GENERAL INSURANCE BLOG

Health problems can occur suddenly and without preamble, and it can often mess up your financial planning with unexpected expenses. It has made health insurance important for every family to help decrease any unplanned financial burden. Though most of the companies provide their employees with health insurance coverage, it is not sufficient and can also exclude many ailments. Emergencies do not see our feasibility; hence, a reckless attitude towards health could put you in financial risk. Also, if we are paying for a thing, we tend to be very careful about the benefits we would be receiving.

However, it is not just about taking a health insurance plan; instead, it is about choosing the right health plan for your family to get the maximum benefits at the time of emergency. It is essential that you understand various factors that will help you choose the right health insurance policy .  Here are a few essential things you should know while deciding to buy a health insurance plan.

What kind of health plan suits you?

Health insurance plans can be indemnity plans and defined benefit plans. The defined benefit plan pays a lump sum amount for treatment without going into the detailed breakup of hospital expenses. On the other hand, an indemnity plan reimburses the hospital expenses. It is recommended that your health insurance portfolio should have indemnity plans and additional critical illness plans which are defined benefit plans. 

Which indemnity cover suits you: Individual health insurance or family floater?

If you want extensive coverage, individual health insurance is the option. In this type, you will buy separate plans for each member of the family, and premium for each policy will be based on the age, and respective sum assured. However, if you are a family person, it is recommended that you buy a family floater (FF) plan to cover your whole family. Then you will not need to buy separate policies for each family member. The premium for family floater plans is also less than individual plans, and there is a higher sum assured. The most important factor is that anyone can use the amount for medical treatment. Also, it is possible to cover parents if they are senior citizens with a slightly higher premium.

Other important considerations while choosing health insurance for your family:

• Select the sum insured based on your age and marital status, because the risk is less when you are younger, and it climbs as you grow older.
• Select a plan that has a minimum waiting period for pre-existing health conditions.
• Select a plan that allows you to renew at 75 or 80 years of age.
• Consider the range of hospitals that the insurer is affiliated with.
• Compare premiums and plans from more than one insurer and remember to read the customer reviews.
• Read between the lines to understand the exclusions.

Insurance does not guarantee good health, but it will help you in taking care of your loved ones the best way possible during health emergencies. 

Optimism is good but it doesn’t mean that we don’t prepare ourselves for the unforeseen circumstances thinking “it will not happen to us”. Accidents are as unpredictable as anything, we can take measures to face the minimum damage but we cannot avoid a sudden fall for eg. wearing a helmet while riding a bike is a precautionary measure but if you fall and get yourself hurt, you might save your head but what about the knee?

A personal accident insurance cover ensures that you will be financially protected against any such mishaps but the most suitable or the best personal accident policy for you would be the one that takes care of your head as well as your knee which means it gives you full coverage.

Apart from this, keep an eye on the percentage of the promised pay-out. For example: In case, if someone gets highly injured during an accident which leads to amputation of a body part then claim towards the insurance policy might be restricted to 50% of the total sum assured. So, don’t forget to read every clause of the policy before signing it.The same is true here while choosing the best personal accident policy in india, don’t forget to read the policy lingo, jargons and the clauses word by word carefully

Key factors to consider while choosing the best personal accident policy in India includes!!!

Plan type: First of all, you need to decide the insurance policy type that you want to purchase. You can choose any plan from an individual plan to a family accident plan as per your needs and requirements. If your family is financially dependent on you then safeguarding your family against accident is always a good option. 

Premium: Premium is another factor that you need to consider while choosing the right accidental insurance for you. Of course, everyone wants to get higher coverage while paying a lower amount of premium fees. Choose the one which has an appropriate balance between the premium charged and the coverage. You should never choose minimal coverage insurance just because of the low-cost premium charges. Consider your needs, read out the policy and then make the right choice.

Policy coverage: The higher the coverage, the safer you will feel. So, you should choose a wide accident coverage. Because such policies provide coverage against any kind of accident and disability while basic insurance coverage covers death caused by an accident.

