Health insurance is a contract between an individual and an insurance provider, where the insurer agrees to cover the healthcare costs of the said individual. In exchange for receiving this coverage, the individual is required to pay a certain sum of money, known as the premium, to the insurer at regular intervals. By providing financial coverage for medical costs, it can effectively reduce the financial impact of such expenses, which can be quite steep.
Check out the best health insurance options available on Bajaj Markets from different insurance companies like Bajaj Health Insurance, Aditya Birla Health Insurance, and Care Health Insurance:
Plans Available |
Hospitalisation Cover |
Starting Rate of Premiums |
Check Plans |
Bajaj Allianz Health Guard Gold |
₹3 Lakhs to ₹50 Lakhs |
₹4,171 |
|
Bajaj Allianz Extra Care |
₹3 Lakhs to ₹50 Lakhs |
₹2,194 |
|
Aditya Birla Activ Assure Diamond Plan |
₹3 Lakhs to ₹50 Lakhs |
₹3,887 |
|
Care Health Insurance Plan |
₹4 Lakhs to ₹50 Lakhs |
₹5,277 |
From protecting your income for the benefit of family members to having a risk-cover to meet hospitalisation charges and treatment costs, the importance of Medical insurance has risen more than ever.
One of the significant benefits of a health insurance plan is the financial coverage you get for specific illnesses, disability, critical disease cover, day-care procedures, transportation expenses and complementary health check-ups, to name a few.
Health insurance plans not only cover you during medical emergencies but also offer a pay-out option that will financially secure you and your loved ones in times of crisis.
Pre-existing illnesses are underlying, asymptomatic illnesses that remain dormant for a long time without manifesting themselves but can be lethal in the later stages if not diagnosed on time. Your health insurance policy can offer coverage against these kinds of ailments, too, by providing you with a preliminary medical check-up.
Health insurance policies nowadays come with a lifetime renewability feature that enables you to extend your plan well after retirement at an affordable cost, thereby promising lifetime protection to you and your family members for any sort of health emergency.
Health insurance policyholders can receive tax benefits under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961, where up to ₹25,000 can be deducted from your taxable income for that financial year, as per the old tax regime.
Chronic ailments such as diabetes, kidney and heart disorders are common nowadays, and a health insurance plan will secure you financially against the various hospitalisation expenses, treatment costs and medicare for such ailments.
Take a look at some of the other features that you can avail of with health insurance policies:
Routine check-ups: When you are comparing health insurance plans from different providers in India, try to go for the one that not only offers free health check-ups at regular intervals but also covers your vaccination costs.
Day care procedure charges: The best health insurance in India will be able to cover your day care procedures as well i.e., medical emergencies and treatment which do not require overnight hospitalisation.
Ambulance charges: It is extremely important, especially in the jam-packed streets of India, to get timely and safe transportation to the hospitals during an emergency. As this can be quite an expensive affair, it is ideal to look for the best health insurance in India that will cover your ambulance charges and guarantee you safe transportation as well.
Understanding the types of health insurance plans and their features will help you make the right choice when buying a health plan for yourself:
Medical emergencies may strike and catch you off-guard anytime. This is why it becomes critical for you to secure yourself with an Individual Medical Insurance plan. This plan is designed to offer adequate coverage for medical treatment, to deal with such emergencies or unforeseen risks. With benefits like cashless treatments, pre and post hospitalisation expense coverage, cover of day care treatments and more, the individual health insurance plan is a great choice.
When it is about our loved ones, we always want to go for the best treatment, especially when it comes to securing their health. While you can definitely go for individual Medical insurance plans for each of the family members, family health insurance seems a better choice.
With a family health insurance plan, a defined sum insured coverage amount is split among the family members for treatment costs. Being a single plan that offers coverage for the entire family, you need to pay a single premium amount, making it a cost-effective choice.
Senior citizen health insurance plans are specifically desired for people above the age of 60 years. You can buy the policy for your parents or in-laws. It usually covers a wide range of critical illnesses, pre- and post-hospitalisation treatment, in-patient costs, daycare procedures, and more. Besides, if you have a senior citizen health insurance plan for your parents, you can claim tax deductions under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
In case you have already purchased a Medical insurance plan with lower coverage but wish to increase the coverage limit in the future, the most cost-efficient way to do it is by getting a health insurance top up plan. Top-up health insurance is a very valuable add-on that can help you extend your total coverage amount by a large margin while you only pay a small portion of the original cost of the health plan.
