Here’s the Difference between Health Insurance and Mediclaim

Imagine you’re looking for a job change. You get an interview call for a job. What will be your plan of action? Will you get your resume ready and prepare for the interview or you will try to extract all the possible information about the job profile and the company profile including the strength of its workforce, its financial health, your job description etc?

Most of the people go for the latter approach first then follow it up with the former approach. It is a systematic way of approaching. Now, replace this situation with buying health insurance. Would you like to know what your plan is and what it has to offer or would you just go ahead and buy a plan that you have just come across?

Even if you’re buying a plan from the best health insurance company in India, if you don’t know what exactly it has to offer, it is of no use to you. While buying health insurance, people make various mistakes. One of the most common mistakes is assuming mediclaim is a synonym of health insurance. Mediclaim and health insurance plans have their own different definitions. It’s high time we address this issue. That’s why; we have come up with this article. In this article, we’ll tell you how mediclaim is different from health insurance.

But before we get to the point, let’s first talk about what is mediclaim insurance and what is health insurance.

What is Mediclaim Insurance?

Mediclaim insurance is a type of insurance that offers specified financial protection against health-related expenses. It is a pocket-friendly way to mitigate any health-related emergency. However, the coverage is limited to hospitalization and other expenses are to be borne by the insured himself.

How Does a Mediclaim Insurance Plan Work in India?

Here are the Features of Mediclaim Insurance Plan.

Coverage – A mediclaim health insurance provides insurance coverage against hospitalization expenses, treatment expenses due to an accident and specific diseases.
Sum Assured – Generally, it comes with a pre-decided sum assured.
Premium Affecting Factors – A mediclaim insurance plan’s premium is formulated on the basis of the sum insured, the proposer’s age, gender, geographical location and opted duration of the preferred plan.
Claim Settlement – A mediclaim claim is processed in the form of reimbursement as well as cashless treatment.
Plan Basis – The plan can be purchased on an individual as well as family floater basis. In a family floater plan, it covers self, spouse, dependent children, and dependent parents.
Tax Exemption – The plan offers tax benefit as per Section 80D of IT Act 1961.

What is Health Insurance?

Health insurance covers the cost of medical and surgical expenses incurred by the insured. The insured either has to pay such expenses out-of-pocket and is later reimbursed by the insurer or the insurance company settles the bill directly with the hospital. The benefit and features so provided, are subject to the terms and conditions of the insurance policy. The cover, most of the times, is extensive and is usually more expensive than a Mediclaim Policy.

How does a Health Insurance Plan Works in India?

Here are the Features of Health Insurance Plan.

Coverage- Health insurance plan offers comprehensive insurance coverage, including critical illness cover for up to 30 plus illnesses.
Note – A critical illness isn’t a part of a basic health plan; it’s a rider that can be opted for as an additional cover.
Renewal Discounts- Generally, health insurance comes with a benefit upon the time of renewal after the end of a claim-free year. This benefit is known as No Claim Bonus.
Co-payment- A few health insurance policies come with an option of co-payment. It helps decrease the insurance premium as a particular percentage of the treatment expense is paid by the insured and the remaining balance is paid by the insurance company.
Tax Benefits- Under section 80 D of the income tax act, a health insurance plan offers tax benefits.