How does Health Insurance Work in India?

A Guide to Health Insurance Mechanisms in India

Quick admission and onset of medical treatment are a big factor in treating emergencies. For this, you need to seek such services in a nearby private hospital. Big queues in government hospitals are not an ideal situation. The only thing that worries us is the mounting medical expenses we have to bear when special medical care is taken.

This is where health insurance in India works like a charm. All you need is a suitable plan to cover your and your family’s medical expenses on time. Want to know about health insurance how it works?

For starters, you need a health insurance plan. Where can you get that? Search online about the top health insurance companies in India. You will get many names popping up on the screen. These names have gained a reputation over the years for their services.
Check for the criteria of the basic plans first to get a clear idea. This step helps you to identify your needs for medical coverage and family members to include. You will also come to know what benefits you can get when you use health insurance to cover medical expenses.

Second, you should know what medical expenses are. It is not only the charges related to hospitalisation, procedures, medicines, and doctor’s visits. It also includes ambulance fare, as well as pre- and post-hospitalisation medical care costs. So, your aim should be to find the best medical insurance that covers most of these expenses. You can also get cashless health insurance and cashless treatment at any hospital that is entitled to it.

Third, find the best policies of the top medical insurance companies in India. Once you have an idea of what plans you need, start finding the befitting plans. Make a list and compare them. Here, you will have to spend a few hours understanding what each plan is offering. Follow these tips.

Don’t forget to check each brand's hospital network.

Check the claim settlement ratio of each brand. A score above 90% is worth considering.

Check the waiting period of every plan. Remember, you can’t use a health insurance policy until its waiting period ends.

Check the capping period of the insurance plans. Some plans limit the usage of annual medical coverage offered. In fact, some flexible plans let you recharge the medical coverage and add some extra features in exchange for a fee.

Buy a health insurance plan and keep paying the assigned premium every year. Once the waiting period is over, you can use it for paying medical expenses.

During admitting a patient in a hospital, provide your health insurance details to the billing section. The executives will process the billing with insurance information. If you have cashless facilities, the treatment will begin without any requirement of advance cash deposit.

If your medical expense exceeds the coverage, you will have to pay cash.

This is how health insurance works in India. So, choose an insurance plan accordingly.