Health Insurance

To protect your phone from bumps and damages, you use a screen-guard. But when it rains, the screen-guard alone cannot help you protect your phone. You need a plastic baggie to keep the phone dry and safe from water. In the same way, a health insurance plan is the screen-guard and the additional plastic baggie used when it rains is the health insurance top-up plan.

National Doctors Day is around the corner, to be celebrated on July 1. Wishing to acknowledge doctors’ efforts in India’s journey towards becoming a superpower, we have listed, as healthcare recipients, the least that we can do for our doctors as responsible citizens.

Mahesh’s body gave many clues over the years. At first, there was a lack of washroom visits even though he was drinking more than enough water. This was followed by swelling in the legs and unexplained fatigue over the next 2 – 3 years. Then came high BP and weight loss. This was when his wife forced him to visit the doctor.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has transformed the Indian Insurance industry by making it consumer-centric. Decisions that have led to life insurance policy-buyers getting great tax benefits for unit-linked insurance plans (ULIPs), vehicle insurance for new purchases made compulsory for 3 and 5 years (for 4-wheelers and 2-wheelers respectively) almost eliminating the possibility of vehicles running on roads without insurance policies, and many more strong, consumer-centric decisions have made the regulator a respected body.

Have you been offered Corporate or Group Health Insurance as a benefit along with your salary increment or while joining a new company? This may sound like a good deal to you, for your health is covered and in some cases the health of any two members of the family is also covered. However, the question you need to ask yourself is:

Globally, billions take up New Year resolutions. Most of these resolutions are health related, like losing 10 kg, going to the gym daily from now on, or having a healthy and low-calorie dinner every day. Yet, only 5% people who take up health-related resolutions for the New Year ever achieve their goals. Do you want to be in this elite 5% group?

The “don’t-worry-about-expenses-just-make-me-healthy-again” attitude that people typically have when visiting hospitals results into them getting into unnecessary procedures. As the reader may already be aware, several large hospitals are accused and found guilty of carrying out unnecessary procedures and surgeries. With fearful patients and their families leaving no stone unturned to produce the money required to carry out these unnecessary surgeries, such incidents are only going to increase.

Follow these health insurance best practices from the OneInsure Research Desk if you or a loved one owns a health plan. Don’t forget to send this link/message to a friend – it may save their life one day.