Health Insurance in Thiruvananthapuram

Introduction

The current COVID-19 pandemic has created medical exigencies across the world like never before. It has reiterated the fact that life is unpredictable and different levels of financial stress may come into play during life-threatening situations. With the delta variant sounding like a cause of concern across India, people have started to realise the importance of having a good health insurance cover. With rising medical costs in cities like Thiruvananthapuram, access to good medical facilities can cause a financial burden.

A health insurance cover can provide the necessary financial protection especially during times like these. Apart from the financial confidence of providing for your loved ones, a health insurance plan can be useful while coping with the inflation-impact of medical treatment costs.

Why is Health Cover Needed in Thiruvananthapuram?

Being the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram is a vibrant city with a majority of its population in the age bracket of 20-30 years. The city’s increasing population size has mounted pressure on its health and hygiene infrastructure. Most people in the city did not feel the need for health insurance cover until the Covid-19 pandemic hit hard. They now realise the medical costs related to the treatment of Covid-19 infected patients.

Thiruvananthapuram has many large-scale hospitals, both government and private, that cater to various health ailments. People of the city can easily access these medical setups for their various health requirements or concerns. While there is sufficient availability of medical infrastructure in the city, taking health services or medical treatments in these can be very expensive as overall medical costs have risen over the years. Therefore, people in Thiruvananthapuram must consider having health insurance cover to avoid facing a financial burden during a medical requirement.

What are the Benefits of Health Insurance in Thiruvananthapuram?

With a health insurance cover, one does not have to worry about rising medical care costs, especially if availing of treatment in a private hospital. An individual needs to have a health cover if he/she has dependents or family members and is the only breadwinner. Health covers require a small annual premium to be paid but the resulting decrease in stress levels is incomparable. Whether it is a medical emergency, doctor’s consultation fees, medical check-ups, ambulance fees, pre and post-hospitalization costs, all this can be covered under a health insurance plan.

Some of the main benefits of a health insurance cover are:

• Cashless Treatment: Health insurance covers provide cashless treatment facilities depending on the insurance provider’s collaboration with various hospital networks. This allows the insured to avoid making cash payments or arranging for cash in case of a medical emergency.
• Pre and post hospitalization cover: Health covers generally come with pre-and post-hospitalization expense covers. This is especially beneficial during high-cost treatments that would otherwise burn a hole in an individual’s pocket.
• Ambulance cost: Health insurance plans also cover the expenses towards ambulance fees for transportation to and from hospital or medical facility.
• No Claim Bonus (NCB): This is paid to the insured in case there is no claim filed for health treatment in the previous year.
• Medical Check-up: Health insurance covers provide for expenses related to health check-ups. Some insurers also offer free annual health check-ups as part of the plan.
• Bed Rent: Health insurance policies cover the hospital room charges as per the premium paid and other terms and conditions of the policy.
• Tax Benefit: Premium paid towards Health insurance is tax-deductible under section 80D of the Income Tax Act.

Additional read on health insurance basics.

How to Choose a Health Cover

Selecting the right health insurance policy can be challenging since most health insurance covers come with similar features and benefits. To select the right health plan, here are some of the key points that one must look at:

1. Amount of sum assured 

2. Entry Age criteria and renewability clause 

3. Cap on room rent 

4. Policy inclusions and exclusions

5. No Claim bonus 

6. Any other benefits

How to get Health Insurance Cover in Thiruvananthapuram?

Eligibility Criteria

People under 45 years do not have to undergo a health check-up while purchasing a health insurance plan. However, applicants should ensure to disclose any pre-existing medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension, etc. A health insurance cover bought at a young age can help in saving premium costs. Therefore, residents of Thiruvananthapuram must consider buying these early in their life.

Documents Needed

Some of the documents that are generally required while enrolling for health insurance covers are:

1. Age proof – Either of Birth Certificate, 10th or 12th mark sheet, Driving License, Passport, Voter ID, etc.

2. Identity proof – Driving License, Passport, Voter ID, PAN Card, Aadhar Card, which proves one’s citizenship.

3. Address proof – Electricity Bill, Telephone Bill, Ration Card, Driving License, Passport, should mention the permanent address.

4. Medical check-up as required by the plan

5. Passport Size Photo  

Additional Reading – Health insurance vs critical illness cover

Can I get Tax Benefits for Buying Health Insurance Cover?

Premiums paid towards health insurance cover can be claimed as tax deductions under Section 80D.

• You can claim up to Rs. 25,000 per financial year for the premium paid towards a health insurance policy for self.
• Premium payments towards health insurance cover for parents or dependents can be claimed up to a maximum of Rs. 30,000 as a tax deduction.

Is there a Separate Health Cover for Covid-19 in Thiruvananthapuram

With Covid-19 wreaking havoc across the country and specifically in Thiruvananthapuram, people of the city must get health insurance covers for themselves at the earliest. This way, they can avoid financial troubles in case the virus affects their health. As the pandemic continues, no one knows the further impact it may have. A comprehensive health cover designed specifically for Covid-19 can provide stability to one’s financial situation and avoid any hindrances in achieving personal financial goals.

Additional Read – Learn about Covid-19 related changes in health insurance

EndNote

Health insurance cover is very important to have in a city like Thiruvananthapuram as it can protect an individual and his/her family against any financial losses arising from rising medical expenses.

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