Manipal Cigna Health Insurance is available in ProHealth Protect, ProHealth Plus, ProHealth Preferred, and ProHealth Premier versions, with a policy duration of 1 year, two years, or three years. The elderly would ordinarily find it difficult to pay for an inpatient hospitalization, pre-hospitalization, post-hospitalization, and several other charges.
What is Health Insurance for Parents?
A health insurance plan specifically designed to cover the medical expenses of parents is called a health insurance policy for parents. It provides comprehensive protection against age-related illnesses that could cause costly medical bills. In addition to offering attractive features like annual health checks and cashless medical care, it also has a greater insured amount to help people properly manage their medical costs.
Importance of health insurance for parents
There are a number of health insurance options available for your parents that cover COVID-19 infection as well as other serious illnesses that can be quite expensive to treat. For people under the age of 65, specific COVID-19 plans have been launched over the past year, and you can purchase the same for your parents. Additionally, senior citizen health plans and particular coronavirus health plans make sense during the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus medical policies’ lack of a pre-medical screening requirement is their finest feature.
If your parents are older than 50, the possibilities for other health plans, however, tend to be limited. Additionally, depending on the age of the eldest parent, a family floater medical claim policy that covers your parents would cost more. The age vs. health risk measurements is the main justification. The risk factor and likelihood of making a claim rise with parental age explain why premium costs are higher.
Why do you Need Health Insurance Cover for your Parents?
For your parents to receive the greatest medical care without financial stress, you must purchase comprehensive health insurance coverage. As a result, you can consider the following factors while choosing the best health insurance option for your parents:
Coverage under Health Insurance: It’s necessary to review the benefits of the policy’s coverage. Consider certain crucial elements, such as the length of the policy, the pre-and post-hospitalization coverage, the critical illness coverage, the daycare procedures, the inpatient hospitalization, the domiciliary hospitalization, etc.
Amount of Adequate Sum Insured: You must choose a greater sum insured amount because your parents are older and more susceptible to health problems. It will guarantee that they may receive the greatest care possible without facing any financial obstacles.
Pre-Existing Illness Insurance: If your parents have pre-existing conditions, they won’t be covered until the waiting period, which is typically between two and four years, has passed. Depending on the chosen plan and the individual insurer, it may differ. Verify the time period after which your family’s health insurance plan’s health plan will cover pre-existing conditions.
Co-payment Provision: It represents the portion of the total that you will be responsible for. The health insurer covers the remaining medical costs. For instance, if your policy has a 20% co-pay provision, you would have to pay Rs. 2 lakh out of pocket for a claim of Rs. 10 lakh, with the insurance company covering the remaining Rs. Another option is a “no co-pay” clause.
Tax Advantages: Section 80 D allows you to deduct the cost of your parent’s health insurance from your taxable income. Your total tax benefit maximum on health insurance premium payments is Rs 50,000 if you are paying for yourself, your parents, and any other dependents who are under the age of 60. And the maximum rises to Rs 75,000 if your parents are older than 60. However, depending on the applicable tax restrictions, this might alter.
What is Covered Under a Health Insurance Policy for your Parents?
Hospital bills can undoubtedly burn a hole in anyone’s wallet. You can obtain insurance coverage for the following costs with a health insurance policy:
- Costs of Hospitalization: Exorbitant hospital costs can result from a sickness or accident. Hospitalization expenses are through the roof, but if you have a comprehensive health insurance plan, your insurer will cover the cost of your medical care up to the coverage level.
- Hospitalization costs both before and after: Plans for health insurance include coverage for both pre-hospitalization and post-hospitalization medical costs. It typically lasts between 30 and 60 days, though this might change from insurer to insurer.
- Daycare policies: The insurance also covers daycare procedures like varicose vein surgery and cataract surgery that don’t require a 24-hour hospital stay. Depending on the plan chosen, several daycares practices may be used.
- Pre-Existing Diseases: There is a waiting period before pre-existing conditions are covered. However, you can select a plan that has a shorter waiting period and covers the widest range of illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions.