Offering group health insurance is one of the perks that employers offer their employees these days. Just like any other Medical insurance policy, the group health insurance plans offer coverage for medical treatment costs and more.
Pre & Post Hospitalisation |
Coverage for treatment costs incurred during pre & post-hospitalisation procedures so you need not worry about your hospital bills. |
Day-Care Procedures |
Expenses incurred for day care treatment and procedures that require short-term hospitalisation are also covered. |
Organ Donor Expenses |
Expensive organ donation procedure treatments are taken care of by health insurance plans. |
Daily Hospital Cash |
The daily hospital cash benefit takes off the burden of the sudden hospitalisation expenses, so you need not face the last-minute hassle of arranging additional cash. |
Road Ambulance Cover |
Avoid an unexpected ambulance bill while you go to or return from a hospital in times of an emergency with ambulance cover. |
Pre-Existing Illnesses |
Pre-existing diseases without the completion of the waiting period (which is typically 2-4 years) are not covered under the policy. However, check with your insurer for the same before raising any claim requests. |
Injuries Due to Exceptional Scenarios |
Treatment cost for injuries caused due to war-like scenarios, nuclear activity, suicide attempts, and terrorism is not covered. |
Dental Procedures |
Dental procedures unless arising due to an accidental injury are not covered. |
Medical Conditions Caused Due to Drinking or Substance Abuse |
Medical emergencies arising due to consumption of intoxicants and/or addictive substances like drugs, alcohol, etc. are not covered. |
Injuries in Dangerous Activities |
Injuries when participating in naval, military or air force operations or dangerous sports like racing and driving are not covered. |
Here are some of the advantages that come with comparing health insurance plans online:
Convenience: It is convenient to compare insurance plans from multiple providers online, without having to visit the branch or wait for an appointment with the company.
Comparing plans: You can get quotes from different insurance companies and easily compare their offerings and other details online.
Time saving: You will end up saving your time and efforts because everything will be available at the click of a button. Moreover, comparing policies online is easier as you can see information, cross verify, and draw conclusions at the same time.
24X7 available: Unlike insurance branches and support centres, you can access health insurance plans of different providers online and compare them at your convenience, whenever and for however long you need.
Calculating the insurance premiums you will have to pay for any plan is really easy with the help of a health insurance premium calculator. All you need to do is enter relevant information like your age, gender, weight, location, amount of coverage needed and other necessary data. The premium calculator uses your data to provide an accurate estimate of the amount you will need to pay in the form of health insurance premiums.
A number of factors are involved in determining the eligibility of an applicant for a health insurance plan. From the applicants age to the dependents in their family and from mention of pre-existing illness or diseases to need for medical check-up, here is the eligibility criteria as proposed by leading insurance providers:
Eligibility Criteria |
Details |
Age of the applicant |
Adults must be between the age of 18 to 65 years |
Waiting period for pre-existing diseases |
2 to 4 years |
Pre-medical examination or screening |
Usually above the age of 45, 55 or 60 years |
A large number of services have moved online over the past few years. Now, you have the option of buying or renewing your medical insurance while sitting in the comfort of your home:
Step 1: Head on to the Right Corner and Click on Check Plans button.
Step 2: Provide the necessary details about whom you wish to insure, along with your personal information.
Step 3: Pick from the list of available Medical insurance plans. You can also enhance your coverage by selecting the add-on covers.
Step 4: Upload the necessary documents and make your health insurance premium payment online.
Step 5: And that’s it! Your policy will be emailed to you shortly.
An ideal health insurance policy should secure you and your family members against multiple medical problems and have add-on riders that can customise the insurance to suit your needs. Riders are a way for the policyholder to get additional coverage and avail of other benefits alongside their core insurance plan. For a minimal additional cost, most riders offer extensive coverage and help you customise your health insurance at ease.
Here are the top-most insurance riders that should be a part of your comprehensive policy:
If any accidental injury leads to disability or death of the insured, then this rider offers compensation from the insurer. The entire sum insured is paid to the policyholder in case of permanent or total disability, however, only a part of it is paid in case of partial disability. This rider also offers additional death benefit to the family of the insured and hence, it’s also referred to as the double indemnity rider.
