COVID-19 Specific Health Insurance Plans To Buy In 2021

In this ongoing second wave of the pandemic, it has come to the realization of many that life is very unpredictable and is full of uncertainties. You cannot predict when you might need a good sum of money for hospitalization expenses, which are increasing rapidly due to a steep rise in inflation in the healthcare sector. Due to lack of hospitalization and medical facilities, people have faced huge losses during the pandemic. However, if you have a health insurance cover, which guarantees you medical compensation in case of an emergency, then you can ensure quality treatment for yourself as well as your loved ones in difficult times. 

To help the individuals during the pandemic, many health insurance companies have rolled out customized COVID-19 covers which provide complete coverage to the policyholders helping them in dealing with the coronavirus disease. These plans are short-term and cover expenses of masks, nebulizers, gloves, room rent, on-road ambulance charges, and much more. The benefits of this cover can be enhanced by including the add-on covers at an affordable price. 

COVID-19 Health Insurance Policy

COVID-19 cover under the health insurance policy is a coronavirus-specific health insurance policy meant to cover the medical expenses, pre and post-hospitalization expenses, and other expenses from day one of when you are tested positive for coronavirus. Since the coronavirus disease has spread recently it does not come under the pre-existing diseases category. This policy lets you focus on your quick recovery without worrying about the financial expenses that might incur during the treatment. It does not cover the expenses incurred during the isolation period where no treatment is required. Either you can purchase a standard health insurance policy that covers the treatment of coronavirus or you can choose the two short-term plans which are COVID-19 specifically launched by the IRDAI. 

Types of Coronavirus Health Insurance Policy 

Let us look at the two broad classifications of coronavirus health insurance policy that is offered by different insurance companies as per the regulation and norms of the IRDAI: 

1. Corona Kavach Policy 

This policy is a single premium standard COVID-19 specific health insurance policy. It covers individuals as well as their families at an affordable price. The policy tenures for which the policy can be bought are 3.5 months, 6.5 months, and 9.5 months based on your requirements. Under this policy cover, you can include yourself, your spouse, children, and dependent parents. The waiting period of this policy is only 15 days. Daily cash benefits can be availed by paying extra premiums.  

2. Corona Rakshak Policy  

This policy is specially designed to cover COVID-19 related medical treatments. Unlike corona kavach policy, it is a benefit-based policy cover and provides a lump sum of 100% sum assured under the insurance policy when tested positive for coronavirus.  The sum assured ranges from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 2.5 Lakh. This policy can be claimed only when the policyholder is tested positive for COVID-19 and he/she gets admitted to a government-recognized center for more than 72 hours seeking medical treatment. It offers a short-term waiting period and also comes with lifetime renewability. 

Best COVID-19 Specific Health Insurance Policies 

The COVID-19 specific health insurance policies by different insurance companies can be classified under the above-mentioned two types of health insurance policies. You can choose the best insurance company by considering different factors according to your choice, one of which is the claim settlement ratio. Companies with a high claim settlement ratio settle the claims quickly and smoothly. Therefore, in FY 2019-20, under both the health Insurance policies IFFCO Tokio showed a claim settlement ratio of 96.33%. Other companies with a remarkable claim settlement ratio are Magma HDI, New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance, Bajaj Allianz, etc. 

Conclusion 

To protect yourself and your family from the deadly attack of the coronavirus pandemic, then you must invest in a suitable COVID-19 specific health insurance policy. You must also go through the policy-related documents carefully to have sound knowledge of the inclusions and exclusions in your policy. 

Also Read: How COVID-19 Compares Against Other Killer Diseases in India

How to Get Vaccinated for Covid-19?

Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.