There was a time when Kerala became the second-highest state after Maharashtra that faced the rage of COVID-19-creating awareness among Keralites concerning the importance of adequate health insurance coverage. To help them choose the best health insurance in Kerala and make their health insurance purchase experience smooth and not overwhelming, here are some tips that can come in handy.
Through this article, we shall check various factors Keralites must consider while choosing a health insurance plan in Kerala and a few tips that can come in handy to make an informed decision.
Also See : Cashless health insurance
How to choose the best health insurance in Kerala
While choosing your health insurance plan in Kerala, the most crucial factor the Keralites must consider is “how much financial coverage does the health insurance e plans offer?” during medical emergencies.
The best health insurance in Kerala shall ensure that-
- You get convenient hospitalisation
- With complete expense coverage
- No compromisation on treatment
Therefore, to ensure all three points are ticked, one must understand how to choose the best health insurance in Kerala. The following pointers are something to keep in mind to make a well-informed decision:
A clear understanding of your health insurance needs
Make an understanding of different health insurance plans with clarity regarding your health insurance needs. With the help of this information, you can check whether an individual or a family floater policy is suitable and make the decision accordingly. Also, you can check fixed-benefit health insurance plans.
Check the history of a medical condition
If your family has a history of a specific medical condition, make sure you add that to your coverage.
Pre-plan waiting period
It is essential to consider pre-planning your waiting period and accordingly choose a plan that offers the least waiting period, especially when you wish to start a family soon.
Pros and cons of co-payments
It would be best if you weighed the advantages and disadvantages of co-payment as with every claim raised, you have to pay a share out of your pocket, which will reduce the premium amount, but you will have to bear the expenses when you make a claim.
Renewability clause
Consider having a lifetime renewability clause, as some policies offer renewal only up to 60-65 years. With lifetime renewability, you do not have to look for health insurance policies separately for senior citizens. A more extended policy will help you with renewal benefits and cumulative rewards.
Make sure the policy is in your budget
Another important thing is to check whether comprehensive coverage plan premiums are not over and above your budget. If you miss any coverage, you might risk being without coverage.
Large comprehensive network coverage
Also, go for an insurance company with comprehensive network coverage that will support you no matter where you are in the country; you are always close to the top-rated treatment experience that you and your family deserve.
Different types of health insurance plans in Kerala
As mentioned above, a clear understanding of the different types of health insurance plans will help you choose the suitable health insurance in Kerala. We will now check three crucial types of Kerala health insurance plans designed to meet the different requirements of different people. Let us look into them so that you can choose which is best for you and your family.
Individual health insurance plan
As the name suggests, this plan serves a single policyholder and covers their medical expenses based on the sum insured chosen and the premium paid. The benefits offered under this policy include the following –
- Coverage for hospitalisation expenses such as in-patient basis, pre-hospitalization and post-hospitalization basis, daycare expenses, and domestic hospitalisation expenses.
- These plans are best for those individuals with high-risk medical conditions as these plans usually do not come with the maximum age limitation for policy renewal, meaning the plan offers lifetime renewability benefits to the insured.
- Also, this policy allows the inclusion of parents/immediate family members on an individual sum-insured basis. Further, there are no restrictions on how many claims can be made during an individual health insurance policy term.
Family floaters health insurance plan
It is a comprehensive bundled plan for the whole family. The advantages of this plan are as follows-
- The plan offers coverage to the entire family on a floater sum insured basis, such as a legally wedded spouse, parents, brother, sister, dependent children, parents-in-law, and other relations varying from plan to plan, at affordable premiums.
- It is easily manageable as a single policy covers all.
- It is an affordable option as it is bundled, and if you want, you can add your parents, who are not senior citizens yet and keep it affordable compared to other options.
- When you buy a family floater, it is advised to take advantage of these policies, as there is less chance of making more than one claim, and the member making a claim can obtain more excellent coverage at a lower cost.
Senior health insurance plan
A senior citizen health insurance policy is a comprehensive health insurance plan in Kerala that specifically custom-fit to the requirements of the individual above sixty. As sixty and above age is very critical for health, insurance companies offer specific add-ons and specifications for such health insurance plans. Further, risk-taking capacity is higher for such individuals; therefore, the premium for such a policy will likely be higher. Few companies also offer health insurance on a co-pay basis. Therefore, if an individual is diagnosed with a specific condition, the insurance company will cover a percentage of the cost. At the same time, the insured has to account for the remaining.
Conclusion
When choosing the health insurance plan in Kerala, you must consider factors such as how much coverage you need, family medical history, waiting period consideration, co-payment clause and renewability inclusion, as well as network coverage of your insurance company. A complete understanding of different health plans in Kerala will give you more options to research, which will further help Keralites make an informed decision that meets their healthcare requirements within their budget.