This rider provides the policyholder with a lump sum benefit amount if they are diagnosed for the first time with a critical illness like cancer, heart attack, etc., during the policy tenure. The lump sum benefit amount is irrespective of the actual expenses incurred by the policyholder in the treatment. This rider covers about 10-40 different critical illnesses and there is a waiting period of 90 days and survival period of 30 days, which could be different for every policyholder.
By purchasing this rider, you can get an extensive cover for all maternity-related expenses like pre- and post-natal expenses, childbirth expenses, etc. Some insurance providers also offer to cover hospital expenses of the newborn baby until the policy tenure is over. However, there could be a waiting period of 2 to 6 years with this rider so it would be wise to read the fine print of your policy before adding this rider.
The rent for your hospital room will be covered under your insurance plan if you opt for this rider. Moreover, you get to select the room and there is no cap on the rent cover that this rider offers. Hence, you can easily opt for a premium room and get the best care while your insurance provider covers your hospital room rent.
This is an ideal rider for policyholders who need to be cash fluid during a medical emergency. With this rider, your insurer will provide you a fixed daily cash allowance that can be used to cover hospital bills, incidental expenses etc. If you are admitted to the ICU then this rider provides twice the coverage amount for a certain number of days. If you are hospitalised for a minimum of 24 hours then this rider is activated and you can claim a daily allowance as per your policy terms.
To address the need for protection and safeguarding citizens and their families from the dangerous effects of the COVID pandemic, health insurance providers in India have come up with coronavirus-specific insurance policies. In order to keep the COVID-19 plans standardised throughout the country, there are 2 main plans offered by the top-most insurers in accordance with the guidelines set by the IRDAI:
This is a more benefit-driven plan that offers a lump sum payment for the hospital expenditure incurred by the policyholder (minimum 72 hours). This lump sum is provided if the concerned person is diagnosed with coronavirus within the insurance policy term. You can buy this cover for a minimum of 3.5 months all the way up a tenure of 9.5 months.
This is a health insurance plan based on indemnity, wherein the insurance provider covers the home treatment, hospital treatment and AYUSH treatment expenditure for COVID-19. Additionally, the policy also covers the costs for PPE kits, oxygen cylinders, ventilators, gloves, masks and other related essentials. Hence, this is a more wholesome of the two policies.
Understanding the claim settlement process is also important before you buy the best health insurance policy for you. Knowing your plan’s claim details is critical so that you can make the most of your medical coverage. Here’s how to file both cashless health insurance claims and reimbursement claims:
Step 1: Visit your provider’s network hospital. Submit policy details and take the pre-authorisation form.
Step 2: The insurer verifies the form, and the hospital is notified about the details of the policy.
Step 3: Once discharged, the hospital will send the bill along with discharge papers to the insurer.
Step 4: The claims are then directly settled with the hospital after reducing the co-payment (if any).
Step 1: Submit all original medical documents, hospital bills, and the insurance claim form to the insurer.
Step 2: The insurer evaluates the details and may ask for any additional information if required.
Step 3: Upon receiving all the documents, your claim decision is made.
Step 4: You will receive the claim amount based on the policy terms and conditions.
You will need to submit the following documents to the insurer in order to make a health insurance claim:
Duly filled claim form
Medical Certificate
Original copy of hospital discharge summary or card
Prescription and cash invoices from pharmacies and the hospital
Investigation report by the doctor
FIR or Medico Legal Certificate (MLC), in case of an accident
With the Bajaj MARKETS app, you can now apply or renew health insurance from the comfort of your house. It is an effortless process. Follow the below steps to get started:
Step 1: Enter the personal details of the individual
Step 2: Get a quote from the representative about the various options available
Step 3: Choose a plan that suits your requirement and budget. Enhance the coverage by selecting add-on covers
Step 4:Upload the necessary documents and pay the health insurance premium online
That’s all. The policy will be emailed shortly after you make the payment.
*Health Insurance premium cost calculated for male individual aged 18 years
One way you can increase your health insurance coverage is by buying a health insurance top-up plan.
Yes, you can buy Bajaj Health insurance plans and health insurance from other companies online.
If you are looking for the best cashless mediclaim family policies on Bajaj Markets, check out the plans offered by: Bajaj Allianz Health Insurance, Care Health Insurance, and Aditya Birla Health Insurance.
