Should I buy health insurance for my parents?

Keeping in mind the skyrocketing costs of availing healthcare facilities and constantly rising medical inflation in India, it makes sense to invest in a good health insurance plan for your parents. In the absence of the same, you may have to pay for the expenses out of your pocket in case of a medical emergency. This could result in the depletion of your entire savings.

Why is it better to opt for an early healthcare plan for my parents?

It is a known fact that health insurance premiums rise with the increase in the insured person’s age. Hence, it is better to opt for a healthcare plan for your parents at an early stage. It will keep the premiums in check. Also, many insurance providers put a cap on the maximum entry of the insured. Therefore, buy a health plan for your parents early on so that they are not denied for it later.

My parents have a pre-existing disease; Can I buy health insurance?

Yes. Many health insurance policies cover certain pre-existing diseases, albeit with a waiting period of two to four years. It means that these policies will cover the treatment of certain pre-existing diseases after the completion of the waiting period. Go for the policy with a minimum waiting period.

Is there any age limit while buying health insurance for parents?

It varies from one insurance company to another. Usually, every health insurance policy has certain age criterion. There can be a minimum and maximum entry age for the insured to avail the policy. Do check for these conditions with the insurer before buying a health policy for your parents.

Is there any medical test in health insurance for parents?

It depends upon the insurer. While some insurance companies may not require medical tests to issue a health insurance policy, some make it mandatory. Usually, if the prospect is above the age of 45, his/her pre-medical screening is necessary.

Can I cover my parents in my existing health insurance policy?

Yes. You can include your parents in your existing family floater plans. However, do check the maximum age criteria with the insurance provider before doing so. A wise option is to purchase a separate health insurance policy for your parents since including them in your family floater plan may shoot up its premium.

How Can I enhance my parents’ insurance coverage?

You can customise your parental insurance policy in multiple ways to enhance its coverage. For instance, you can opt for a higher sum insured at the time of policy renewal. Additionally, you can attach some add-on covers (available at additional premium) such as critical illness rider, personal accident cover etc. to your base policy to enhance its coverage.

Can I include my senior citizen parents in a family floater insurance plan?

Insurers generally do not allow the inclusion of senior citizens in a family floater plan. They tend to cover the members below the age of 60 only. What you can do is purchase individual health plans for your mother and father or buy a separate family floater plan for both of them.

Health Insurance for Children

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What is Children's Health Insurance?

The birth of a child is a bliss for every couple. Nothing can compare with the joy of becoming parents for the first time. However, it also brings with itself a host of financial responsibilities for the new mother and father. Apart from meeting the necessary costs of raising a child, they also need to ensure that their baby can avail best healthcare facilities.

That fact is that children require special medical care right from birth. However, given the continually rising medical inflation and sky-rocketing healthcare costs in our country, it's prudent for every parent to invest in a child health insurance policy.

Health insurance can take care of infants' and children's healthcare requirements. It covers a wide range of expenses, including hospitalisation due to injury or illness, clinical check-ups, and child vaccination.

What is a child health insurance plan?

As we all know, a health insurance policy is a contract between an insurance provider and the policyholder, wherein the insurer offers coverage for medical expenses incurred by the insured person due to an injury or illness. In other words, it provides financial security to the policyholder by safeguarding his/her hard-earned money against the unforeseen medical emergencies.

You can include your child under a health insurance plan to cover his/her expenses during treatment or medical care. Most health plans cover almost all major illnesses, injuries, and annual health check-ups, which can be handy during every stage of a child's growth.

Today, many insurers in India offer health insurance floater plans, under which you can cover infants (at least 3 months old) and children up to the age of 20 years. The upper age limit may vary from insurer to insurer. These plans provide health insurance coverage for the entire family, including the primary policyholder, his/her spouse, parents, and up to four dependent children. Family floater plans are usually long-term health plans, to which you can add your children right after their birth.

How Does Children Health Insurance (CHI) Plan Work

Here are some reasons which make a child health insurance policy crucial:

Weak immunity

Children usually have weaker immune systems as compared to adults. It makes them prone to catching illnesses and infections. Hence, a child health insurance policy becomes imperative to tackle the unforeseen healthcare expenses that may arise if your child falls ill.

Prone to accidents

As children learn to walk and run, they become prone to accidents. Also, their reflexes take time to develop, which makes them vulnerable to injuries. Including your child in a health insurance policy ensures that finances never come in the way of treating injuries and illnesses.

Greater risk of health issues

Children are more exposed and hence, are at a greater risk of developing health issues than adults. Furthermore, they may eat non-food items, which increases their chances of contracting illnesses. Therefore, having a child health insurance policy for them becomes essential.

Benefits of buying health insurance for children

Buying health insurance for your child, secures your finances and peace of mind. Below are some more benefits of buying health insurance for children:

Financial security

If your child has to be hospitalised due to a severe illness or injury, it can cause financial distress unless you have a child health insurance plan. It may prevent you from breaking into your savings or availing a loan by providing financial security against the unforeseen healthcare expenses. Thus, you need to choose the best child health insurance plan to avoid a financial crisis in an unfortunate event of illness or injury to your beloved son or daughter.