- Major Operations: The majority of health insurance policies include coverage for expensive surgical procedures like open heart surgery and bariatric operations. You can arrange for your parents to receive treatment from famous surgeons at some of the greatest hospitals in India and even overseas (if the plan allows).
- Renewability: When purchasing a health insurance plan for your parents, the lifetime renewal option is typically offered and is the best choice.
What is Not Covered in a Health Insurance for your Parents?
Understanding the health insurance coverage the policy provides is essential. Here are several situations where the insurance company won’t pay for medical expenses:
- Self-inflicted injuries or any type of mental disorders; overconsumption of alcohol, intoxication, or drugs.
- Pre-existing conditions of any kind
- Diseases identified within 30 days of the start of the policy.
- Other treatments other than allopathy; costs associated with the purchase of eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other external aids.
- Costs associated with dental work (unless it is an accident).
- Costs associated with the treatment of HIV/AIDS.
Treatment for injuries brought on by armed conflict, terrorist assaults, acts committed by foreign enemies, etc.
How to Choose Health Insurance for your Parents?
Finding the ideal health plan based on your needs and specifications is simpler because there are numerous options accessible for your older parents. To guarantee that your parents receive the greatest medical care possible during their golden years, you can either choose one of the aforementioned plans or look into additional senior citizen health insurance. Before that, here is a quick list of the factors you should take into account while buying health insurance for your elderly parents.
- Maximum Protection: It’s crucial to read the policy includes and exclusions before purchasing health insurance for your parents. Your parents require a plan that provides protection from a variety of illnesses. They should undoubtedly be insured for severe illnesses since they are more likely to develop at this age. Ensure coverage for the diseases on your priority list.
- Age Limit: Most health insurance plans include coverage for ages 55 to 80. However, some plans have entry requirements that are older than 60. Select a plan that allows entry at a senior age and has lifelong renewability with no upper age limit.
- Awaiting Time: Following a lengthy waiting period, pre-existing conditions are covered. Select a plan that has a short waiting period and covers the widest range of illnesses, including diabetes, heart conditions, and other conditions.
- Compare several health insurance programs: Without a question, everyone wishes to purchase their parents the ideal health insurance coverage. But to make sure of this, be sure to research the various health insurance options on the market before settling on the best one.
- Hospital Networks: It is crucial that you review the list of network hospitals that deal with the insurer you have chosen. Make sure the plan includes a list of reputable hospitals in your area so that you can easily transport the patient there in an emergency.
- Cost of insurance: The premium changes with the individual’s age, and as the individual’s age rises, the premium rises as well. This explains why a senior citizen health insurance plan’s premium is typically greater than that of a standard health plan. For this reason, a senior citizen’s individual health insurance plan is preferable to a family floater plan.
- Policy Language: You might initially think a health insurance policy document is written in “Greek and Latin,” but it’s crucial to read through the terms and conditions and fully understand the policy.
ManipalCigna Health Insurance for Parents
ProHealth Insurance, which is available on an individual as well as family floater sum insured basis, assists the parents in securing their financial stability, obtaining coverage in the event of illness, and benefiting from good health.
Key Features
- Sum insured range from Rs. 2.5 lakh to Rs. 100 lakh.
- 6,969+ network hospitals for cashless treatment.
- Unlimited times of restoration with 100% additional sum insured.
- Healthy Rewards points up to 20% of the premium to be redeemed as HMB/renewal discount.
- Guaranteed bonus at every renewal, with a maximum of 200%.
- Superior deductible up to Rs. 10 Lakh with packaged advantages to top-up health protection.
- Dedicated preventative health benefits with Medical check-ups and Wellness Programs, etc.
- Worldwide protection up to the full sum insured in case of emergency
Scope of Coverage
Inpatient hospitalization costs are covered, as are pre- and post-hospitalization costs. 500+ day care procedures are covered up to the full amount insured, as well as ambulance coverage, donor expenses, worldwide emergency coverage, and value-added coverage, for a critical illness expert’s opinion.
Eligibility
For children, the ProHealth Insurance plan’s minimum enrollment age is 91 days, while for adults, it is 18 years. Lifelong is the maximum entry age.
