Know what your health insurance policy will not cover in COVID-19 hospital bills
COVID-19 treatment costs are very expensive, and not everyone can afford them. As a result, many health insurance companies offer coverage for COVID-19 hospitalization to manage medical costs. If you are a victim of COVID-19, you should know more about the features in detail before buying a policy. In addition, you should check whether your existing policy provides medical expenses for COVID-19 treatments or not. This is because disputes between hospitals and insurers are increasing during the hospitalization process, resulting in various problems.
Your hospital may not pay for a significant part of COVID-19 hospital charges, and you need to understand them in detail. Therefore, you should know what a health insurance policy won’t cover in COVID-19 hospital bills. It is wise to evaluate your policy with more attention that gives ways to reduce unwanted problems. The costs of COVID-19 are becoming higher day by day, and you should know the reasons properly. Not only that, they allow you to make the right decision when you want to get hospitalization in listed hospitals.
Why are COVID-19 expenses becoming high?
You have to pay more hospital expenses during Covid-19 hospitalization, mainly due to consumables. For example, PPE kits are necessary for Coronavirus treatment because they play a crucial role in protecting you from infections and other problems. Therefore, they add a significant portion of your total hospital costs that may result in a financial burden. Moreover, the sanitization cost is another reason that increases your medical bills. Other factors that influence your Covid-19 expenses include oxygen, number of days, rent, nursing fees, location, infection control charges, doctor fees, housekeeping, etc. Hence, you need to consider all the factors when you want to undergo treatments for COVID-19 in a hospital.
What is not covered in COVID-19 insurance?
You should understand the exclusions of COVID-19 properly that will help you undergo medical treatment without any issues. Here are some things that are not covered by a health insurance policy when it comes to Covid-19 as mentioned below:-
- Claims raised during the waiting period
- Duration of the hospitalization
- Reports from Non-authorized diagnostic center
- Treatments outside India
- Unprescribed medicines
- Travel history
- Pre-existing diseases
- Coverage for medical equipment
- External congenital diseases
Claims raised during the waiting period
Insurance companies that offer coverage for Coverage-19 have a waiting period of 15 days, and you can’t make any claims during that period.
Duration of the hospitalization
Some health insurance policies don’t provide coverage for less than 24 hours and 72 hours of hospitalization. Therefore, you should read the terms and conditions before purchasing a plan.
Reports from Non-authorized diagnostic center
Your health insurance provider won’t offer coverage when you undergo medical tests in a non-authorized diagnostic center. Hence, you should know the lists of authorized diagnostic centers from various sources before selecting a hospital.
Treatments outside India
A health insurance company doesn’t provide coverage for treatments outside India, and you should choose only the listed hospitals in India for COVID-19 hospitalization.
Unprescribed medicines
Your insurance provider doesn’t offer coverage for unprescribed medicines related to Covid-19 treatments. Read the terms and conditions carefully before choosing a health insurance policy from a company.
Travel history
A health insurance plan won’t compensate you if you have visited any of the countries restricted by the Government of India.
Pre-existing diseases
If you have any pre-existing diseases, ensure that your insurer offers coverage for them during Covid-19 hospitalization. This is because most companies exclude pre-existing diseases that will result in more problems.
Coverage for medical equipment
Your insurer doesn’t provide coverage for certain medical equipment such as nebulizer kits, steam inhalers, and PPE kits. It is important to make sure that you will get coverage for them after getting admitted to a hospital.
External congenital diseases
If you have any external congenital diseases, then your health insurance company may not provide coverage during COVID-19 hospitalization.
What should you do when it comes to COVID-19 coverage?
You should know the hospital policy regarding COVID-19 hospitalization that will help get more ideas. It is important to check with your insurance provider whether a policy covers coverage for consumables because they are very expensive. Check the details of medical consumables covered in a plan before getting admission to a hospital. This will help manage your medical expenses significantly to witness peace of mind.
How to claim the COVID-19 health insurance?
The health insurance policy charges for Covid-19 may vary from one insurer to another insurer in the markets. Hence, you should compare them online, which will help you make the right decision. You should learn more about how to claim for medical hospital bills with more attention. Most insurers offer cashless claims and reimbursement claims for Covid-19 medical costs, and you should follow the instructions correctly during a claim process.
1. Cashless Claim
You need to verify whether the listed hospitals offer a cashless claim for Covid-19 treatments. Approach the help desk in your hospital to inform them that you want to process a cash claim. You should also intimate your health insurance company within 24 hours after getting hospitalized. Furthermore, you should submit a form meant for cashless claims and your insurer will pay amounts directly to the hospital.
2. Reimbursement Claims
A reimbursement claim is a very lengthy process that will take weeks or months to receive the amounts. You should keep your discharge summary, medical bills, medical report, and other receipts carefully when you want to reimburse them. You should submit a request letter for hospital bills while submitting an application form. Your insurer will verify the details and settle the amounts after completing everything.
Where can you buy a COVID-19 policy?
Several health insurance companies offer plans with Corona-19 coverage, and you should compare them online that will help choose the right one. You can also check the prices of LIC cashless health insurance plans before buying them. This, in turn, gives methods to select a policy with affordable premiums. You should follow the instructions properly while purchasing a plan online. Choosing the right health insurance policy allows you to get the best coverage for hospital expenses during Covid-19 hospitalization.
