Different add-on covers available for your health insurance policy

Posted on: Feb 19, 2019 | | Written by:

Different add-on covers available for your health insurance policy

Published on October 03, 2022. EST READ TIME: 3 minutes

Not thinking through is one of the most common mistakes that people make at the time of buying a health insurance policy. If you have purchased a laptop for an example, you will not purchase a new laptop for every new model launched in the market. You will buy added accessories to support it. This is how add on covers work in case of a health insurance policy. Instead of buying a new expensive policy, you can opt for certain additional riders which can enhance the benefits of your pre-existing health insurance plan. These add-ons can be selected as per individual preference and come at a much cheaper cost as compared to purchasing a new policy.

Need for Health Insurance Add-ons

Health insurance add-ons not only cover medical bills, but also provide a safety shield against a number of future unforeseen events. These are considerably less expensive than purchasing a separate health insurance policy.To be able to make the best use of these covers, you must understand their coverage benefits as well as their process. Also, do compare different health insurance plans with similar add-ons before you purchase an add-on cover.

Types of Add-on Covers in Health Insurance

Some of the most commonly available riders are:

1. Maternity Cover

This is ideally the most important cover in case you are planning to start a family. It should however be noted that the waiting period can be up to two or more years depending on the insurance plan and policy provider. The add-on covers for delivery expenses and post-natal care.

2. Critical Illness Cover

Critical illness insurance covers some life threatening diseases like heart diseases, tumors, kidney failure, cancer and some more similar diseases. Having the rider ensures that the insurer will pay assured lump sum amount at the time of detection of illness instead of waiting for the treatment to begin. This helps you plan your upcoming finances accordingly.

3. Room Rent Waiver

Health insurance policies have a limit on room rent in case of hospitalization. Any extra charges are to be borne by the insured. Having this rider assures you a higher room rent limit or a total waiver of the room rent limit. This rider is essentially useful for people living in metropolitan cities where the room rents of big hospitals are very high.

4. Hospital Cash

This rider helps you cover the day to day expenses during your hospital stay. The rider is applicable on the minimum stay of 24 hours in the hospital.

5. Top-up/Super Top-up Cover

This is one of the most common health insurance additional covers. It helps you enhance your sum insured over and above your actual limit. So, even if you get hospitalized multiple times in a year and your total sum is exhausted, the top up plan will cover for additional expenses.

Benefits of Buying Add-on Covers in Health Insurance

Here are some of the benefits of buying health insurance add-on covers:

• Customizing your policy as per your specific medical requirements.

• Lesser expense than buying another standalone health insurance policy to get the additional benefits that your existing health insurance policy does not provide for.

• Larger health insurance benefits and features covered at a lesser premium price,

• Tax benefits under Income Tax Act’s Section 80D.

Things to Consider When Buying Health Insurance Add-on Covers

• Coverage:

One of the most vitalfactors to consider while purchasing an add-on cover is coverage. To know the coverage benefits, you should carefully read the policy brochure.

• Waiting Period:

To avail the benefit of an add-on cover, you would need to complete a specific waiting period. Check the terms and conditions related to these waiting periods to avoid confusion at the time of claim settlement.

• Premium:

Calculate the extra premium that you will be required to pay for a particular add-on benefit to see if it is in your budget.

• Exclusions:

Even add-ons come with specific set of exclusions for which the cover will not be provided. You must keep yourself aware of these exclusions

Conclusion

With HDFC ERGO, you can choose multiple add-on covers depending on your budget and needs. However, it is vital that you go through all the terms and conditions in detail before you make the final decision.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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