health insurance is ideal for everyone, regardless of age or gender, it is particularly necessary for the following categories of people:
- Those lying in the age range of 25 and 65 years
- Those who are interested in increasing their tax savings beyond the limit under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act
- Those who are concerned about their family’s overall well-being and wish to ensure that their loved ones are always financially secure in times of medical emergencies
- Those who are Indian residents (NRIs/foreign nationals of Indian origin cannot buy health insurance plans in India)
Factors affecting your health insurance premium
A health insurance plan is a protective shield that helps you cover your financial need that arises at times of emergency treatment or hospitalization. It provides you with a sense of support when there come times of medical requirements for you and your family. But before you make your choice for which medical insurance plan to purchase and the best health insurance company, you must have a 30-degree idea about the health insurance plans.
Every health insurance company conducts a thorough assessment before approving any insurance application. There are specific guidelines that are followed when it comes to deciding the insurance premium. These are:
- Previous medical history
The customers need to show their own health records, this ensures that there is no existing pre-medical condition. By any chance, if the customer has any pre-medical condition then it’s the company’s policy that decides if it could be covered or not. In case if the company doesn’t cover it then the policyholder will bear the full cost. - Medical history of the family
If the family of the customer has certain disorders then the premium for that policy will certainly be higher. This is because the insured person may also be prone to genetic diseases like blood sugar. - Occupation
The policyholder’s nature of work and the risk that he is associated with, affects the premium. For example, if a person works in a hazardous environment or works at a construction site, then the premium will be on the higher side. - Harmful habits
Insurance companies tend to increase the cost of premiums or even sometimes refuse to cover the customer who has a habit of smoking, chewing tobacco or drinking. This is because smokers are more prone to diseases. This will increase the rate of premium. - Body Mass Index (BMI)
The person having a high BMI will have to pay a higher premium than the normal ones. The reason behind this is they are more likely to have certain diseases. - Age
Generally insurance companies follow this trend of, the older the person, the higher the premium. The reason for this is that youngsters have fewer unidentified diseases than older people. A young person has fewer chances of having health issues and is less likely to visit any doctor. - Location
Your geographical location is a very essential factor in determining your premium rate. For some locations, the premium rate is high due to the lack of healthy food options and climate. A specific climate may pose more health risks than others. - Not insured yet?
If the client is getting insured for the first time, then the company may charge him a higher premium rate. This is because the newbies may have a more frequency of visiting a hospital.
Health insurance plan inclusions
In order to assess your requirements and expectations from your health insurance plan, it is essential that you understand what all are covered under the health insurance plan. However, coverage may differ from policy to policy and company to company:
- In-patient hospitalisation
The expenses that occurred in the case of hospitalization under 24 hours or more is covered. The expenses include room rent, ICU room rent, doctor’s fee, cost of medicine, oxygen and blood, etc. - Ambulance cost
The cost of taking the policyholder to the hospital by ambulance is covered to some extent. In such a coverage, you can avail the facility of an ambulance in case of an emergency or even in planned hospitalization. - Pre and post hospitalization
The medical cost before being hospitalised and after getting discharged is also covered. - Organ donor price
The cost of harvesting the organ from the donor’s body and the transplant surgery is all covered under the plan. - Domiciliary treatment
The cost of treatment at home, when there is no availability of beds in the hospital is covered. - AYUSH treatment
Non-allopathic treatments like Ayurveda, Unani, Homoeopathy are all covered under the plan. - Maternity coverage
Maternity coverage with newborn coverage is offered if opted for - Free health checkups
Most company allows health checkups to the insured after 1 or more claim-free years
Health insurance plan exclusions
Like every other insurance plan, health insurance plans have exclusions as well. Not every medical situation can be covered. Hence, it is important that you have an idea of what is not covered:
- Pre-existing medical conditions
Most health insurance companies may not cover the pre-exisiting medical conditions. For instance, if you already have blood sugar while getting insured, your medical expenses for blood sugar will not be paid by the company. - Initial Waiting Period
Some companies do not prefer to cover the illness that occurs within 30 to 90 days of buying the policy. - Drug abuse or alcohol
People suffering from medical conditions due to overdose of drugs or intake of alcohol might not get any medical coverage under the health insurance policies. - Dental ailments
The expenses incurred in getting dental treatment may not be covered in most health insurance plans. - Cosmetic treatments
Cosmetic surgeries are not covered in most health insurance plans. - AIDS/HIV
- Health issues due to war or riots
Health insurance plan eligibility criteria
Before you decide to purchase your preferred medical insurance policy, you must have an eye on the eligibility criteria and check if or not you are eligible. It includes:
- Minimum entry age
For a child the minimum entry age for any insurance plan ranges from 16 days to 18 years. And for adults, the entry age ranges from 18 years to 65 years. This can also extend up to the age of 70 depending on the plan and the insurer. - Previous medical history
If the customer is above the age of 45 then he/she might have to go under several medical tests before purchasing the health insurance. If the customer is not asked for any medical tests, then a declaration form has to be submitted by the customer disclosing his/her medical condition. These processes determine whether you are eligible for health insurance cover or not.
