Health Insurance in Tamil Nadu

 

Tamil Nadu, one of the largest states of South India, is also known as the ‘Health Capital of India’. This state is well known for classical music and dance, historic landmarks, ancient temples, cultural heritage and more. Many people also come to this city to access its medical facilities. This is because the state has developed a high level of healthcare infrastructure. 

However, for the average person, medical treatment in Tamil Nadu is expensive. Therefore, the residents here must invest in health insurance. Continue reading this blog to gain detailed insights into health insurance in Tamil Nadu.  

Significance of Health Insurance in Tamil Nadu

As with any urban region, the people of Tamil Nadu lead a hectic lifestyle and thus they are more susceptible to complicated health problems. Many people lead a poor lifestyle which leads to medical issues. Furthermore, diseases like hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer are on the rise. It is therefore crucial to get medical insurance in Tamil Nadu. 

Choosing the right medical insurance plan will provide you with financial protection during times of medical emergency. Alongside, it will also prevent your savings from draining out. Nowadays, medical insurance plans provide a wide coverage expense of medical treatment such as ambulance, pre and post-hospitalisation medical expenses, OPD costs, hospital bills and more. Therefore, you do not have to worry about costs when availing the best healthcare in Tamil Nadu.

Reasons to Buy Online Health Insurance in Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, you can opt for two modes of purchasing health insurance, namely, the offline mode and the online mode. It is recommended to buy online health insurance because of its many benefits. These are discussed in detail below:

• Convenience

In Tamil Nadu, purchasing health insurance online is more convenient than offline. Online health insurance plans enable you to select, compare and purchase a policy at any time of the day. You do not have to stand in a long queue or meet with an agent. All information is available on the insurer's website, and you can avail all services online. 

• Time-Saving

Purchasing an online health policy saves you time. Unlike offline purchases, you do not have to stand in long queues or wait for document verification. With an online policy, you will receive your documents on the same day as your purchase. This saves a lot of your time

• Lower Premiums

Purchasing an online health insurance plan is more cost-effective than the offline mode. There is no involvement of agents or middlemen and thus the insurer can save on commission. While operating online, insurers also save a lot on postal charges and expenses. Hence, with online health insurance, you will be charged a lower premium.

Advantages of Health Insurance in Tamil Nadu

Life of people in this fast-paced world is becoming increasingly stressful, especially among Indians. The majority of people nowadays suffer from complicated diseases including diabetes and heart diseases, which become the leading cause of death. Apart from this, infectious diseases, respiratory diseases and others are also rising. 

In this scenario, health insurance is a necessity as it protects your finances during times of emergencies. Here are the benefits of medical insurance in Tamil Nadu in detail:

• Extensive Coverage

A single policy can cover the majority of your healthcare needs in Tamil Nadu. Today, health insurance policies provide extensive coverage including cashless hospitalisation, daycare treatments, domiciliary treatment, ambulance costs, rent of hospital rooms and more. You can get all your treatment costs covered by the best health insurance in Tamil Nadu.

• Cashless Facility

You can enjoy the benefits of cashless treatment once you opt for health insurance. It is important to choose a mediclaim policy if you do not have enough cash in hand to treat yourself or your family members at the hospital. 

With a cashless facility, you can get treated at your preferred network of hospitals without paying a single rupee from your pocket. Hence, it is advisable to always choose a health insurance plan providing cashless medical treatment. 

• Sense of Security

Health insurance policies allow you to reimburse the costs of medical treatment. Opting for the right medical insurance will let you live your life hassle-free and worry less. You can thus spend some quality time with your family without worrying about treatment. Mediclaim policy takes care of your health during times of medical emergency.

• Tax Benefits

Additionally, the health insurance in Tamil Nadu also provides its policyholders tax benefits under Section 80D * of the Income Tax Act. You can reduce your taxable income by Rs. 25,000 a year by paying health insurance premiums for yourself and your family members. If you are paying insurance premiums for senior citizens, you can avail an additional Rs. 50,000 in tax deductions.

