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1 of 10
04-03-2015 AM 08:49
http://www.jagoinvestor.com/2015/02/buy-health-insurance-in-india...
Given the changes, I thought, its the time to edit the whole article written long back and update all the points. So
here you go.
Health Insurance products now have far fewer hidden bombs to surprise you now, For instance
All Health Insurance policies are now mandatorily issued for life-time.
Insurance companies cannot levy claim based loading once the policy is issued.
Insurers need to give a clear 3 months advance notification to existing customers before increasing
premiums or terms in a policy.
Whats more, thanks to the competition brought in by specialized health insurance companies, there have been
many interesting features added to the otherwise standard mediclaim products.
So now I am putting up 13 points every investor should read before they buy health insurance. These 13 points can
act as the guide for someone who wishes to either buy a new health cover or wants to upgrade their health
insurance cover. These points are not tips as such, but various dimensions revolving around the health insurance
buying decision-making.
2 of 10
04-03-2015 AM 08:49
http://www.jagoinvestor.com/2015/02/buy-health-insurance-in-india...
Point #2 Assess who do you want to cover and their health status
It is important to finalize the list of people you want to cover. Also, take an account their current health status. Make
sure you cover most of your family members for whom you are responsible for. At times, people buy health
insurance for self, spouse and kids and ignore parents.
If all are young and healthy, no hospitalization history, no chronic ailment detected, you are going to be spoilt
for choice!
If you have members who are above 50 and/or have a medical history/condition then you should be prepared
for some pain (more on this later) which will most probably include having certain time bound exclusions in
your policy. Or you might have to pay higher premiums.
3 of 10
04-03-2015 AM 08:49
http://www.jagoinvestor.com/2015/02/buy-health-insurance-in-india...
control on accidents, or some diseases which can still happen even though you have a good lifestyle.
If you dont have the choice, and are getting a great deal with a family floater policies then go for a very high cover
(in the range of 25-30 Lakhs). More on this in the next point for discussion.
4 of 10
04-03-2015 AM 08:49
http://www.jagoinvestor.com/2015/02/buy-health-insurance-in-india...
The biggest mistake one makes when buying Health Insurance, is when one factors todays costs and decides the
insurance coverage, whereas in reality, you are likely to make claims around 25 years from now
Hospitalization costs today would be ranging from Rs. 50000 to Rs. 3 Lakhs. Assuming you are 30 today, at an
modest average healthcare inflation of 7.5% for the next 20 years, single hospitalization bills will range (hold your
breath!) at around Rs. 13 Lakhs when you are 50 years old.
Whats more, if you live even a mildly unhealthy lifestyle(as discussed earlier), you may have to bump the cover by
another 25%, as you are at much higher risk, unless you take things in control and improve your lifestyle
immediately. Think in terms of the long run, you may not need this policy right away, but in the future, you will most
definitely benefit from having a higher cover.
OK, dont sweat; we have smart ways on how to get a Rs. 16 Lakhs within your budget. Read on.
5 of 10
04-03-2015 AM 08:49
http://www.jagoinvestor.com/2015/02/buy-health-insurance-in-india...
I hope you are now clear on the implications of the room chosen at the time of hospitalization.
Also factor in the inflation
One day rent for a Private room averages to around Rs. 4000 per day, today. At an inflation of 7.5% for next 20
years, the room rent would be in the range of Rs. 20000 per day.
6 of 10
04-03-2015 AM 08:49
http://www.jagoinvestor.com/2015/02/buy-health-insurance-in-india...
Now, if you have a policy with room rent capping of Rs. 5000, and you opt for a private room with rent of Rs. 20000
per day. Insurance company is liable to pay you only 25% of all the costs claimed by you, in spite of your claim
being within the sum insured limit.
Given a choice, your preference of health insurance should be in the following order:
Policies with Private Room eligibility.
Policies with No Room Rent capping.
Policies with Room Rent capping.
You must be surprised as to why have I suggested Private room eligibility policies above policies without room rent
capping. The reason is simple, in my opinion; policies with no room rent capping have larger chances of being
abused. Insurers could bear higher losses due to no control over the extravagance of a few customers. In the long
run, it would be consumers who will pay for such extravagance of a few, through higher premiums or revision in the
terms of the product, so that the Insurer can contain the overall losses.
As mentioned earlier, the above priority is to be kept in mind, in case you have a choice. In case you dont (due to
health conditions, age etc.) it is important to not give up and hedge your risks to the extent possible, by opting for a
sum insured with the highest room rent limit. This way you will be able to contain some part of this autodepreciating cover!
Check with the products you have shortlisted. Also check for words like limits, co-pay or deductible in the
policy. These are set deductions in claims. Ensure you have understood, and compared what these mean, before
your decision to purchase is made.
7 of 10
04-03-2015 AM 08:49
http://www.jagoinvestor.com/2015/02/buy-health-insurance-in-india...
While a good network of hospitals is something you should definitely look at, but it should not be your primary
parameter to judge a health insurance company.
8 of 10
04-03-2015 AM 08:49
http://www.jagoinvestor.com/2015/02/buy-health-insurance-in-india...
9 of 10
04-03-2015 AM 08:49
http://www.jagoinvestor.com/2015/02/buy-health-insurance-in-india...
10 of 10
04-03-2015 AM 08:49