'Pick a sum insured that realistically covers major hospitalisation costs in your city.'
When illness strikes, this cover cushions the fall -- guarding health, finances, and the family's fragile future
'Buy early and review the sum insured regularly.'
'Combining individual or family policies with corporate cover, along with top-ups and wellness programmes, can help maintain strong health protection throughout life.'
The Association of Healthcare Providers - India (AHPI), representing hospitals and healthcare institutions across the country, has advised its members in north India to stop providing cashless treatment facilities for policyholders of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company, with effect from September 1.
Maternity expenses can be high, with the costs covering everything from prenatal visits to the hospital delivery charges and post-natal care but choosing the right maternity cover can help overcome these issues, says Bhaskar Nerurkar
'Opt for a minimum cover of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh, especially in urban and metro areas.'
Maternity coverage is a specific feature in health insurance policies that covers the medical expenses associated with childbirth and complications associated, if any.
Some products offer terrorism cover as part of the base offering, while in others it is an optional cover.
It is similar to top-up health insurance plan, but provides for one or more claims cumulatively crossing the threshold limit.
A rider is a supplementary cover which can be purchased with the base policy by paying an additional premium.
Health insurance policy-holders will be able to avail a discount on the premium payable if there were no claims made in the previous year, according to the circular released by the regulator.
The average ticket size of retail health insurance in India has increased by nearly 48 per cent over 6 years due to elevated medical inflation and increased demand for higher coverage policies among policyholders. According to data by online insurance broker PolicyBazaar, the average ticket size of retail health insurance in India has increased to Rs 26,533 so far in FY24, up 48.22 per cent from Rs 17,900 in FY19.
General insurance companies are likely to see a surge in demand for health insurance in the coming months due to falling air quality in the country. The health insurance segment has registered a strong growth after the pandemic due to higher awareness. In the first half of financial year 2023-24, the segment grew by 24.4 per cent to Rs 54,713.52 crore from Rs 43,981.54 crore in H1FY23, driving growth of the non-life insurance industry.
Only a small percentage of passengers who traveled on the trains involved in the June 2, 2023 accident in Odisha had availed of travel accident insurance while booking their tickets online on the IRCTC portal.
2.75 million of the 3 million Covid-related health claims were settled.
After the second wave of the pandemic, general and health insurers have seen a fall in their outgo of Covid-related health claims. In the July-September quarter (Q2 of FY22), insurers settled a little over Rs 5,000 crore worth of Covid health claims. This is 35 per cent lower than the Rs 7,700 crore worth of claims they settled in Q1, sources said.
The non-life insurance industry has received over 1 million Covid-related claims in the first quarter of the current fiscal year (Q1FY22), higher than in the entire FY21, indicating the severity of the second wave of the pandemic. According to the General Insurance Council data, which is not publicly available, non-life insurers have received 1.22 million Covid-related claims so far in FY22 and have settled 944,573 of those worth Rs 9,178 crore. In comparison, they had received 986,366 Covid claims in FY21 and settled 849,034.
Given the fiercely competitive political environment, observers naturally associated an element of appeasement with the Shinde government's move, Shyam G Menon points out.
Although insurers feel loss ratios in the health segment may get impacted, and profitability will take a hit, capital erosion will not take place, at least for the large entities.
Irdai to allow 12 minor changes including expansion of critical illness and day care procedure lists, premium payment in instalments, change sum assured, etc.
General insurers in India have started campaigns highlighting the benefits of buying a student's travel insurance in India, as opposed to buying one offered by the university abroad, says Tinesh Bhasin.
Insurance experts said since it may be difficult to set a tariff or fixed rates for Covid-19 treatment, an indicative rate chart has been proposed.
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