How Much Health Insurance Coverage Do You Need in Tamil Nadu?

If you are a resident of Tamil Nadu, you must purchase a health insurance plan that covers your medical expenses sufficiently. Typically, you should have your health insurance coverage amount to be at least half of your annual income. The coverage amount must be enough to include treatment of major illnesses in Tamil Nadu. 

Considering all the major illnesses people in Tamil Nadu face nowadays, the residents must purchase an insurance policy of at least Rs. 10 lakh. However, if you want to cover your family members' medical illness costs, you should opt to purchase family health insurance of Rs. 15 lakh or more. Moreover, if you are a senior citizen, you should choose a senior citizen health insurance plan providing at least Rs. 20 lakh coverage. 

Things Which Are Covered under Health Insurance Plans in Tamil Nadu

Mentioned below is the list of things covered by most health insurance plans in Tamil Nadu:

• Domiciliary treatment

• Inpatient hospitalisation

• Ambulance cost and daycare allowance

• AYUSH treatment

• Free health checkups

• Pre and post-hospitalization cost

Things That Are Not Covered under Health Insurance Plans in Tamil Nadu

Unfortunately, even the best health insurance in Tamil Nadu does not cover everything. Here is the list of things not covered under the health insurance plan in Tamil Nadu:

• Injuries caused due to war or riot

• Maternity expenses

• Pre-existing medical illness treatment

• Cosmetic treatment

• Dental procedure treatment

• HIV AIDS

• Congenital treatment

• Treatment caused by smoking or consuming alcohol

Things to Consider before Purchasing Health Insurance in Tamil Nadu

Purchasing health insurance in Tamil Nadu does not guarantee that all your medical treatment costs are covered. If you do not consider certain factors during purchasing health insurance online in Tamil Nadu, you might suffer in the long run. 

Here are the things you must consider to choose the best health insurance plan in Tamil Nadu:

• Always go for online medical insurance plans. This will provide you with a variety of options in your hand. You can visit the official online portal of your health insurance policy to purchase health insurance online. At the same time, you can make a thorough comparison of the various health insurance plans to get the best quotes and avail the finest health policy at a comparatively low price.

• A thorough comparison of health insurance plans online will allow you to choose the best health insurance plan at a low premium rate. Thus, you can also select the best individual plan medical coverage options and avail the best health insurance in Tamil Nadu online

• Make a thorough research of the health insurance company you are planning to purchase for your medical treatment in Tamil Nadu. Always go for insurance companies that have a high claim settlement ratio. Apart from this, choose insurers known for providing fast claim settlement and customer support. 

Reasons to Buy Health Insurance in Tamil Nadu

In recent years, health-related issues have become an ultimate concern for the inhabitants of Tamil Nadu. With rising costs, one must find an affordable option to cover their healthcare needs: 

Here are the reasons why you should purchase health insurance in Tamil Nadu now:

• Cost Effective Policies

It is always beneficial to purchase any insurance plan while you are young. At a younger age, you can purchase any plan at a lower cost and stay healthy. The older you become; the premium amount keeps on rising. Waiting too long to opt for any health insurance makes the premiums more expensive. 

• Fallback Option

Dealing with any severe disease with your hard-earned saved money might turn out challenging at times. In this scenario, you will end up losing all your savings. Thus, opting for any medical insurance plan will save you all these costs and ease your financial burden. This is especially important if you are responsible for your family.

• Changed Lifestyle

A sedentary urban lifestyle can cause various health issues and these problems at times go beyond fever, cough and cold. Not only this, but in recent times, heart disease, and diabetes have also gained equal importance. However, it is not easy for most people to avoid living in a city. Thus, it is necessary to protect your health with insurance coverage.