Add Ons: Several add-ons are present there offering enhanced protection on your chosen policy. Think about what add- on might come as useful and then choose the right rider plan for you. Though the add-on services change from one policy to another policy, offering you the choice to choose from the right option.

The claim settlement process: You should always choose a policy with an easy and hassle-free claim settlement process. What’s the benefit of paying premiums if you are not able to claim when you are in need. While choosing a policy, read the claiming method carefully. Generally, in all the policies, you will get a 30 day of the claim period. During this period, it is necessary to intimate the insurer regarding any loss caused by accident. 

Bottom line!!!

Choose the best personal accident policy in India that offers you higher protection against any loss caused by an accident with minimal hassle. 

Humans have the most precious gift from God in the name of health, and we ought to do our utmost to sustain the benefits of that gift for a healthy and happy life. Eating healthy, choosing your living habits are all counted measures, which you take on a personal level daily. However, there is one more step taken for the long-term benefit of your healthy life, and it is getting health insurance.

Take a step back and think about it, you plan to have a house, baby, manage school fees, bank accounts, and even design your dream wedding before finding the right match. Similarly, covering your health via a good insurance company should be a well-thought priority. Many insurance companies in India have tailored essential health plans, which meet your needs adequately with reasonable premiums and added benefits.

Finding the best healthcare insurance company for you, your parents and kids in India is not easy. It takes good hours of discussions, debates, and comparisons to come up with the best possible choice. Here are a few relevant pointers for you to consider while choosing your health insurance firm;

• Listing the available reputed Insurer – Selecting the right Insurance Company is as important as the policy itself. Out of those available options, you have to shortlist and select the ones with good brand value or reputation along with plentitudes of customer satisfaction.
• Comparison Among the top Contenders Is Must – A significant step before you buy your houses or smartphones is comparing the prices, quality, long term returns, etc. Similarly, before investing your hard-earned money in a health insurance policy from an insurance company, you must compare certain aspects like premium rates, coverage values, and optional benefits.
• Coverage, Premium Benefits are Best Bidders - The dominating factors of deciding any insurance plan is that of coverage and premiums. So, it is highly suggestive for you to go through the insurance documents carefully and make a decision, which gives you maximum benefits and coverage as an insured party.
• Claim Settlement Ratio - This goes without saying that if a health insurance company has an excellent claim settlement ratio, then you have a bright chance of getting your medical claims on time. Your job is to understand in-depth how the company conducts and manages the claim settlements to avoid any delays or refusals, when in need.
• Having a Well Maintained Hospital Network - Many healthcare companies maintain a pool of top private and public hospitals for cashless medical treatments, so that their customers would not worry about spending their own money and focus on getting their health back on track.
• 24x7 Customer Support System – It is imperative to know if the insurer provides excellent 24x7 customer support. Many health companies claim to provide seamless and trouble-free hospitalization and claim settlement, however, check their social media pages, Internet reviews, independent insurance websites, or ask for references before finalizing.

Take these pointers by heart and start searching for the best health insurance company for your family as no matter the levels of success you achieve in life, health has and should always come first.

Whether due to work-related tasks or personal matters, relocating has become a way of life. It is no secret that relocation to a new city is full of various hassles and can turn out to be a stressful experience. While there are multiple aspects that you need to contemplate while moving to a new city, one crucial aspect you should pay attention to is ensuring the safe relocation of your two-wheeler. In the hustle and bustle of relocation, it is very easy for you to overlook an important aspect related to the relocation of your two-wheeler and that is to keep it insured with the  best two-wheeler insurance in india during, as well as after the relocation process is complete.

