Personal accident insurance plans: Does your insurance provide full protection against contingencies 27^th February 2023

The recent Economic Survey for the year 2022-23 presented by the Government of India indicates a positive growth outlook for the Indian insurance sector. With the general insurance policy penetration rates at par with the global level, one may assume that all insurance policies are equally preferred in the country.

However, upon careful inspection, it is easy to realise that personal accident insurance plans do not enjoy such high penetration as popular insurance like health insurance, which is considered necessary. While many may think the formerly mentioned plan is sufficient to cover every contingency, the coverage against disabilities and personal accidents is often left out of the scope of consideration.

Defining personal accident insurance plans.

Personal accident insurance plans are a type of insurance that provides coverage in the event of an accidental injury or death. It offers financial support to help cover medical expenses, lost income, and other expenses that may arise from an unforeseen injury or death. Apart from monetary compensation, it also offers peace of mind to policyholders without worrying about the financial consequences of an unexpected accident.

The need for personal accident insurance plans with other insurance.

Buying health insurance only provides limited coverage for the illnesses and conditions included in the policy, leading many to believe it is enough to provide comprehensive protection against adverse events affecting one's well-being. However, this assumption is flawed, as can be understood from the definition above. Hospitalisation due to the policyholder's illness is a prerequisite for raising a successful claim. In case of only accidents or injuries, the policyholder is left unprotected, making purchasing personal accident insurance plans essential.

1. Coverage extent:
Health insurance only provides compensation in case of the policyholder's death or hospitalisation due to specified illnesses. It offers no specific coverage or payouts for accidental death or injury. Personal accident insurance plans supplement such cases by covering accidents caused during travel, work, commute, etc.

2. Financial compensation:
One of the benefits of personal accident insurance is that it provides financial support to help cover medical expenses and loss of productive capacity due to an accidental injury or death. This way, hospitalised policyholders who cannot return to work for a stipulated period are offered a daily cash allowance and additional benefits for their dependents, like children's education and transportation allowance.

3. A broad scope of disability coverage:
Most personal accident insurance plans offer coverage for accidental death, permanent partial or total disability, or temporary total disability. This provides incidental disability or death coverage regardless of the cause, unlike health insurance. Therefore, personal accident insurance plans offer peace of mind to policyholders about the financial consequences of an unexpected accident.

4. Flexibility of coverage:
Personal accident insurance plans are generally more affordable than other insurance types. They are also flexible, allowing policyholders to choose the ideal coverage for their needs and budget, making it accessible to a broad range of potential policy purchasers.

Standard exclusions to keep in mind.

Like every insurance product, personal accident insurance plans exclude certain factors such as natural death, high-risk work environments, childbirth or pregnancy, suicide, and self-inflicted injuries. Accidents caused while participating in extreme sports, under the influence of intoxicants, or while engaging in criminal activities are other reasons that most insurers do not provide coverage.

Despite their exclusions, personal accident insurance plans are excellent supplements to health insurance and provide relatively comprehensive protection against the financial impact of accidental injury or death. We urge you to consider purchasing personal accident insurance plans to protect against unforeseen accidents.

Click HERE to browse through different personal accident insurance plans.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.