Super Top-Up Health Insurance: Everything You Need to Know About It
With the rise of the coronavirus pandemic, health insurance in India has seen a drastic rise. Most health insurances cover only basic hospitalisation costs and may not cover the entire process. That's where super top-up health insurance comes in. Health insurance, in general, is an expensive affair, super top-up helps you gain maximum benefits without emptying your wallet.
Advantages of a top-up health plan –
Greater coverage: In the case of a COVID affected patient, the average hospital cost ranges from Rs. 10-15 Lakhs. This might naturally cause you to question whether your health insurance covers the cost. Adding a top-up or super top-up can help bring your mind at ease. A top-up plan covers cost over and above, just the basic hospitalisation costs.
When this plan kicks in: Top-up plans work on a deductible limit. A deductible limit is a pre-decided number which, once crossed, causes the plan to kick in. For example, if the deductible limit is Rs. 2 lakhs, then any bill that is claimed above that amount is covered by the top-up plan.
Cost effectiveness: You have already been introduced to the concept of a deductible limit. The higher the deductible limit, the lower the cost of the top-up package. This is of great help to bigger families since they have to pay a lower premium for a large increase in health insurance coverage.
For what you can use it: A regular top-up plan works for a single hospitalisation, all bills that are submitted during that one illness are considered. Super top-up health insurance is a little different; it covers multiple hospitalisations that cross the deductible limit.
Expiry: A super top-up health insurance plan covers you as long as two criteria are met. The first one is that you cross the deductible limit. It also covers you till the entire cover is used up, not just for single usage.
What all do these plans cover?
Room rent: Hospital rooms are not cheap. They are rather expensive and can be an added cause for stress during your hospitalisation. With a super top-up plan, you don't have to worry about this and can pick your room without stressing out over the cost.
Family members: Super top-up plans cover family members between the ages of 3 months to 65 years old. It's a great way of covering your family without extra costs and premiums.
Pre and post hospitalisation costs: These plans cover 30 days of pre hospitalisation costs and 60 days of post hospitalisation costs. These numbers can vary from insurer to insurer, however.
In-patient treatment facilities: Most health insurances don't cover treatments outside of hospitals, but these plans do cover the costs of home treatments. They cover all treatments and have no limit on which diseases and ailments are included.
Super top-ups give you a wide range of medical benefits at not much of a cost. You can sign up to get a super top-up to your health insurance without any medical testing if you're below the age of 55. In contrast, a base health plan has a maximum limit of 45 years of age.
Documents required to be eligible for a top-up : 1. Age Proof: Any of the following are allowed, Birth Certificate, Aadhar card, Drivers Licence, Passport, Voter ID, 10th or 12th mark sheet, etc
Identity Proof: Any of the following are allowed, Driving Licence, Voter ID, Passport, Aadhar Card, PAN Card, etc.
Address Proof: Any of the following are allowed, Electricity bill, Aadhar Card, Drivers Licence, Passport, Ration Card, any other document that mentions permanent address.
It's no secret that health insurance plans don't cover all hospitalisation costs completely and leave you to fend for yourself in cases where the bills are just way too high. Super top-up health insurance plans combat this and help put your mind at ease. It acts as a supplementary plan to existing health insurance to make sure that you are well insured.
A few differences between a regular top-up plan and a super top-up plan are as follows –
Top-up plans Super top-up plans Covers one bill that's above the deductible limit Covers the sum total of all bills that are above the deductible limit Suitable for people less prone to illness and accidents Suitable for people more prone to accidents and illnesses Premiums are relatively low Premiums are higher than regular top-up plans. The cost is lower for the plans with a higher deductible. Example – If the deductible limit is 2 lakh and the price of the premium is Rs. 600. The deductible limit is 4 lakh, then the price is Rs. 550. (These are not real numbers, they are used just for illustration purposes)
In conclusion, super top-up health insurance plans are a great investment, especially in India. Most of the population live in joint families and hence have a massive amount to gain from these plans.