Buying online health insurance has become easy in India. However, renewing it on time is equally important because it helps to prolong the benefits of your plan. Moreover, renewing or buying health insurance online is convenient, easy, and affordable. It saves time as well as the efforts of an individual. You can renew it through various modes.
Let us now understand the process of health insurance policy renewal:
- Health insurance renewal process
Health insurance can be renewed via offline or online mode
- Online process:
Health insurance can be renewed easily on the portal of the insurance company. You need to fill up all the required details and make an online payment to renew your health insurance instantly. Following are the steps for the renewal of health insurance online:
- Go to the insurer’s website: The first step for the insurance renewal process is to log in to the insurer’s website. A renewal link will be available there. This link will redirect you to the renewal page where you can renew your policy. Some websites provide their customers with login ID and password. You can log in on the insurance company’s website and renew the policy.
- Provide basic details: You need to provide requisite policy details such as the policy number, date of birth, other documents, etc.
- Make the Premium payment: Once you have filled all the details you will be directed to the payment page. You will have to pay a premium for the renewal of health insurance. You can pay the premium by net banking or by debit/credit card.
Instant renewal of policy: After the payment is done you will receive a digitally signed copy of your renewed policy that will contain all details of the policy as well as the coverage amount. Obtain a print of your policy, and store it safely.
- Offline process:
For an offline procedure, follow the steps mentioned below:
- Visit the insurer’s office.
- Pay the premium to the agent at the office
- Pay cash or issue the cheque in the name of the insurance company and not in the name of any individual
- Drawbacks of not renewing your policy on time:
Your policy expires if you do not pay the premium on the due date or within the grace period of thirty days. If your policy expires you will lose the benefits of the previous policy such as:
- No claim bonus: You get a bonus from the insurers, that can be utilized during renewal, for not claiming in the previous year. However, you will lose your no claim bonus if you do not renew the policy.
- Waiting period clauses: The starting period of health insurer membership during which there is not any benefit payable for some procedures or services is known as a waiting period. You can apply waiting periods to any additional benefits while changing or upgrading your health insurance policy. Health insurance policies come with a waiting period of 30 days at the initial stage. If your policy expires you will have to start again with a new policy and a waiting period of 30 days.
A waiting period is an initial period of health insurer membership during which no benefit is payable for certain procedures or services. Waiting periods can also apply to any additional benefits when you change (upgrade) your health insurance policy.
- Cover for pre-existing diseases: Some pre-existing diseases are covered after 3-4 years of continuous coverage. You will have to start from scratch if your policy expires.
- No coverage: If you do not renew your policy on time, it will expire and you will not be able to avail your health coverage. This means you will have to incur expenses from your pocket in case of any medical emergency. However, if the policy is renewed during the waiting period then all previously provided policy benefits will be continued.
- Conclusion
Health insurance is essential to cover your medical expenses. The medical expenses can include hospitalization costs, day-care procedures, domiciliary hospitalization, pre and post-hospitalization costs, etc. Although, it all depends on the type of health cover one opts for. For continuous health cover, a timely health insurance renewal is important.