Tips for Finding the Best Health Insurance Policy in Tamil Nadu

Here are the tips to follow to find out the best health insurance in Tamil Nadu:

• Coverage vs Premium

While choosing a health insurance policy, note the coverage amount offered against the premium amount charged. Then, compare the coverage value provided by different insurers. People make mistakes looking at the benefits or costs separately.

Before purchasing any health insurance plan, make sure to check the various facilities it offers including domiciliary treatment, alternative treatments, hospitalisation cover and other terms and conditions. If you opt for the best health insurance policy, you can expect to avail a good coverage at a reasonable premium. 

• Network Hospitals

All insurance companies partner with a number of hospitals to provide cashless service to their customers. If you are availing treatment through network hospitals, you need not have to pay medical bills to the hospital. The insurance company in this scenario takes up the responsibility of the insured sum mentioned in the policy. 

As Tamil Nadu is a metro city, there are many specialised hospitals for treating various complicated diseases. If your insurance policy covers the majority of reputable network hospitals in the city, it will be a good choice.

• Co-pay

Co-pay is the amount that an insured customer has to pay out of pocket during claim settlement. If there is involvement of senior citizens in the policy, the health insurance plans include a co-pay claim amount. The higher will be the co-pay amount selected, the lower will be the premium. 

Co-pay allows customers to get better coverage at an affordable price. However, if you cannot pay the amount, having a co-pay clause can be detrimental. 

• No Claim Bonus

No claim bonus is when there is an increase in the sum insured during policy renewal for no claims in the previous year of the policy. The no-claim or renewal bonus cannot exceed 100 per cent of the sum insured.

Insurance policies provide anywhere from 10% to 50% of renewal bonus. Alternatively, insurers can offer discounts on premiums upon policy renewals if you do not file claims. When the renewal bonus is higher, you have more incentives to stick with your current insurer. 

How to Avail Cashless Health Insurance in Tamil Nadu?

If you are willing to avail cashless treatment at any of your network hospitals in Tamil Nadu, it is necessary to follow the below-mentioned steps:

1. Choose any hospital from the network hospital list of your insurer to carry out the treatment process.

2. Inform the health insurance company about your hospitalisation during the specified time.

3. At the time of admission, submit the duly signed pre-authorisation form at the hospital desk.

4. Provide the health insurance company with all necessary documents including your health card.

5. After successful verification of all documents, you will receive approval from the claim management team.

6. Upon successful verification and approval of documents, the medical bills will be settled directly with the hospital following the terms and conditions of the policy

It is necessary for an insured person to inform the insurance company within 24 hours of emergency hospitalisation. However, if your admission is planned, the insurance company should be notified of the same 48 hours before admission. 

What Is the Claim Procedure in Tamil Nadu?

Upon successful verification of the health insurance claim, the insurance company either establishes the bill payment directly with the hospital or chooses to reimburse the amount spent. This however depends on the type of claim procedure opted for.

Any health insurance policy in Tamil Nadu provides financial assistance as and when required. Health insurance companies offer two modes of covering your medical expenses: 

Cashless Claim

When you opt for a cashless claim, you can avail treatment from any network hospital of the insurance company. You do not have to pay any amount to get cashless treatment. During the time of admission, you must produce the health card at the insurance desk. 

The insurance company settles all expenses for the treatment you need to undergo. In most cases, cashless treatment is approved by health insurance companies within 4 hours of your admission at the hospital. 

There are two ways you can follow to claim for cashless treatment. These are discussed below: 

For Planned Admission

1. Choose your hospital from the insurance company’s network hospital list mentioned in the policy document.

2. At least three days before admission, inform the TPA (third-party administrator) and accordingly provide your membership number.

3. Fill out the cashless form at the hospital and submit it to the TPA for medical records.

4. Upon successful verification of the documents from the TPA department, all your hospital bills will be settled excluding the attendant charges, food, phone charges, etc.

