Top-Up policy: An effective way to enhance the Health Insurance coverage

Spending on health care needs is inevitable. One hefty medical bill is enough to drain your savings and might lead to medical debt. A Health Insurance plan will save you from financial worries due to unforeseen medical bills. Numerous Health Insurance plans are available, which are curated according to the needs of the individuals. Choosing the right Health Insurance plan and adequate coverage is crucial.

However, the policy also needs enhancement to manage the current medical inflation and health risk. Speaking of enhancing Health Insurance coverage, we often consider opting for a higher Sum Insured. The Sum Insured refers to the maximum coverage the insured person is eligible for under the opted Health Insurance plan.

Increasing the Sum Insured might sound good when it enhances the sub-limits of your opted Health Insurance plan. But also remember that the higher the Sum Insured, the higher your premium will be. The Sum Insured and the age of the eldest insured person are a couple of major factors impacting the Health Insurance premium. If you have a Family Health Insurance policy, check the premium before opting for a higher Sum Insured. As it covers all the family members, the health risk of every member will be taken into consideration for calculating the premium.

Is it possible to increase health insurance coverage without paying a hefty premium? Indeed, there is a way. Top-Up Health Insurance policy helps enhance the Sum Insured by the base Health Insurance policy. Almost all Health Insurance providers are offering a Top-Up Health Insurance policy, a pocket-friendly policy which provides additional coverage and offers other benefits as well.

Top-Up Health Insurance policy, as the name implies, provides additional coverage when the basic policy reaches its threshold limits. It is evident that only the insured with a base Health Insurance policy, be it an Individual Health Insurance, Family Health Insurance, Group Health Insurance or Senior Citizens Health Insurance policy, can opt for a Top-Up Health Insurance policy. Moreover, the insured can buy a Top-Up policy from any insurer. It does not have to be purchased from the same insurer as the base Health Insurance policy.

With rising medical inflation, a Top-Up Health Insurance policy becomes essential to reduce out-of-pocket expenditures. Besides the hospitalization expenses, it offers other benefits like delivery expenses, organ donor expenses, etc., at an affordable premium. It is important to note that a Top-Up Health Insurance policy comes with a deductible, making its premium affordable. However, the insured has to pay the deductible to avail of coverage under the policy. Like other Health Insurance policies, Top-Up Health Insurance plans are exempted from income tax under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

The Super Surplus Insurance policy by Star Health is a Top-Up policy which provides additional coverage of up to 1 crore at an affordable premium. The policy is available on both individual and floater basis and comes in two variants, Gold and Silver Plan. Along with in-patient hospitalization, the policy cover pre and post-hospitalization, ambulance changes, modern treatment, organ donor expenses, recharge benefit, e-medical opinion, etc. No pre-insurance medical screening is required to avail the policy.

The entry age, policy inclusion, exclusion, coverage and benefits will vary from one insurer to another. Top-Up Health Insurance plans are crafted with deductibles, which makes the plan more affordable. While opting for a Top-Up policy, remember to opt for an affordable deductible to reduce out-of-pocket expenses. Check your base policy and analyse if you require any additional coverage. If so, make sure your Top-Up Health Insurance policy has the benefits. Never miss out to look on the waiting period.