Life today isn’t as easygoing as it used to be in the past, where people lived well into their nineties. On the contrary, the life expectancy in the country has gone down drastically to about 70 years.
This can be owed to the fast-paced life we live, where most of us are subject to daily stressors, pollution, and even a sedentary lifestyle. Bearing this in mind, a lot of us invest in health insurance policies, also known as medical insurance, in order to safeguard our finances in case our health takes a toll on us.
With regard to medical insurance, a lot of us assume that the only benefits of a health insurance policy are having our hospitalization costs covered. However, that is not true. As a matter of fact, there are several other advantages that you probably aren’t aware of. And we are here to shed light on the seven hidden benefits of a health insurance policy.
Free health check-ups
Some health insurance companies offer free health check-ups from the first year when you buy any of their health insurance plans. These health check-ups are not only free but also cashless, provided the insured undergoes a check-up at a hospital that is predetermined by the insurance company.
Attendance allowance
In the case of your children being hospitalized, insurance companies also grant something called ‘attendance allowance’ to the adult accompanying them, as part of mediclaim benefits. However, this benefit is only for children who have a health insurance policy.
Daily hospital allowance
When a person is hospitalised, apart from the costs of hospitalisation, there are many other expenses that come into play. Some of these are daily food and travel expenses that the family members of the patient have to incur. And at the end of the patient’s hospitalisation tenure, these expenses amount to quite a bit. As part of their mediclaim benefits, a number of health insurance companies grant ‘daily hospital allowance’ where a daily allowance is provided
Domiciliary treatment
On several occasions, when a patient has outdone his time in the hospital, the family decides to take him home and treat him there. While you may not be aware of this, many health insurance companies today also cover these home-care costs, known as the domiciliary costs of the insured patient. However, the costs and the number of days that are covered under this benefit are limited. This is one many medical insurance benefits that you need to know about.
Recuperating benefits
One of the most challenging phases for both the patient and the family is when the patient has been discharged. This is where the convalescence or recuperating benefit comes into play. Here, the insurance company pays the insured patient a lump sum if he has been hospitalized for about 7 to 10 days at a stretch. This amount covers costs like loss of income due to hospitalization and, in a few cases, family member visits to the patient.
Bariatric surgeries
These days, obesity is not only a common phenomenon but also a life-threatening condition. Understanding this, several insurance companies even cover the costs for bariatric [weight loss] surgeries. However, the cost of such a surgery is covered only if it is done for purely medical purposes.
Fitness rewards
This benefit will motivate you to get fitter. Some health insurance providers reward you with fitness points – the fitter you are, the more points will you earn. These points can then be redeemed against your health insurance policy at the end of the year or even used against medical check-ups or medical bills. Insured individuals need to sync their pedometers or fitness bands with their health insurance provider’s fitness app, where all their activities and the number of calories they have burned while performing these are monitored. If that isn’t reason enough to work out, we don’t know what is!
It is advisable to avail of a health insurance at an early age in order to gain the maximum medical insurance benefits. So, opt for a health insurance now and take advantage of all these benefits!