How much coverage do I need?
The medical requirements can differ from individual to individual. Not only this, but the location of your residence might also play an important role. In order to decide the amount of coverage you need, you must pen down your health requirements. Only then can you figure out which is the most beneficial plan for you. A family health plan can be useful if you have a family and you don’t yet have a family plan. If you are a bachelor, the individual insurance plan can be helpful. If by now, you don’t have coverage for your parents then a parents health plan can be meaningful.
In case you have an existing medical insurance plan, make sure the new one’s benefits do not collapse with the existing one or it might be of no use. Also, do not forget to check out the reputation and health claim ratio of the insurance company before making a purchase.
Benefits of having the best medical insurance
As the name suggests, the best medical insurance plan helps you to protect your savings from exhaustion during several health calamities. These plans provide various coverage to the policyholder by offering various healthcare expenses. The best plan for you can be the one that meets all your requirement and serves you the desired benefits. In general, these benefits are:
- Cashless Treatment
The companies offering cashless treatment facilities have tie-ups with the reputed hospitals of the country where the policyholder can get the required treatment without paying directly. Network hospitals settle the payment of treatment directly with the company without hassling the insured individual. You only have to pay for the expenses not covered under the policy terms. - Broad coverage
These health insurance plans offer the customer broad coverage by protecting the policyholder from various healthcare expenses like in-patient hospitalisation, pre and post hospitalisation, ambulance cost, domiciliary cost, daycare treatment, organ donor expenses. - Portability benefits
A lesser-known benefit of health plans is that it offers the flexibility to switch from one insurance plan to another in case the benefits provided are not satisfactory enough. It also saves the customer from being taken for granted by the insurer. - Financial security
A health insurance plan always helps in fighting the stress in case there is a medical emergency even if there is a rise in healthcare amount.
Optional add-ons in health insurance
Health insurance add-ons are benefits that are optional that a policyholder can choose while purchasing a health insurance policy, or while renewing the existing plan. For this, an extra premium has to be paid. Add-ons help you increase the effectiveness of the health insurance policy and add the additional benefit you find missing in your plan. It is essential to note that with one health insurance plan, one cannot purchase add-ons that exceed 30% of the actual premium amount. This means, if you buy a family health insurance plan that provides you coverage of INR 50,0000 in return for an INR 5000 premium, you can purchase add-ons that collectively do not exceed the limit of INR 1,500. Let’s see in detail the various optional add-ons that you can choose from.
Some add-on covers to consider while buying your health insurance plan are:
- Daily allowance
In this add-on, the company provides extra cover for additional expenses that a policyholder might encounter during the hospitalisation phase. The policyholder is eligible for a lump sum amount of money for a specific number of days per hospitalisation, for bills like transport cost, attendant cost and others. - OPD care
This add-on ensures that the policyholder can apply for reimbursement of expenses related to OPD consultation and medications. All these pile up to be a substantial amount which can affect a person’s budget. - Unlimited automatic recharge
This add-on provides the policyholder with the benefit of getting the policy amount restored unlimited times in a policy year. It automatically recharges the sum insured. The sum restored will be available for further medical security. By getting this add-on the policyholder can be worry-free. - Room Rent Waiver
As the name suggests, a room rent waiver add-on helps you to enhance the benefit of room rent. You may or may not get these benefits in a health insurance policy that you have depending on the insurance company you choose. With this add-on, you can cut down your hospital expenses. In case room rent is included in your health policy but is limited, this add-on will help it enhance either by making the extent unlimited or increasing the room rent benefit. - Maternity Cover
If you do not find maternity cover in your health insurance policy, this one might be of great help especially if you are expecting a child in future. It covers pre and postnatal maternity expenses and childbirth expenses as well. If you already have this benefit, the extent can be increased. - Hospital Cash Cover
The expenses on food, conveyance, etc. that occurs during hospitalisation are covered under this add-on. To avail of the benefit of this add-on, the insured individual must be hospitalised for not less than 24 hours. - Critical Illness Cover
Critical illness cover, as the name suggests, is beneficial in case the insured is diagnosed with any critical illness. Under this add-on, a lump-sum amount is provided to the insured person when she/ he is detected with any of the covered illnesses. - Personal Accident Cover
Accidents can result in heavy medical expenses, which is why this add-on is of great help. It covers the expenses incurred on treatment of injuries caused due to an accident of the insured individual. From partial to complete disability and death is covered. In case of death, the family of the insured member receives a lump-sum amount. - Zone Upgrade
Different cities have different medical costs. To deal with medical expenses despite this disparity, one may require a zone upgrade add-on. It covers you for the expenses based on the medical cost of the particular city and the zone. The zones are classified as:- Zone – Delhi/NCR and Mumbai (including Thane, Kalyan, and Navi Mumbai)
- Zone – Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Vadodara, Secunderabad and Surat
- Zone C- Cities not included in the above two zones
Why do you need medical insurance?
