Group health insurance is a crucial component of the employee benefits package of an organisation. As the name suggests, it provides health insurance coverage to a group, which in most cases are employees and their family members.
However, as an employer, you must look at a few essential parameters before buying a group health insurance policy to ensure employees can benefit from it. What are these? Let’s find out.
Opt for the Right Sum Insured
Medical inflation has pushed up costs significantly, and hence, you must choose the right sum insured to minimise out-of-pocket expenses for your employee. If your employees live in a metro, it’s advisable to go for coverage of a minimum of Rs. 5 lakhs.
Equally essential is to buy a group mediclaim policy that covers a range of diseases and covers pre-and post-hospitalisation expenses.
Wide Network of Hospitals
Another essential lookout while purchasing group medical insurance is to see if the insurer has a vast network of hospitals. Network hospitals provide cashless treatment facilities. It is more relevant if your company operates in a non-metro city.
You must ensure that most hospitals are on the insurer’s empanelled list so that your employee can avail cashless treatment facility. This network of hospitals gets revised every year, and hence, it’s essential to check if the top-notch hospitals are on the list or not.
Maternity Coverage
The joys of parenthood are beyond words. If you have a relatively young workforce, it’s prudent to buy a group health insurance policy that provides maternity coverage. It will help your employees meet expenses when they become parents and foster a deeper relationship with you.
Maternity expenses can be pretty high, and it’s helpful if your group health insurance plan offers coverage for the same.
Low Waiting Periods
A waiting period refers to the time when employees have to wait before they receive coverage for specific treatments. Waiting periods could range from a few months to years. It’s good to buy a group mediclaim policy with a low waiting period so that your employees can get coverage immediately.
Check if you can pay a slightly extra premium and get the waiting period waived off. For group health insurance plans, it’s advisable to get waiting periods waived off so that employees receive immediate coverage.
Summing it Up
Picking up the right group health insurance plan goes a long way in providing your employees with the required coverage and strengthening your bond with them. Compare multiple plans and select an insurer with a high claims settlement ratio as it increases the chances of claims being settled on time.