OneInsure Blog
Post By Mariya Panwala
Your Last-minute Guide to Shopping for Health Insurance
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Health Insurance Tips, How much health insurance do you need
We all love shopping, don’t we? And not just that, browsing through online products when shopping for apparel or gadgets has become a gratifying activity these days. But, when it comes to shopping for insurance, it suddenly transforms into a monotonous activity. Of course, it’s totally understandable – who would want to read up and research on a subject like insurance?
Added to that is the sheer number of options available in the insurance industry. There are tens of companies, each of them offering dozens of insurance policies under various categories. Let’s take health insurance, for example. Health insurance is one of the in-demand insurance policies today. And there are so many health insurance plans available in the market right now that you may find it extremely confusing to decide which one you must go with. And let’s not forget that doing a bit of research before buying the final product is essential.
In such a scenario, just so our readers don’t give in to sponsored suggestions, here is OneInsure to help with factors that you must remember when you compare health insurance quotes online.
Your Requirements
You may buy the best health insurance plan in the market, but if it does not meet your requirements, then it is not worth investing in. For example, a married individual (who is looking to cover his entire family) buying the most sought-after individual health insurance plan does not make any sense. Let your priorities decide which plan is the best for you. Other things that you need to consider to evaluate your requirements are:
- How much coverage do you require?
- How much premium would you be able to pay?
- If you’re looking for a family floater, how many members are you planning to cover?
Riders
Riders provide you extra coverage. Let’s say you’ve bought a family floater health plan. Now, you can add a maternity cover to your basic health insurance policy if you and your spouse are planning to conceive in the next 2-3 years.
Likewise, if you do not want any capping on your room rent limit, then you can opt for the room rent waiver rider. Critical Illness and Personal Accident riders are other available options to choose from.
Waiting Periods
Health insurance plans come with waiting periods. Broadly, there are three types of waiting periods:
- Initial waiting period – After the purchase of the policy, you have to first serve the initial waiting period, which is usually 30 days. It is after this initial waiting period that your health insurance policy actually becomes effective to file claims on.
- Disease-specific waiting periods - Your health insurer will give you a list of specific diseases/illnesses which, if contracted, will not be covered under your health insurance plan until the waiting period (generally 2 years) has passed. Some of these illnesses include diabetes, high BP, hypertension, cataract, hernia, piles, and so on.
- Pre-existing diseases waiting period – If you suffer from a pre-existing ailment while signing up for a health insurance policy, then you will have to serve a waiting period. This is usually 1 to 4 years but depends on the pre-existing disease, the insurance product, and the insurer.
Before you purchase your policy, do check the waiting period clause under your policy. Note that the treatment of injuries that have occured as a result of accidents are exempt from all waiting periods and can be claimed right from Day 1.
Full Disclosure of Facts
An insurance policy is an agreement that you and your insurance company lawfully enter into. And legally, both parties are expected to make full disclosure of material facts. Under the health insurance policy, the insurer makes full disclosure in terms of what is covered under the policy and what its exclusions are. Similarly, the individual seeking a health insurance policy must also abide by the Doctrine of Utmost Faith. For instance, if the individual has a medical history or a pre-existing illness, the insurer must be notified about it. Such disclosure will prevent a potential claim rejection in the future.
Read Policy Documents
Before subscribing to a health insurance plan, you must carefully read the policy documents. Check all the exclusions, disclaimers, clauses, and so on. Also, don’t hesitate to ask as many queries as you may have.
Also Read: Ask Your Insurance Agents These Questions before You Buy Your Insurance Policy
Given the rising costs of healthcare, securing your health with a suitable health insurance policy is crucial to prevent a potential financial crunch during a hospital emergency. Besides, selecting the right policy is important.
If you need further assistance with selecting your health insurance plan, reach us at support@oneinsure.com or call 86559-86559. Our insurance experts team will be glad to assist you. Remember: we do not charge any consultation fee.
