GENERAL INSURANCE BLOG

Financial security is a priority for any family and having health insurance is one of the first steps towards keeping your family secure during health emergencies. But, what about other emergencies which are beyond the coverage of any health insurance policy?

Zeenat, a single parent of a 6-year-old daughter, takes as many precautions for her daughter's well being as she can. She has saved enough for daughter’s future in forms of fixed deposits and mutual funds. She has also taken health insurance for both to secure against any health emergencies. The planning seems perfect for a family of two people except for a loophole, not having an accident cover that could put all in vain if something goes wrong.

According to a report by the TOI, In India alone, about 1.49 lakh people lost their lives by road accidents in 2018. Personal accident insurance is an answer to such life-threatening situations, as a family gets shattered just by the news of an accident, let alone the future consequences that might bring substantial financial burden. However, before you go for a personal accident insurance plan, here are some things that you must know:

1. What is personal accident insurance?

A personal accident insurance policy gives you a cover against accidents. It could be a road accident, a sudden fall, or any situation that leads to a disability or even death. Having personal accident insurance will save your expenses during such an emergency, and the insured amount would also take care of the loss of income that occurred during this period.

2. What does a personal accident insurance plan offer you?

Personal accident insurance generally envelops accidental death, permanent total disablement, permanent partial disablement and temporary total disablement.

But one thing that worries a person is what if the medical expense goes beyond what his policy can cover? With Magma HDI's Individual Accident Policy cover, a person can opt for Medical Expense Extension and Hospital Confinement Allowance.

3. What does the personal accident policy not cover?

It does not cover natural death due to drug addiction or alcoholism, adventurous sport, a breach of law with criminal intent, suicide-attempt, pregnancy, war, civil war, invasion, act of foreign enemies, revolution, insurrection or mutiny, pregnancy, participation in any naval, military or air force operations, curative treatments or interventions.

4. What is the need for personal accident insurance?

The need arises from the gap that health insurance and a life insurance policy will not cover. While, health insurance mainly covers the severe ailments and any other health emergencies, a life insurance policy pays compensation only in case of death. A personal accident insurance policy, on the other, is equally important for your insurance portfolio, which covers the policyholder in case of hospitalization or even in case of death due to an accident.

5. What is the ideal personal accident insurance?

The ideal personal accident insurance depends on individual exposure to situations and risks. For example, if your profession requires extensive travel, opt a plan that covers your international travel.

Go for the best personal accident insurance plan that ensures the maximum coverage and financial stability in the event of any accident.

Medical facilities in India have now achieved the status of being “world-class,” allowing the people of country with access to best treatment within the country. This improvement in facilities has come along with a substantial increase in medical expenses. As a result, purchasing health insurance in India has become a necessity because covering medical expenses from your own pocket has become virtually impossible. In fact, if your parents are in their older years, you must opt for health insurance in india for parents  to allow them access to best-in-class treatment for their ailments, without jeopardising their financial future. Due to the efforts of the Government and leading insurance companies, awareness regarding health insurance has improved significantly in India.

With multiple insurance companies operating in India and offering various health insurance plans, it is certainly possible that you are confused regarding the best option. If you are unsure regarding the best policy for you, then read on to know about the easy ways to choose affordable health insurance:

• Understand your requirement: Firstly, understand the extent of coverage you require. This will depend on numerous factors like your age, family size, premium affordability, and future health requirements. Moreover, if your parents do not have a health cover, then you must get health insurance in India for parents. Also, there are various additional covers available, which can come handy in case of certain conditions.
• Coverage for ailments: Nowadays, there are several health insurance policies that offer coverage for specific critical illnesses. You need to ascertain the type of diseases you wish to cover under your health insurance policy before opting for an option.
• Coverage for pre-existing ailments: Different health insurance policies offer different waiting period for pre-existing illnesses. You need to identify a plan that has a minimum waiting period. This will save you from unexpected hospitalisation expenses in case you need treatment for the ailment before the completion of the waiting period.
• Claim-settlement ratio: This ratio signifies the percentage of claims that the insurer settles out of every 100 claims received. You need to opt for an insurer with the highest claim settlement ratio so that your claim would not be rejected for any frivolous reason.
• Cashless hospitalisation: Different insurance companies have agreements with different TPAs (Third Party Administrators). These different TPAs have different hospitals on their panel. You should opt for an insurer who offers maximum hospitals for cashless treatment. Moreover, the hospitals near your home should be covered under the panel of the TPA, as it would convenient for you in the need of emergency.
• Compare the premiums: Last but not the least, make it a point to compare the premiums of different insurance companies. For the same extent of coverage, different insurance companies charge different premiums. Nevertheless, there are various plans that offer cheaper premium but also have reduced coverage. There are various online platforms where you can easily compare various health insurance plans, their coverage, and other essential parameters.

The importance of choosing the right health insurance plan cannot be neglected as it is directly associated with your health. So, never rush but always make an informed decision after carefully comparing various crucial factors affecting your health plan.