Extensive coverage

Depending on the plan you opt for, a kids' health insurance plan may cover major medical expenses you may incur for your child's treatment or care, including hospital room rent, doctor's fees, charges for daycare procedures, domiciliary care and medicines.

Cashless hospitalisation

Many child health insurance plans provide cashless hospitalisation facility for the insured kid. It means that in case of a medical emergency, you can get your child treated at any network hospital without paying much out of your pocket.

Proper medical care

By procuring a health insurance policy for your child, you can ensure he/she gets proper medical care and regular health check-ups at a quality hospital in your vicinity.

Tax benefits

By paying regular premiums towards a health insurance policy for your child, you will also be able to claim certain tax deductions under section 80D of The Income Tax Act, 1961.

Choosing the right health insurance policy for your child

To ensure optimum health coverage for your child and avoid any hassles during a claim, it's crucial to choose the right health insurance policy. Below are some tips that can help you to do so:

Check if the policy offers adequate sum insured to meet all possible healthcare costs you may incur on your child. Else, you may have to pay for the expenses out of your pocket.
Opt for the policy which provides coverage for the infants under newborn baby cover. Newborn babies are vulnerable to infections, and sudden environmental changes can affect their health.
Check if you can purchase add-ons with your policy to enhance its coverage.
Know about the exclusions of the policy before purchasing it. Make sure that the policy you're buying covers all your desired healthcare expenses.
Read all terms and conditions of the policy thoroughly before finalising the purchase. If you want to avail health insurance coverage for your child, you can apply for ICICI Lombard's Health AdvantEdge Policy and include your son/daughter in it by opting for the floater benefit.

Types of coverage under ICICI Lombard Health AdvantEdge plan

Below are some expenditures covered under ICICI Lombard Health AdvantEdge Insurance, which can be beneficial for your child:

Inclusions
Exclusions

Basic hospitalisation cover

Every health plan comes with coverage for hospitalisation expenses. It also includes costs of consultations, tests, scans and follows ups under pre-and post-hospitalisation coverage.
Newborn baby cover

If you opt for a maternity add-on cover (by paying additional premium) under your health plan, you can also add a newborn baby cover. This takes care of the emergency expenses of a newborn baby, such as neonatal care.
OPD add-on

By choosing an outpatient treatment add-on, you can get your child's health consultation and medicine expenses covered. This is especially helpful in case of minor illnesses where hospitalisation is not needed.

Tele-consultation

If a physical doctor consultation is not possible, you can opt for a chat with our slew of expert doctors (under the value-added services). This helps you get medical advice for your child from the convenience of your home.
Free health check-up

If you go for ICICI Lombard Health AdvantEdge with the floater benefit, you get two complimentary health check-up coupons. You can use one to get a check-up done for your child.
It also covers other medical expenses, such as:
- ICU charges
- Daycare treatments/procedures
- Expenses incurred for domiciliary care
- Ambulance charges

Treatment of pre-existing diseases until the waiting period is over
Treatment of behavioural or personality disorders

Treatment of congenital disabilities in kids
Hospitalisation without doctor's recommendation

This is only an indicative list. For a detailed list of exclusions, please refer the policy wordings.

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Frequently asked questions on health insurance for children

Can I get health insurance for my child?

Yes. Anybody can get health insurance for his/her child. You can include your child in your family floater plan to get him/her covered for medical expenses.

Who is eligible for child insurance?

Usually, all children up to the age of 18 are eligible for child insurance coverage. The minimum entry age for the policy varies from insurer to insurer. While some insurers offer health coverage to infants only after 90 days of their birth, some insurers provide health insurance for infants right from the day one after birth.

What are the documents required to get health insurance for children?

Usually, the insurer asks you to fill a proposal form at the time of policy purchase. This form contains all the essential details for buying a health insurance policy for children. You can also keep the below documents handy in case they are needed:

Birth certificate of your child
Health certificate of your child
Hospital discharge card
Your photo identity card
Proof of your address

Can a child be denied health insurance?

Usually, insurance companies do not deny providing health insurance to children. However, in some instances where a child has a pre-existing condition that is not covered, the insurer can decline from issuing a policy. Hence, you must carefully read all the policy's terms and conditions to know its inclusions and exclusions.

When is the right time to buy kids' health insurance?

The healthcare needs of a child keep on changing throughout the various stages of his/her growth. Therefore, the right time to buy a health insurance policy for your kid is immediately after birth. It not only results in lower premiums but also prevents the hassles of going through medical screenings for your child.

Why should I buy health insurance for my children?

Newborn babies and children are susceptible to catching illnesses and diseases. Also, their reflexes are slow as compared to adults, which make them prone to injuries. Your child's medical emergency or hospitalisation may burn a large hole in your pocket if you do not have a child health insurance policy. Moreover, it also provides certain additional benefits such as regular health check-ups of your child, cashless hospitalisation, and income tax deductions

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Children health insurance