With more than 1,50,000 cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country as per Worldometer, the disease is certainly a major concern, especially because India is such a densely populated nation.
To make sure that you are well protected against Coronavirus, you must religiously follow the safety instructions provided by the Government of India. You should also buy a Coronavirus health insurance policy to ensure financial cover for the treatment in case you are unable to safeguard yourself from the virus.
How the insurance policy can help
Not all insurance providers in India offer cover for COVID-19 within their insurance plans.
With the disease declared as a pandemic, policyholders are understandably worried about costly treatment and high hospitalization expenses. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has recently issued a circular requesting insurers that offer health insurance for Coronavirus to promptly handle the claims of COVID-19-infected policyholders.
A few good Indian insurers have promised to provide the COVID-19 cover within their existing health insurance policies. You should contact your insurer to determine whether it offers a COVID-19 health insurance policy and to know about the cover.
Some important inclusions are:
- Pre-hospitalization cost
- Hospitalization cost
- Post-hospitalization cost
- Critical illness hospitalization cost
- ICU room cost
- Home hospitalization cost
- Organ donor cost
Health plans with these inclusions are ideal for COVID-19 insurance.
Exceptions/exclusions
COVID-19 mediclaim may not include all the costs associated with treating the disease. Below is a list of the most common exclusions.
- Home quarantine
If you are in home quarantine, the cost of treatment during that period will not be covered by the policy.
- Non-recognized centers
If you need to be quarantined, it has to be at a center recognized by your insurer. Otherwise, the expenses will not be covered.
- Pre-existing illness
Pre-existing illnesses will not be covered by the policy. To claim the benefit, you have to wait until the waiting period has elapsed.
- Self-hospitalization
The policy will only cover hospitalization expenses if hospitalization has been prescribed by a registered doctor. Self-hospitalization is not covered.
While health insurance plans for family will cover you and your loved ones, individual policies are perfect for single individuals.
Also, you must ensure that your insurer has tie-ups with reputed hospitals to help you file a cashless health insurance claim in case a medical emergency arises.
Now that you have a fair understanding of the inclusions and exclusions of a COVID-19 health insurance plan, you must keep them in mind to avoid any unpleasant and costly surprises in the future.
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