Disasters have many faces and can strike anytime, anywhere; they can be seen in the form of quakes, floods, gas leaks, explosions, etc. and one of the most commonly known faces of disaster is fire. Damage felt after a partial or full-blown fire mishap is quite painful and nearly unrecoverable. However, if you have your house insured with ironclad insurance from a well-reputed fire insurance company, then your hassles can be reduced to a minimum.

A fire insurance policy plays an essential role in dealing with the losses and damages incurred due to fire. It is highly recommended to purchase fire insurance to safeguard your homes from any future calamity that a sudden fire or smoke can cause.

Here are some of the tips you can follow if you face damage from fire or smoke in your homes.

• Ask for an advance against your claim: -  Right after the house has been gutted to fire, you might be forced to evacuate the house, considering the dangerous situation because of the smoke. In this case, you are eligible to get an advance from your insurance company so that you can buy your daily essentials. Inform your insurance company and ask it to issue a cheque and bring it to wherever you are staying. It will help you in this dire need and will be enough for your survival until your claim gets accepted.
• Checking for the extent of losses: - Once the fire tragedy is controlled, the first act of the homeowner is to calculate or check for the damage extent of personal belongings and property loss in the fire. Once the total loss is measured and counted, it will be easier for you to negotiate with officials handling the claim process.
• Having your receipts documented: - After facing a disastrous house fire, you may be forced to live in a temporary dwelling like a hotel or guesthouse close to your vicinity. It would be ideal to secure all the receipts, document all the costs and expenses carefully. Once you receive the claim for the house fire, you may also get a compensated amount you incurred on your living expenses.
• Check bank statements if you don’t have a receipt: - People tend to be careless when it comes to saving receipts for every new thing that they buy. While we might save receipts of the electronic items for warranty or claiming a refund, it’s not easy to keep those long bills every time you go for grocery shopping. However, your every online transaction would bring a huge relief; hence look for credit card statements and bank statements to prove the value of items.
• Back up your vocal claims with evidence: - After the fire tragedy, some items are destroyed or damaged to such an extent that for the insurer, it could be challenging to identify for assigning the claim. So, as a responsible party, you ought to click as many pictures and shoot videos as possible of the damaged, smoked rooms to show the physical evidence of the actual damage before it gets wiped by a restoration company.

The term insurance is often used very loosely. Most people think that General Insurance Plans only include car, health etc. There are even misconceptions regarding the policy coverage of these plans. Read on to see what exactly general insurance stands for and the different kinds of plans which come under it.

What are the types of general insurance and their benefits?

General insurance is a contract between the insured and the insurance company for financial protection against loss, damage, theft or other liabilities that may arise. Broadly speaking, it includes all kinds of insurance except life insurance. This financial protection may be in the form of cashless services or reimbursement. Given below are some of the most popular general insurance plans available to you today.

1. Health insurance:

A health insurance policy essentially covers the costs of treatment of a medical condition or accidents. Generally, it includes medical tests, treatment for critical diseases, pre and post hospitalisation expenses etc. as mentioned in your policy wordings. You can also opt for add-on features such as maternity covers and personal accident covers to customise your plan for you and your family.

The benefits of a health insurance plan also include tax benefits under section 80D of the income tax act.

2. Motor insurance:

Whether you have a two-wheeler, a car or a truck, a motor insurance plan will offer you financial protection against loss resulting from damage, accident, theft etc. Broadly, a motor insurance policy includes-

a. Third-party insurance: This is the compensation provided by the insurer for damages caused by the insured to another person or another vehicle. Any individual getting motor insurance must have a third-party liability cover as it is mandatory by law. It can easily be purchased with the purchase of your vehicle itself.

b. Comprehensive insurance: This policy will cover damages occurring to your vehicle due to accidents, theft, natural calamities, fire etc. This will be in addition to third-party liability and will also reimburse you for theft, repairs etc.

3. Travel insurance:

Travel insurance pays for financial losses that arise during one’s travel within India or abroad. The policy might be a single trip plan which covers one trip taken within180 days of purchasing the insurance or a multi-trip plan covering multiple trips during a year. Generally, the scope of a travel plan includes reimbursement for baggage loss/delay, missed flight, medical expenditure, loss of passport etc. You can further pick a plan for individuals/families or even pick between domestic and international travel insurance based on your needs.

4. Home insurance:

Since getting your own home is a big-ticket investment, it is important to insure it. Home insurance plans financially compensate you for any damage to your home and valuables within the property due to natural and man-made disasters, fire, burglaries etc. You also have the option to get additional coverage with add-ons.

Irrespective of the kind of general insurance, the following factors need to be kept in mind before buying a policy:

Assess your needs: It is essential to evaluate your specific requirements instead of going only by someone else's recommendation or even a popular plan. For example, a health plan could either be an individual or a family floater policy.