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Health Insurance

Post By Mohit Mishra

What Every Indian Should Know about COVID-19 and Health Insurance

As time has gone by, we in India have grown numb to COVID-19 numbers. There was a time in mid-September 2020 that India had close to 1,00,000 positive COVID-19 cases IN A SINGLE DAY! And yet, the panic we felt then was not as great as when the Ministry of Health announced early in February 2020 that COVID-19 had entered the country and a few cases had come out positive in Kerala.

However, you only need to pick up a paper or read a well-researched article online to see that no permanent cure for COVID-19 is available (according to medical experts, viruses cannot be cured, only prevented) and even the highly-awaited COVID-19 vaccine is several months away from being field-ready and many years away from reaching us.

So, what can we do, as common citizens, against this virus? Shall we simply carry on with our lives as usual and leave everything to chance? If you contract COVID-19, will your current finances be enough for the treatment?

Reality Check: In Aug 2020, Mr. Ghose, a resident of New Delhi who had been complaining about chest pains and swollen legs, was diagnosed with critically low haemoglobin levels and rushed for urgent blood transfusion (he did not have health insurance). After successful transfusion, he was discharged in less than 48 hours; however, his family was shocked at the bill they received from the hospital. In a bill for Rs 40,000, the COVID-19-related costs (PPE kits, care and hygiene, waste management) was close to Rs 15,000!

More Than Ever, Health Insurance Has Become Crucial for Indians

As you can see from this real-life incident above, even non-COVID-related hospitalization has been impacted by the pandemic and there is no escaping these expenses in case of medical issues. We don’t even need to mention the huge medical and day-to-day expenses if one contracts COVID-19 and has to undergo the 30+ days of constant medical supervision and recuperation.

There is a silver lining, though. Health insurance providers throughout the country are reporting a slow shift in citizens’ mindsets. Major health insurance players are reporting higher sales with lower marketing expenses; in short, many householders in India are now opting for health insurance without being pushed into it. This is due to the pandemic raising awareness around the significance of protective investments, especially when it comes to the preservation of life and health.

Acting fast in light of the pandemic spreading in India, the Insurance Regulatory body IRDAI has mandated health insurance companies to provide cover for COVID-related medical expenses. Some features of these plans include:

Hospitalisation expenses associated with PPE kits, oxygen, ventilators and consultation fees will be covered
Coverage for Home Care Expenses incurred when an insured takes treatment for being COVID-19 positive at home (typically up to 14 days)
Reimbursement for pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses (typically, 15 days before hospitalization and until 30 days after discharge)
Road Ambulance Cover, which is the reimbursement for expenses related to transferring the patient from home to hospital or hospital to home in an ambulance

The Role of OneInsure

OneInsure, being a diligent aggregator for health insurance plans, has quickly adopted to the need for a 100% digital process and we allow you to buy health insurance with a completely contact-less process, giving you the benefit of a robust digital process, convenient access, and hassle-free claim experience.

Don’t let complicated health insurance jargon confuse you. Simply call a OneInsure health insurance executive at 86559 86559 and they will take you through the process step by step in a simple manner.

We look forward to assisting you and your family in these challenging times.

Be Sure with OneInsure

M – 86559 86559 | E – support@oneinsure.com
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