It is obvious that everyone prays for the well-being of their family members. Good health is more important than any other blessing these days. Although most people try to keep up with a healthy lifestyle it is not possible to evade some diseases. If you have elderly family members, you will know they are more prone to diseases than other younger family members. However, illness and diseases are inevitable, and anybody can suffer from these at any point in age. The right treatment can help the patients to recover. But the increasing medical costs have made it difficult to access good medical care. Hence it is always necessary to stay prepared for the worst.
A family health insurance plan is the best solution one can opt for. This plan will help you in securing the health of your kin by offering coverage against the bills incurred due to hospitalization and other medical treatments. But before you purchase health insurance plans for family, there are a few prerequisites you should know.
1. Age Criteria for the policy: The family insurance plan has an age limit. Depending on the age criteria predetermined by the insurer, you can add your family members to this plan. Usually, most of the insurance providers have a minimum age limit of at least 91 days for the entry and the maximum age limit is 60 years. There are plans which have a minimum age of 25 years and a maximum age of 50 years. Hence you should select a plan according to the age of your family members. Remember, the premium amount for your family health insurance plan is computed depending upon the age of your eldest family member.
2. Waiting time: Every health insurance plan, be it individual, senior citizen or family floater, will have a waiting period for certain ailments. For instance, an insurance provider may be having a waiting span of 2 years for eye-cataract treatment. This implies you cannot avail of treatment for the same unless it has been two years since you purchased the plan. The waiting period may be from 2 years to 4 years depending on the ailment. So as per the health condition of your family members, select the family health insurance plans that have a satisfactory waiting period. Check for the waiting period details in the policy document before making any payment.
3. Cashless hospitalization Service: Every insurer offers cashless hospitalization for the policyholders. This service benefits you by waiving off the initial deposit amount that has to be paid at the time of hospitalization. However, this service can be availed only in the in-network hospitals of the insurer. Hence before you purchase a plan, check for the list of networked hospitals and the procedure to avail cashless hospitalization services.
4. Annual Check-up facilities: The cost of preventive check-ups for chronic diseases, MRIs, etc. are very expensive. There are some insurance providers who offer a free annual check-up for the policyholders. If members of your family are experiencing any such disease that requires timely checkups, then select a family health insurance plan that offers this facility for free. You can thus save a lot of money.
5. Maternity Coverage: Hospital expenses for maternal treatments can be very expensive. Some family health insurance plans provide coverage for the expenses you may incur during delivery. There are a few insurers who offer coverage for post-natal care too. If you happen to bring in a new family member, you should definitely consider this factor before purchasing a family insurance plan. This benefit can save huge money and can reduce your emotional stress during such emergencies.
These are only a few factors you should know while purchasing a family health insurance policy. However, it is always a better idea to note down your requirements, the health conditions and age of our family members, and then select a plan accordingly. To select a nominal health insurance plan, make it a point to compare different plans, features, coverages, and the premium rate. This way you can select a plan that offers extensive coverage at an affordable price. Keep yourself and your family secured with the right family health insurance plan.