A health insurance policy protects the policyholder against the financial costs of medical treatments and hospitalisations. You can buy medical insurance online at Bajaj Markets or from other reputed insurance companies and aggregators.
The best medical insurance plans come in many types:
Individual health insurance
Group health insurance
Top-up health insurance
Senior Citizens' health insurance
You can compare the best medical insurance online on the basis of important factors such as the price, the amount of coverage offered, inclusions and exclusions, reviews, the reputation of the insurer, etc, and then decide the best health insurance for you.
The government has several state and national government healthcare schemes that you can apply for, such as:
Ayushman Bharat Scheme
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana
Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana
Employee State Insurance Scheme
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana
Yes, of course. Not just you, but your family too needs the best health insurance in India. Medical expenses are increasing significantly, and it is hence sensible to invest in a health insurance plan, irrespective of your age
Your health insurance premiums mainly depend upon the following factors:
The type of cover chosen
Amount insured selected
Amount limit (if selected)
Your health insurance plans will cover the pre and post-hospitalisation expenses. These expenses include:
In-hospital expenses, hospital room rent and boarding expense
Cashless treatment in-network hospitals across India
Charges for medical examination
Physician fees and doctor’s consultation fees
Charges for the ambulance
A pre-existing disease is any ailment or health condition for which you have been diagnosed or received medical advice/treatment before buying your first health insurance plan with the insurer. These could be anything ranging from blood pressure to diabetes to cancer to any other disease/ailment.
The waiting period in a medical insurance plan refers to the duration after which you can make a claim on your health insurance plan for a pre-existing medical condition or disease.
A health card is a kind of identity card that comes along with your health insurance plan. This card will enable you to avail cashless hospitalisation facility at any of the network hospitals.
It is best to finish the health insurance renewal online process before its expiry date. In the best medical insurance plans, insurers usually offer a grace period of 30 days (after the expiry date of the plan), within which you can renew the plan without having to apply afresh. However, it is suggested that you pay your renewal premium while your plan is still in force so that you can enjoy uninterrupted coverage.
In the event of your policy getting rejected, you can avail premium reimbursements within the next seven working days. However, your medical check-up expenses will not get reimbursed.
When the claim is filed and settled, the coverage amount will be reduced by the amount that has been paid to you (claim). Your medical insurance plan will continue to be in existence with the remaining coverage amount.
Yes, there are tax benefits under the Income Tax Act, 1961. Every taxpayer can avail an annual deduction of up to ₹50,000 from their taxable income for health insurance premiums paid for self and dependent family members.
The right amount of health insurance coverage depends upon several factors like the type of hospital you prefer, your current age and health conditions, your affordability, etc. It is advised to have health insurance cover of at least 50% of your annual income.
Our partners have tie-ups with over 6,500 network hospitals across India and the details of those hospitals are available in the download section.
Read more:
> Network hospitals for Bajaj Allianz Health Insurance
> Network hospitals for Aditya Birla Health Insurance
> Network hospitals for Care Health Insurance
Daycare medical treatments are those medical procedures (surgeries or treatments) that can be completed in less than 24 hours. In such cases, even though you are hospitalised, you do not need to stay in the hospital for more than 24 hours.
Pre and post hospitalisation medical expenses cover refers to the feature when the insured is covered against relevant medical expenses incurred for a certain number of days, both before and after the event of hospitalisation.
The best health insurance in India does cover the cost of diagnostics tests such as MRI, X-Ray and more, if the patient is admitted for more than 24 hours for a disease that is covered under the insurance policy. However, it is a good idea to check the policy details before buying.
Maternity cover is provided under the best health insurance in India. However, if you are already pregnant at the time of buying the medical insurance plan, it will be considered a pre-existing condition and will not be covered.
Yes, you can add a family member to your medical insurance plan as long as you have a family insurance plan or a plan where you have the option to add dependents. You cannot add a family member to your plan if you have an individual health insurance policy.
A mediclaim policy provides financial coverage only for hospitalisation, accident-related coverage and coverage for pre-determined diseases. On the other hand, health insurance is a much more comprehensive policy that also covers expenses such as pre and post hospitalisation charges, room rent, ambulance expenses etc.
As a general rule, financial advisors recommend that you should get health insurance coverage equal to at least 50% of your annual income, or a minimum health cover of at least ₹5 lakhs.
