According to the Human Development Report of the United Nation’s Development Programme, India ranks at 132 out of 187 countries at gender inequality. Incompetence in women’s healthcare is one of the primary onuses that contribute to this disparity.

But, with insurance providers in India introducing new health insurance products in the market, only a few suit the needs of women; this disparity is expected to lessen to quite some extent in the upcoming years.

What Should Women Check Before Purchasing a Health Insurance Policy?

Women in India face several healthcare issues that make it all the more crucial for them to have a comprehensive healthcare policy at their disposal.

So, if you are looking to purchase a health insurance policy, here are the things you must absolutely look out for!

1.Check Through the Coverage

To choose the insurance policy with the maximum benefits, it is crucial to look through its coverage. Look for the following coverage benefits, like –

• Pre and post-hospitalisation benefits.
• Transportation costs.
• Surgical cost.
• Periodic health check-ups.
• ICU room rent.
• Home hospitalisation coverage, etc.

To avail the best policy, look through the benefits provided by insurance companies, compare between policies and choose the one best suited for your needs.

To compare, look through the following points –

• Sub-limits.
• No Claim Bonus.
• Capping for each disease, etc.

2. Check for Affordable Premium Payments

While availing a plan with maximum coverage is crucial, it is also important to choose a policy that suits your budget. Before you opt for one, make sure that you can afford the premium payment and it does not pose an unnecessary burden on your finances.

3.Check for Maternity Benefit Add-on Cover

This is one of the factors that are a prerequisite for women when it comes to choosing a health insurance policy.

This cover is especially essential if you plan on having a baby in the next two years. This cover provides coverage for  –

• Child delivery.
• Medical terminations if necessary.
• Newborn care expenses (up to first 90 days after birth).
• Infertility expenses, etc.

So, whenever you plan to have a health policy, look for a health insurance with maternity cover that imparts these benefits.

4.Check for Individual/Family Floater Policies

There are mostly two types of health insurance policies offered by insurance providers in India.

These are –

• Individual health insurance policy

As its name suggests, with individual insurance policy, there is an individual sum assured in the name of each member of a family.

• Family floater health insurance policy

Under a family floater policy, the entire sum assured under can be extended towards covering the treatment cost of any member of a family.

It is crucial to look through the features of each policy to avail the one best suited to your requirements. 

5.Critical Illness Care Benefits

Under this insurance cover, you can avail a lumpsum amount if you are diagnosed with any critical illness. This is not the case under other standard health insurance policies, where only the expenses incurred at a hospital are covered.

Now, given the rise in critical-illnesses like breast cancer, ovarian cancer, etc. among women, it is best to opt for an insurance policy that will help to cover the expenses for treating these diseases.

A critical illness care cover imparts you with coverage for diseases like –

• Cancers (with pre-specified severity).
• Open heart replacement.
• Primary Pulmonary hypertension.
• Coma (of pre-specified severity).
• Benign brain tumour.
• Severe burns, etc.

6. Check the Number of Network Hospitals Under the Policy

Cashless treatment is among the more important benefits that are offered under a health insurance policy. With this benefit, policyholders can avail treatment from any of the network hospitals under the insurance company without paying anything from your pocket. Thus, the more the number of network hospitals under your policy, the better!

7. Check the Claim Settlement Ratio

Claim settlement ratio refers to the total number of claims settled by the insurance provider against the total number of claims raised.

To make sure that your claim is not rejected, it is best to avail the policy from an insurance provider with a high claim settlement ratio.

8. Look for an Easy Claim Process

Usually, there are two ways through which insurance providers settle claims. These are –

• Claim reimbursement.
• Cashless claim settlement.

Before opting for any of the claim settlements, make sure you check the process under each to ensure that they are hassle-free.

9. Add-On Covers

Check for add-on covers like –

• AYUSH cover.
• Daily hospital cash cover.
• Zone upgrade cover, etc.

Apart from these, you should also look through factors like senior citizen benefits, a plan without copay clause, and also review the company’s reputation before opting for a health insurance policy that can fulfil all your needs!

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