How a Health Insurance Policy Benefits Women at Different Stages of Their Life?
These days, when everyone is speaking the terms like ‘FEMINISM’ and GENDER QUALITY, skipping the importance of health insurance for women is an insolence for women. We can’t deny that women give all their attention to fulfil family responsibilities and duties.
And the result is they can’t care for their own health.
Is this just because they tend to keep their family healthy?
Let me share,
Only 20% of women are covered by health insurance in India, says National Family Health Survey.
It’s time we should pull up our socks and take heed to women health care and hygiene.
Favorably, the scenario is changing. Women are getting educated and they are able to take care of themselves. They understand the importance of health insurance. Precisely speaking, they deserve adequate health cover.
To ensure total health care and complete protection, women should not lag behind in purchasing an individual health insurance plan.
Here is brief about health insurance and its benefits for women at different stages of their life.
Health Insurance Policy
A health insurance policy features to save women from an adverse financial crisis at the time of a medical emergency. It is a great option. It is almost not possible for women to bear that cost of treatment without the necessary support from an adequate health insurance cover. Sadly, the cost of medical treatments is soaring the sky-high.
Benefits of Health Insurance for Women
Health insurance is a very broad term. Designed to provide protection against medical uncertainties and the costs involved, it comes in various forms. In India, various health insurance products are available for women. However, the cover, benefits, premium rates, etc. vary from products to products.
Benefits of Women Specific Health Insurance Products
Health insurance companies are offering women-specific insurance products in the market today. Such products are designed to meet the needs of women and critical illnesses. Although not all insurance companies are offering women-specific products, but some offer policies with extra benefits like maternal benefits, newborn baby cover and child care.
Also, there are insurance policies catering to several age groups and life stages of ladies. Listed below are popular women-specific health insurance policies:
- Tata AIG Wellsurance Woman
- Bajaj Allianz Women Specific Critical Illness Insurance
- Care Health Insurance Joy
Although the benefits vary from policy to policy, few of the common ones are given below:
- Cashless treatment: Cashless hospitalisation is available at network hospitals.
- Pre and post-hospitalisation: Expenses incurred on pre and post-hospitalisation are covered.
- Health check-up: Many individual health insurance plans for women offer free health checkup, provided that the medical test is carried out at authorised centers.
- Maternity benefits: A few of the health insurance policies designed for women also cover maternity expenses (normal and Cesarean) at the time of hospitalisation.
- Pre and post-natal expenses: Some insurance products also cover pre-natal and post-natal expenses.
- Newborn babies: Newborn babies and vaccination expenses are also covered under certain women-specific health policies.
- Extended family: The extended family member (such as spouse in case of wedding) is also covered under the policy.
- Critical illness: Some individual health policies also come with critical illness benefits. Or you can buy an add-on cover to protect women from critical illnesses, including breast cancer, heart attack, kidney failure, cervical cancer, stroke, spondylitis, etc. In case of a critical illness, a lump sum amount is paid to the policyholder.
- Tax benefits: In addition to all, the proposer can also save tax under section 80D of the Income Tax Act.
Benefits for Single-married Women
Amid high medical costs, bearing the medical expenses for a single-married woman is an additional burden. So, a comprehensive health care product and a critical illness policy can be helpful as it provides the required financial backup for them.
Benefits For a Single Parent
Even if you’re a single parent, an individual health plan is a fruitful solution.
- The policy can cover your child along with you
- The coverage benefits can be cover for the charges for vaccination for the child
- Cover for parents under a single cover with your children
- Cover for hospitalisation costs in case of any critical illness
Benefits For a Newly Married Couple
An adequate health policy is also beneficial for newly wedded women. A newly wedded woman can choose such a policy and enjoy the maternity benefits when she starts family planning.
The policy can provide the couple with the maternity benefit with a waiting period (the waiting period can be range between 2 to 4 fours depending on the plan). Also, both wife and husband should be covered together.
For Women with a Joint Family
Some health insurance policies are specially designed to cover women living in a joint family. Such plans cover several members of the family under a single sum insured. The members can include:
- Self, spouse
- Non-dependent children
- Dependent (unmarried and up to the age of 25 years)
- Dependent or non-dependent parents
- Dependent siblings, son-in-law and daughter-in-law
- Dependent parents in law, grandparents and grandchildren
Benefits for Senior Women Citizen
Many health insurance companies also design insurance products for senior women citizens. Such policies provide women with the financial support at the time of hospitalisation or diagnosis of a critical illness. Pre and post-hospitalisation services such as ambulance services, ICU, medicines costs, nursing services and so on are also part of the coverage benefits.
Final Opinion
Individual health insurance for women is a must. However, when selecting a plan, make sure to choose a reputable insurance company with a good record of service and claim settlement. Don’t think a cheaper health plan is the best bet. Instead, buy a policy that caters to your requirements like coverage and sum insured.
Read the policy wordings and the prospectus. Have a look at the waiting period, co-payment, sub-limit, and so on under the policy. In a nutshell, make an informed decision before purchasing the policy.
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