Of course, you love your two-wheeler and would want the best two-wheeler insurance in India, but when it comes to relocating it to a new city, you can be caught unprepared. If you are unaware of the various important factors related to your two-wheeler insurance policy that must be taken care of during relocation, then here is all the information you need: 

• 1. Update your address: First and foremost, you must inform your insurance company regarding the impending move and apply for an update of your address. Your mailing address serves as an important channel of communication between you and your insurer. By updating your address in the company records, you can avoid many issues later on when you need to submit a claim.
• 2. Re-register your two-wheeler: If you are relocating for more than one year or permanently, it is advisable to re-register your vehicle to get a local registration number. For this, you need to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from your previous road transport office. Subsequently, notify your insurance company regarding this change through official channels, and you will have no issues later on while making a claim.
• 3. Obtain NOC from Police: You must also obtain an NOC from your local police station as well as traffic police. This is to ensure that no challans or accident cases are pending against the vehicle. Obtaining these NOCs will guarantee that you do not face any problems in the new location. 
• 4. Check Network of Cashless Garages: You can contact your insurance company regarding the availability of cashless garages in your new city. This will allow you to get any repair done on a cashless basis; otherwise, you will have to pay for the expenses from your pocket and later on, file a reimbursement claim.
• 5. Upgrade your policy: Different cities can have different traffic situations, and this might prompt you to add or remove any cover from your insurance. If you feel the need to do so, get in touch with your insurance company and seek guidance on how to complete this process. Moreover, based on the zonal risk involved, the insurance company may increase or reduce your premium as well.
• 6. No Claim Bonus: Do not worry about the No Claim Bonus (NCB) that you have accumulated against your  two-wheeler insurance in India. It will follow you wherever you go. NCB is offered to a driver, not to the vehicle, so even if you were to purchase a new two-wheeler or transfer to a new insurer, your NCB would stay intact. 

So, keep these points in mind while relocating and enjoy continued insurance coverage against your two-wheeler without any hassles.

Life is an enigma; it has countless possibilities with many struggles. The uncertainty of one's life is what makes it worthwhile and horrifying at the same time. Some investments made at the correct time could bear fruitful results for future; like opting a well-rounded health insurance policy for you and your family. Health insurance in today's time is not a luxury but a vital necessity given the rising healthcare costs and out of the world lifestyle choices by today's millennial.

Experienced financial advisors highly recommend buying a health plan in the early stages of life as premiums on health insurance increase with one's age. The premium criterion is based on the health history, age, lifestyle etc. of the insured candidate.

Here are the reasons to testify why do you have to take it now at the peak of your health?

Early age investment means full benefits – Opting for a health plan at a young age as early you start working will provide maximum coverage for your health scares. It also makes for a smart financial decision because of lowest possible premimum paid by you.

Poor Lifestyle Choices is on the Rise – You don't need to be 60 to require medical coverage. The laid back lifestyle has prompted entry to life-threatening illnesses like cancer, tumours and threats to the heart, brain, lungs. Hence, it is crucial to safeguard your health continually. Besides this, medical policies offer yearly checks ups to encourage health awareness.

Waiting period for the cover – There are specific listed ailments such as hernia, Cataract, ENT disorder for which there is a waiting period of one to two years before you get them covered. So starting early is always a more comprehensive option. 

Hectic work-related travel – The corporate worklife demands your time and extensive travel. A healthcare plan that covers both domestic and International medical emergencies along with well suited International medical benefits is yet again a very sensible choice.

The policy covering pre and post Hospital charges – Mainstream medical expenses, the cost of OPD (out-patient department), diagnostic tests have likewise ascended as of late which has made it considerably imperative for one to invest in healthcare policy. Your healthcare plan covers not just surgical or any other hospitalization costs but also the expenses brought forward via OPD and miscellaneous tests before and after a fixed time as set in the policy.

Rebate on Income Tax – Another merit of investing in a good healthcare plan is that the insured is eligible for tax exemption under section 80D of the income tax act on the premium paid for the health insurance policy.

So don’t let this crucial decision of your health take a back seat and invest in health insurance at a young age. In adition to it, when you buy a health insurance policy at an early age, you receive the benefit of lifetime renewability. You can renew health insurance online and enjoy the extended coverage for a long time.

There has been an exponential increase in the number of people opting for health insurances across India in recent years. The top reason is definitely not aggressive advertising by the Insurance Firms, but the health and medical costs that have dramatically risen lately. With much needed financial backup during the critical medical emergencies, health insurances do play an important role in helping you and your family not getting burdened by medical expenses.

