With the rise in the cases of coronavirus in India, people are worried about whether their health insurance will cover them efficiently or not. You should know that your health plan will cover inpatient treatment for COVID-19. In this unprecedented time, if you are planning to buy a health insurance policy that will provide adequate coverage for coronavirus treatment, then you have to keep the below-mentioned things in mind:
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Benefits Provide By The Health Plan
As the days are passing by, the severity of COVID-19 infection is decreasing day by day. So, a person who is infected now, may not have a severe symptom, thus does not need inpatient treatment. All that person needs is a COVID-19 diagnostic test, some basic medication, and some rest. All of this is not covered under inpatient treatment. So, make sure when you buy health insurance policy check out that it covers OPD expenses.
You should also read the terms and conditions of the policy carefully as some insurers have exclusion for certain things for the pandemic disease. In case, you are suffering from pre-existing diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure, asthma, etc., you might need to go through the waiting period before you get the coverage for these diseases. Read on the official website of IRDAI to get information about how to claim COVID-19 treatment as it is similar for all the insurers.
Coverage
Now, we have come to the important part. You need to see what coverage your health plan is offering before buying it. It is not confirmed, but an estimated price for the treatment of a person suffering from this highly contagious disease is somewhere around 5 lakhs. But this is not enough, as the infected person must have come in contact with the family members. This increases the chances of them also attaining the disease. So, an appropriate coverage that you should be looking for at the time of buying a health plan should be around 10 lakhs.
Check For Co-Pay And Room Rent Limits
There is some amount of money that you have to pay from your pocket. This is called the co-pay. For instance, if you opt for a plan that has a 10% co-pay. Your medical expenses and hospitalization bill are 10 lakhs, then you have to pay 1 lakh from your pocket, and it can put a major strain on your bank balance. So, look for what percentage of co-pay, your insurer is offering.
Health insurance providers usually have a limit when it comes to the room rent. However, if you are suffering from COVID-19, you will be kept in an isolated ward, that costs more than a regular room. So, make sure you clear all your doubts before buying the plan. This will ensure that no problems will come at the time of a medical emergency.
Consumables
Consumables are items that are used only one time and then are thrown in the dustbin to reduce the spread of this highly contagious disease. Sanitizers, gloves, masks, etc. are consumables. Several insurance providers cover consumables and there are several that doesn’t. So, check thoroughly and then make your decision.
Stay Safe, Stay Home!