5. If any issue arises with the verification of your submitted documents, you can file for reimbursement.

For Emergency Admission

1. For admission at a hospital for emergency purposes, it is necessary to inform the third-party administrator (TPA) after hospitalisation.

2. Fill out the cashless form with all necessary details and submit the form to TPA for medical records.

3. If you receive approval for a cashless facility, the hospital will look into your medical bills. You do not have to pay a single amount.

4. If the TPA faces any issue with approving your submitted documents, seek reimbursement.

Reimbursement Claim

To claim for reimbursement, you need to pay initially for the treatment out of your own pocket. When you are being discharged, collect medical bills, prescriptions and other documents that you need to produce while filing a claim.

Upon successful verification of the bills submitted, the insurance company will credit the necessary amount to your bank account. 

The reimbursement method is generally followed when your request for a cashless claim gets rejected or for treatment from non-network hospitals. Seven days after the discharge of the patient, make sure to start the reimbursement process. 

How to Renew HDFC Life Health Insurance in Tamil Nadu?

It is important to opt for health insurance in Tamil Nadu. At the same time, it is necessary to renew your health insurance policy. The process of policy renewal through online mode varies from one company to another. Delays in renewing your health insurance policy might lose you the no-claim bonus:

Here is a step-by-step guide you must follow to renew your health insurance in Tamil Nadu with HDFC Life:

1. Log in to our official portal.

2. Choose the renewal option and enter your health insurance policy number along with other details.

3. As per your preferences, include some add-on covers and click on the submit button to carry out the policy renewal.

4. Following this, you need to make the payment via debit card, credit card or net banking.

5. Upon successful premium payment, you will be done with health insurance policy renewal.

What Are the Types of Health Insurance in Tamil Nadu?

Because of the developing medical infrastructure in Tamil Nadu, healthcare treatment has become expensive. Hence, to help people protect themselves financially, insurance companies are offering a wide variety of health insurance policies with unique features and benefits. Some of the most common types of health insurance in Tamil Nadu are:

• Group Health Insurance

Group health insurance caters to multiple individuals in a group like an organisation. This is mostly chosen by employers for their employees.

• Individual Health Insurance

This kind of health insurance caters for the needs of individual persons. The premium you need to pay for health insurance considers several factors including medical condition, lifestyle habits, medical history, age and others.

• Family Floater Health Insurance

This health insurance is designed especially for families. You will get a single sum insured only for multiple family members under this policy.

• Senior Citizen Health Insurance

The older you become, the more you will face health issues. However, senior citizens need to pay high health insurance premiums. Thus, senior citizen health insurance is designed specially to meet the needs of senior citizens.

By now, you must have a clear understanding of health insurance in Tamil Nadu. If you reside here, you must opt for the best health insurance you can get to stay stress-free with your medical expenses. Irrespective of the health insurance company you are choosing, browse the company's website thoroughly. Opt for an online policy to pay the premium online and renew it at your convenience. 

FAQs on Health Insurance in Tamil Nadu

Q. Which health insurance is best in Tamil Nadu?

Your choice of health insurance will depend on several factors like the premium you can pay and the sum insured amount you need. Try to get the maximum coverage for the lowest possible cost.

Q. Is Rs. 2 lakh health insurance enough in Tamil Nadu?

No, opting for Rs. 2 lakh health insurance will likely not be enough in Tamil Nadu. In Tamil Nadu, citizens must opt for at least Rs. 10 lakh of the sum insured. 

Q. What is the right age to buy health insurance in Tamil Nadu?

To purchase any health insurance in Tamil Nadu, the right age is between 20 and 30 years. The younger you are, the lower will be your premium. 

Q. How can I calculate health insurance quotes in Tamil Nadu?

The health insurance premium calculator helps you to calculate your health insurance premium and get insurance quotes in Tamil Nadu for free. 

Q. Are health insurance rates less in Tamil Nadu?

No, health insurance rates in Tamil Nadu are not less. Rather it is affordable.