How Much Health Insurance Cover Do You Require?

When it comes to health insurance, people need to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all policy out there. Every individual has different health needs and therefore the kind of insurance that they require for healthcare purposes is different too.

We at IFFCO Tokio understand this predicament and work towards making our products more and more customer-friendly. For this purpose, we bring about a number of health insurance plans that vary in terms of premium, coverage’s offered, the sum assured, add-ons, etc.

Nowadays, there are family health insurance plans and there are health insurance plans for individuals, senior citizens and critically ill. Often times, even each of these categories has sub-categories. Given the abundance of health plans available in the market and the multitude of coverage’s that they offer, getting confused is quite obvious.

So, to guide you in the direction of right decision-making, here are a few tips on how to figure the right coverage for yourself: -

Age of the Policy Buyer

Age is an important factor to consider when you are deciding upon your health insurance cover. There are various age-related illnesses that people become susceptible to as they grow old. Some of these illnesses even though not directly caused by increasing age, have age playing a supplementary role in their occurrence.

Other than that, health insurance for people who are in their twenties or thirties usually comes at a much more affordable premium than those who have crossed forty years of age. Thus, when you buy insurance at an early age, you can avail greater coverage at a lesser price.

However, since you are young and free of any major illness, you can do well with the minimum amount of coverage too, so choose a plan accordingly.

Family’s Medical History

There are various disorders that are genetic in nature or hereditary. This simply means that if an individual were to suffer from such an illness, chances are that this disease will be passed on to his successors too. This does not mean that if you contract an illness, your son is the next in line to suffer. Generally, genetic disorders are complex and long-term. Hypertension, diabetes and certain types of cancers are a few examples of the same.

Anyhow, the point is that even though you are not suffering from a disease at the time of policy purchase, there is a bleak chance somewhere that you may contract one later. And even though you ignore it, your insurance company will take it into account to evaluate your risks.

Lifestyle

We live in a world where a lot of the diseases that people suffer from, are a result of bad lifestyle choices. Inactivity and unhealthy food habits are among the top causes that trigger disorders such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and some organ failures too.

The effects of improper sleeping habits and wrong dietary measures are only seen over time. Hence, when opting for financial coverage against medical expenses, its best that you check yourself for disorders properly, even the lifestyle part of it. If you feel you are showing symptoms of any of the lifestyle disorders or are susceptible to any, opt for wider coverage.

Type of Hospitals Preferred

The medical expenses that you incur also depend somewhat on the type of hospitals you are visiting. Public hospitals, as is known, offer medical aid at cheaper costs than private hospitals. Again, even private hospitals are divided into tiers. There are mid-ranking hospitals and then there are first-rate hospitals.

The prices for the same treatment will differ with the difference in hospital types. It’s best that you check out the hospital-network that your insurance company has, and whether or not the hospital you visit is on the list. Hence when determining the amount of health insurance cover you need, take into account the grade of the hospital you choose to visit.

Affordability

Last but certainly not least, your ability to pay a premium should also be one of the deciding factors about the amount of health insurance coverage you need. The higher sum assured you choose for your health insurance policy, the higher premium you will need to pay for the coverage.

It is therefore advised that you weigh the affordability factor well, before finalizing your health insurance policy.

Apart from the above, comparing health insurance plans online also goes a long way into helping people decide which health insurance they should be investing in, so make sure you do that too.

**To understand exactly about the policy coverage, exclusions etc read the Policy Wordings carefully.**