Ideally, it is better to get the main health insurance policy with a coverage of ₹25 lakhs and then purchase a top-up coverage of 20-25 lakhs as the top-up coverage policy will be cheaper than buying a ₹50 lakh health insurance plan.
Yes, it is ideal for an insurance buyer to opt for a health insurance plan at an early age. The primary reason for this is that younger the policy buyers are, higher the chances that they are in good health and have lesser illnesses or need for medical attention. Hence, their yearly premium is also comparatively lower, and it is locked in for the entire policy tenure. That is why it is ideal to opt for health insurance at an early age to avail maximum benefits
Generally, it is not a mandatory procedure for all health insurance applicants to undergo a medical test. However, in India medical test reports are mostly required for insurance applicants above 45 years. This requirement is different for different insurance companies and varies from one insurance applicant to another.
When the in-patient treatment charges, hospital bills, etc., are directly paid by the insurance company of the policyholder, it is known as a cashless claim settlement. Insurance companies have tie-ups with top-notch hospitals in the country and a policyholder can select one of these network hospitals from the list provided by their insurer, to avail cashless hospitalisation treatment.
The first 15 days from when the health insurance policy commences are referred to as the free look period. As the name suggests, in this free look period the policyholder can review their health insurance details like features of the policy, coverage and other details. Policyholders are free to decide if they want to continue with their policy in this 15-day period. Moreover, no cancellation fee is charged if the policyholder decides to discontinue the policy within this period.
The maximum amount of cover that an insurance policy will offer to the policyholder during claim settlement is known as the sum insured value. Since this is the maximum amount an insurer will cover against hospital bills and medical expenses you incurred, it is also known as maximum coverage offered in your insurance policy.
Yes, an individual can have more than one health insurance policy in India. This means that you can be covered under a corporate health plan and still buy a separate health insurance, like a family floater policy. People who have individual health insurance plans can still opt for a top-up plan or separate insurance plan for their parents or family members.
Hinsurance policy like HIV AIDS treatment, venereal diseases, congenital disorders, etc. It is imealth insurance policies offer coverage for hospital bills, medical expenses and other related costs incurred by the policyholder during treatment. However, there are certain diseases and illnesses that are not covered by a health perative that you know about all the illnesses covered under your policy and the ones that are excluded from coverage.
Health insurance policies are customised for policyholders based on their age and current health condition or medical requirements. There is no actual calculation behind how much I should invest in health insurance. However, you can take your financial planning into account, current health risks, annual income, family’s medical needs, and opt for a cover that will suit all your healthcare needs best.
Nowadays, several health insurance policies offer coverage for robotic surgery and other modern treatment options as well. However, it is best to go through your policy terms and conditions and understand your coverage plan in detail before you make the final choice.
If a policyholder files no claims against their health insurance policy in a year, then a cumulative bonus is offered to the policyholder for the same. This is a monetary benefit provided by the insurer, also known as the No Claim Bonus, which can be in the form of a discount on your premium payment or enhancement of your sum assured.
During the free look period, which is 15 days from the date of policy commencement, no cancellation fee is charged even if you cancel your policy altogether. In such a scenario, the insurance company also offers a refund of the premium amount after adjusting a few underwriting costs.
The premiums charged for individuals who frequently or regularly smoke or are tobacco users is substantially higher. Smoking can be predisposing to various lifestyle diseases like hypertension, cancer, heart complications, respiratory issues, etc. Hence, insurance premiums are considerably higher for such individuals.
If the premiums of your health insurance policy aren’t paid on time or the policy isn’t renewed before the due date then your policy will expire. Under such circumstances, your insurance provider will no longer offer your coverage for medical expenses.
You can claim for a cashless treatment in any of the partner hospitals that are a part of your insurance provider’s network. However, if you have opted for a non-network hospital then you can foot the hospital bills, medical expenses, etc., and then file for a reimbursement with your provider.
The number of claims that can be raised in the same year depends on your health insurance plan and the customisations you have chosen. Most insurance plans allow policyholders to make one or two claim requests in their policy tenure. However, there is no defined limit so it would be ideal to approach your insurance provider and understand this clause in detail.
If you have missed out on renewing your health insurance policy even during your grace period then your policy will lapse. Additionally, your insurance provider may also require you to undergo a medical test, pay a higher premium than before, etc., for renewing your policy thereafter.
No, you will only be able to port your health insurance plan before your