Important Factors To Consider Before Buying Mediclaim Policy For Family
A mediclaim policy for family will provide you and your family members with qualitative healthcare when needed. It will also save you from the financial burden of out-of-pocket medical expenses. However, before buying a plan such as the Manipal Cigna health insurance plan for your family, there are certain factors that you need to consider seriously. This post reveals a few pointers to help you make the right choice when purchasing a family insurance plan in India.
Factors to consider before purchasing a mediclaim policy for family
Before you spend money buying a mediclaim policy for family, consider the following factors below:
#1. Ensure that the insured sum covers your family’s medical needs
First thing you need to consider seriously before buying any family health insurance policy is to ensure that the insured sum is capable of adequately meeting the healthcare needs of every family member. You also need to consider the current age of each member of your family, as well as if any member of your family has a pre-existing medical condition that your insurer needs to be aware of.
If you intend to include your elderly parents in your family health insurance plan, you may need to pay a higher insured sum as healthcare costs rise with age. Suppose your parents are 60 years or older. In that case, you may consider buying a senior citizen health insurance plan for them rather than including them in your family health insurance coverage.
#2. Always consider the premium sum
Every insurance policy is kept active by paying a premium sum, and your family health insurance plan is no different. You should pay close attention to the premium amount for your family insurance plan. The higher your insured sum, the more premium you will need to pay to keep your family insurance plan active.
Also, the premium you have to pay for a family floater plan increases depending on the age of the eldest member of your family. In addition, adding add-ons to your family health insurance plan will raise your premium to keep the policy active.
#3. Check out the network hospitals of the insurance company
Another thing you need to consider when buying a mediclaim policy for family is the number of health facilities and hospitals affiliated with the insurance company. An insurer with a wide range of network hospitals should be on your list for consideration as it increases your chances of receiving cashless hospitalization for you and your family members. Cashless treatment saves you loads of money, as you do not have to pay for medical expenses for you and your family members with personal funds.
#4. Ensure the insurance plan provides checkup, in-patient, and post-hospitalization coverage
It is not uncommon for insurance companies to only provide coverage for 24-hour hospitalization. However, many medical conditions may require the hospitalization of your family members for more than 24 hours.
Make sure your family insurance coverage caters to checkups, a more extensive period of in-patient hospitalization, and even post-hospitalization expenses. The more coverage you can get from a family health insurance policy, the better it is for you and your family members.
#5. Make sure emergency services are covered in your family insurance plan
Many people do not realize how expensive it is to pay for ambulance services. Therefore, you must ensure that your family insurance policy covers the cost of emergency services like ambulance charges. You should also find out if your insurer guarantees the reimbursement of expenses on air ambulance services.
#6. Consider the length of the waiting period for pre-existing medical conditions
A waiting clause for pre-existing medical conditions is normally included in the family health insurance plan by most insurers. This waiting period may affect between 2 to 5 years. Within this period, you or any member of your family with a pre-existing health condition will be unable to file a claim for any treatment directly linked to the ailment.
Before purchasing a family health insurance cover, always consider the waiting period and buy a plan with a short waiting period for pre-existing ailments.
#7. Check to know if there is coverage for complementary and alternative therapies
Many people depend on alternative therapies in India, such as; Homeopathy, Ayurveda, and so on. Suppose you are one of many people who benefits from alternative therapies. In that case, you can check to know if the insurance, such as Manipal Cigna health insurance family plan, covers in-patient expenses on alternative therapy treatment.
Conclusion
You should also consider checking an insurer’s claims settlement process. This is important because the last thing you need when purchasing a family health insurance plan is to get one with a cumbersome claims settlement protocol. Ideally, you want the procedure for settling claims to be simplistic, quick, and seamless.
One way you can know if an insurer has an excellent claims settlement procedure is to check their claim settlement ratio. It can be calculated by dividing the total number of claims the insurers have paid by the total number of claims that were filed. You should always stick with an insurance company with a high claims settlement percentage in addition to the other factors considered.