Plan N Progress, the leading financial management website in India, focuses on empowering readers with tips on managing finances, financial risks involved, and investing surplus finances available for optimizing their yield to serve users with the best advice to grow their finances.

HOSPITAL CASH INSURANCE
WHAT IS HOSPITAL CASH INSURANCE ?
DO YOU REQUIRE WHEN YOU HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE ?

HOSPITAL CASH INSURANCE PLANS

What is Hospital Cash Benefit Plan ?

If one is hospitalized , generally more than 48 hours , either due to illness or an accident , the insurer pays the insured or nominated person a fixed amount per day or in lump-sum during the period of hospitalization . Such an insurance is called Hospital Cash plan . The insured has to produce proof of hospitalization like copies of Admission / discharge certificates , bills , receipts etc . The insured amount can be utilized for any of the requirements of the patient or his / her family members . The policy can be taken in addition with any other health insurance policy .

When you take a regular health insurance plan , reimbursement will be a certain percentage of your total hospital bill . There will be co-pay to be made by you . Daily room rent / ICU Bed charges will have a limit . Certain charges of the hospitals may not be reimbursed . Further the expenses to be incurred by the family members of the patients like their boarding and lodging , especially if hospitals are situated away from the patient's residence . If you are running a business or profession , your income may cease to come through during your hospitalization period . Hence you may require additional funds , over and above health insurance policies , during hospitalization period to cover additional expenses and loss of income . The hospital cash insurance policy will help you to tide over such a situation .

NOTE : Hospital cash plan is not a substitute for a Health Insurance policy and it only supplements a health insurance cover .

BASIC FEATURES OF HOSPITAL CASH INSURANCE PLANS .:

Note : Each insurance company will have its own eligibility criteria , benefits , exclusions and terms & conditions . Hence please read the prospectus of insurance plan of the particular insurance company and check up with them for any doubts .

1. ENTRY AGE : Most of the insurance companies enrol persons up to 65 years of age .
2. RENEWAL : is allowed lifelong . But some will have restriction of exit age also .
3. PRE - MEDICAL TEST : Normally persons above 55 years are required to undergo pre-medical test
4. PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS : ARE COVERED ONLY AFTER A WAITING PERIOD
5. ICU CHARGES : Normally daily benefits for ICU bed charges will be double of the the inured amount . Some insurance companies pay 3 times for an outstation ICU hospitalization .
​6. Plans are available on individual and floater basis .
7. DAILY LIMIT : You can chose daily limit listed in the prospectus .
8. TAX BENEFIT : Premium paid can be claimed under section 80D of Income tax act .

​Restriction :
1. Restrictions will be there on claims to be made for number of days for each hospitalization and total number of days in a policy year .
2. Some insurance policies may have restrictions on total number of days allowed for the entire period of policy .
3. There can be a waiting period after issue of the policy which is usually 30 days .
4. Hospitalization due to pre-existing medical conditions may not be covered for specific initial period

SOME SELECT HOSPITAL CASH PLANS :

Below are the some of the hospital cash plans brought out by different inurance . By clicking on them , you may know the details of the policies :


1.HDFC Ergo Optima Cash
2.Future Generalli
3. LIC'S Jeevan Arogya
4.Bajaj Allianz Hospital Cash
5. SBI Cards Hopital cash
6. TATA AIG
7. Star Hospital Cash