A Health crisis comes without notice and you have to be prepared well enough to deal with it. To fight back, you need to have a strong support pillar that you can find in a health insurance policy. A medical plan not only provides medical assistance in times of need but also provides you with several other benefits. Moreover, the mental support of having a financial backup gives you the freedom to get the best possible treatment. So, if you do not have a health insurance plan yet, you must purchase one for yourself and your family.
It can be said that health insurance is a must for every individual as no one shall experience a financial crisis at times of medical needs. You can purchase a plan depending on your needs. Do not forget to renew your plan on time to avail discounts and benefits. Before you purchase the plan, have a complete idea about the best health insurance company in the market and the various features they offer. It is also essential to analyze if or not you need specific health insurance benefits so that you do not miss out on the essentials in a rush to get the most of the benefits. Choose wisely and make the most out of your health insurance policy. Purchase one today!
How to buy the best health insurance plans from Turtlemint?
Turtlemint’s online platform allows you to compare and choose the best health insurance policy for yourself. Turtlemint is tied-up with all of the leading health insurance companies and offers their plans on its portal. You can simply visit Turtlemint, enter in your coverage details and find the top cheapest health insurance plans available. You can also compare the benefits and premiums of the plans and then choose one policy which offers the best coverage at the cheapest premiums. To buy the cheapest health insurance through Turtlemint, here are some simple steps which you need to follow –
- Visit Turtlemint’s website at https://www.turtlemint.com/health-insurance/ and choose ‘Buy New Policy’
- Proceed to enter your details like your gender, members to be insured, age of the insured members, whether any insured member suffers from any pre-existing illness or not and your PIN code
- In the next page you can pick out the list of preferred hospitals in your locality and Turtlemint would specifically look for plans containing such hospitals in their preferred provider network
- Provide your income level to be recommended the most suitable coverage level
- Leave your contact details so that Turtlemint’s executive can get in touch with you and help you find the cheapest health insurance plan
- When you proceed to the next page you would be shown a list of the best and cheapest health insurance plans with their respective benefits and features
- Compare the displayed plans and choose the most suitable plan
- Pay the premium online, complete the online application process and you would be able to buy the policy instantly online through Turtlemint
Turtlemint, therefore, provides you with a hassle-free approach to compare and buy the cheapest health insurance plan so that you are adequately covered without any financial strain of the premium.
Conclusion
Add-ons are meant to increase the benefits of an existing health insurance plan. In order to make the maximum out of an add-on, you need to analyze which add-ons you may need in future. For instance, if there is no planning of a child in future, purchasing a maternity add-on might be of no use. However, on the other hand, if you drive on a daily basis, personal accident cover might prove to be beneficial. Know your requirements and make the purchase accordingly.
Related Articles:
- Different Types of NCB in Health Insurance
- Types of Waiting Periods in Health Insurance
- Health Insurance Plans Covering Pre-existing Diseases from Day 1
FAQ’s
No, you are ideally required to wait for at least 30-90 days after buying a health insurance plan before making a claim. This is referred to as the waiting period.
You can make as many claims up to the permissible limit of the sum insured that you opted for under the plan.
Yes, you may, provided you are well aware of the terms and conditions of each plan to avoid any scope of confusion while raising a claim.
Some of the best health insurance plans in India highly popular among customers are:
- ICICI Lombard Complete Health Insurance Plan
- Star Comprehensive Insurance Plan
- Care Health Care Insurance Plan
