What is comprehensive health insurance?
A comprehensive health insurance policy is a type of health insurance that offers a wide range of coverage against the expenses incurred due to medical exigencies. It covers the costs of hospitalisation, in-patient/outpatient treatment, ambulance charges, etc. A comprehensive health policy lets you enjoy complete financial protection against medical emergencies.
Comprehensive health insurance offers several added advantages. It covers expenses for cost-intensive treatments such as chemotherapy and dialysis, which are otherwise not covered under general health insurance schemes. A comprehensive insurance policy also covers the treatment expenses of critical illnesses like heart attack, stroke, cancer, paralysis, etc. In addition, such plans also cover organ donation expenses.
Most comprehensive insurance policies also give a monetary cushion in case the insured patient undergoes physiotherapy, acupuncture, AYUSH treatment, or osteopathy. These are some exclusive coverages that a general health insurance plan does not include.
Benefits of comprehensive health insurance
Get the following advantages by purchasing a comprehensive health insurance policy:
Extensive treatment coverage
Get coverage against the expenses incurred to treat both accidental injuries and some critical illnesses under this single health insurance plan. Carefully read the policy brochure to know which critical illnesses are included in the policy.
Cashless treatment facility
Avail of cashless treatment at network hospitals and start the treatment procedure without making any upfront payment. The insurer will directly settle the bills of medical treatment with the hospitals.
Wider coverage
A comprehensive medical insurance policy also covers alternative modes of treatment, including AAYUSH, physiotherapy, acupuncture, etc. Since it may vary across insurance companies, you need to confirm the inclusions while buying the policy.
Add-on covers
Enhance your health coverage by including several add-ons within their comprehensive health insurance plans. With a minimal additional payment, you can maximise financial protection against unpredictable health complications.
Outpatient treatment
Comprehensive health insurance plans may also cover outpatient treatment costs, including doctors’ fees.
What does a comprehensive health insurance policy cover?
You need to read the policy brochure properly to know every aspect of the coverage, including the amount you can get against all the above-mentioned circumstances. The coverage type, and sum insured of comprehensive health policies may differ with different insurance providers.
Following are some of the major aspects a comprehensive health policy cover:
In-patient hospitalisation expenses
Covers all the medical expenses incurred during hospitalisation, provided hospitalisation is over 24 hours.
Pre-and post-hospitalisation expenses
Covers the medical cost of diagnosis, medicines or treatments taken from 30 days before and up to 60 days after hospitalisation. The days of coverage may differ from policy to policy.
Domiciliary hospitalisation
Covers the treatment costs taken at home. There are times when the patient is either unable to go to the hospital or a bed is unavailable at the hospital. In such cases, doctors suggest home treatment. A comprehensive health insurance policy enables you to claim for the medical expenses incurred during this period.
Organ donor expenses
Covers the expenses of the organ donor’s hospitalisation in case you need to undergo an organ transplant.
Outpatient treatment
Some comprehensive health insurance policies also offer coverage for treatment taken in the outpatient department (OPD).
Emergency ambulance
Covers the charges of availing of ambulance services in case of an emergency.
AYUSH treatment
Covers the expenses for alternative treatments like ayurveda, yoga, unani, siddha, and homoeopathy treatments.