Exclusions
- Dental care, dentures, or surgery
- Genetic disorders
- Stem cell implantation/surgery
- Abuse of intoxicating drugs or alcohol
- Costs associated with treating HIV/AIDS and related illnesses
- Insanity
- Mental illness
- Congenital diseases
- Weight-loss procedures
- Cosmetic surgery.
What’s included and what’s not?
Inclusions
Hospitalization costs incurred as a result of a disease or unintentional damage to your parents. These expenditures include the rent for hospital rooms, physician fees, ICU fees, nursing fees, and prices for medications and prescription prescriptions.
Costs associated with your parents’ childcare for medical treatments like radiotherapy, chemotherapy, dialysis, etc.
Costs associated with treating a recognized pre-existing condition (after the completion of the waiting period).
Expenses incurred prior to and the following hospitalization for up to 30 and 60 days, respectively.
Costs related to giving your parents in-home or domiciliary care.
The cost of treating serious conditions like cancer, heart attacks, kidney failure, paralysis, and others.
The cost of treating a coronavirus that your parents acquired while the policy was in effect. The cost of an ambulance ride to get your parents to the closest hospital in the event of a medical emergency. Organ donor inpatient hospitalization costs (if required).
Exclusions
- Costs associated with treating recognized pre-existing conditions up until the waiting period is over.
- Costs related to treating illnesses that are discovered within 30 days of the start of the coverage.
- The costs related to the care of self-inflicted wounds.
- Costs associated with treating illnesses brought on by excessive alcohol, tobacco, or drug use.
- Costs associated with treating injuries sustained during a civil war or terrorist attack.
- Costs related to cosmetic surgery.
- Costs associated with dental care, unless they result from an accident; costs associated with hospitalization without a doctor’s referral.
Important things to look at while buying health insurance for parents in India
The best health insurance plan for your parents is based on a number of criteria. Here are a few things to consider when obtaining parent health insurance:
- While several insurers in India provide health insurance for parents, they typically have a maximum entrance age for the insured person. For the majority of insurance, the maximum term is often 70 or 80 years. Verify that your parents are eligible for the policy before purchasing it.
- A waiting period is typically required. These programs are made to offer complete family health insurance coverage. All of your family members, including your parents, can be covered under a single-family floater plan that you purchase. Two to four years before health insurance coverage begins to cover the pre-existing legal conditions. The policy with the shortest waiting period is the one you should choose.
- It’s vital to make sure your parents have coverage for serious illnesses like heart attack, cancer, stroke, kidney failure, etc. Hospitalization costs for these conditions are typically covered by insurance policies. You can also choose a critical diseases add-on to receive an additional lump sum payment.
- Few insurance companies limit the opportunity to renew health insurance policies up to a specific age only. Lifetime renewability option. It is preferable to get a policy that offers a lifetime renewal option.
- Claim settlement ratio of the insurer: The insurer’s claim settlement ratio indicates how successfully it can resolve the claims of its policyholders. If you want to avoid problems when filing a claim, choose the insurer with the greatest claim settlement ratio.
Conclusion
As people become older and have more medical problems, we frequently witness our parents coping with these concerns. Early diagnosis and effective treatment can lessen the discomfort and repercussions of such a condition.
A medical emergency could develop as a result of a treatment delay brought on by escalating medical costs. To prevent this, one must establish a strong financial safety net with parental health insurance coverage. These programs differ slightly from standard health insurance plans. Health Insurance for Parents refers to health insurance programs that address the need of elderly parents. These health policies are specifically designed to meet the needs of adults over the age of 45 or 50.
An aging population necessitates high healthcare facility costs, which puts a strain on the family’s primary provider. Even though the government invested over Rs. 1.58 trillion in the nation’s healthcare system to subsidize healthcare, high costs are frequently associated with high-quality care.
The best approach to deal with such unforeseen costs is to get health insurance for parents in India, which gives comprehensive benefits designed to cover all medical conditions brought on by advancing age. One of the needs is having health insurance, especially if one is responsible for paying for the elderly parents’ medical care.