Illnesses bring bad times, and an additional financial burden along with it. The rising medical treatment cost, every year, is one of the top reasons why health insurances become somewhat like a necessity for every average earning person.  

Kusum, a single earning mother of two sons, was leading a happy life and was awarded twice as the employee of the year. However, medical emergencies come unannounced. Life took a big turn when her father was admitted to the hospital for chest pain. Her father needed to undergo heart surgery, which not only for him but for the whole family were some of the stressful days of their lives. The surgery went well but left behind a huge dent on her father’s retirement savings and a lot of her savings too. Luckily her family had these savings and did not compromise on the medical treatment plan, but the incident did make Kusum learn a valuable lesson. It was time for her now, to understand Health insurances better and ensure that her whole family is fully insured in order to prevent herself from stressful financial aftermath. 

 As per the WHO statistics, about 70% of the hospitalization in urban India put the consumers in crippling medical distress as they blow up their entire income on healthcare.

Health insurances serve a better way to tackle such health emergencies with a range of insurance plans covering illnesses, accidents and surgical ailments, safeguarding the life of insured a bit easy after the medial process.

How are we helpful?

MAGMA HDI’s OneHealth insurance policies help you to access a whole range of insurance plans which you choose as per your personal needs or family size. With the benefits of cashless hospitalization over 4,100 hospitals, it helps in providing insured covers over accidents and critical ailments. Providing 24x7 claim assistance, hospitalization costs, cashless options, and keeps the insured and the family into financial ease. 

Though Kusum is dealing with a financial crunch and has to give away the dream of a world tour, but she is happy to have adequate family health insurance,putting financial distress at bay.

She might have learned in a harder way, but you can learn from her life incident and choose the best health insurance in india for the parents and yourself.

Health insurance is not a luxury but a necessity. Be a prudent individual by planning the best-fit health insurance and lead a much secure and happy life. 

With the continuous rise in international trade, the volume of marine cargo is also increasing. Marine cargo has always been and will be an important component of international trade. With more and more businesses opting to transport their goods through marine cargo, the market is on the rise for shipping companies. This increase in business also increases the importance of having a comprehensive marine cargo insurance policy.

Irrespective of the fact how simple you might think a marine cargo insurance policy is, several claims get rejected every year due to one reason or another. You must, therefore, immediately take the necessary steps to ensure that your insurance claim does not meet the same fate.

Here is a list of the events when your marine cargo insurance claim can get rejected and how you can avoid them.

• 1. Insurance policy is not proper: - Not all marine cargo insurance policies cover for all types of damages. This is why you must have a comprehensive marine cargo insurance policy. If your policy does not cover the damage for which you have filed a claim, your claim will get rejected. Moreover, any changes in the constitution of your assignment or cargo might also lead to this rejection. You must, therefore, review for policy periodically and get it updated as and when required.
• 2. Mistakes in filing the claim: - Whether you have failed to file your claim within the requisite period or have filled the claim form incorrectly or have filed a claim under a wrong policy, the marine insurance companies will not hesitate in rejecting your application. Even, if they do not dismiss the claim outright, they might delay it for many days. Therefore, you must give this responsibility to an expert who has successfully filed such claims in the past. 
• 3. Mishandling of goods: - If you have not packed the goods correctly or your personnel has been mishandling them, then the insurance claims filed thereon will be rejected by the insurer. You must, therefore, ensure proper packaging and careful handling of the goods on your vessel. 
• 4. Perishable Goods: - Even if your insurance policy specifies that losses suffered due to delays will be compensated, it does not cover damages caused to goods of perishable nature. You must, therefore, check with your insurance company if such goods are covered under the policy or not, before accepting them. 
• 5. Negligent Maintenance: - If you have not been paying attention to the maintenance of your vessel, marine insurance companies will certainly reject your claim. As your vessel will be plying in rough waters as well, so the chances of it suffering from damages are very high. These damages must be repaired as soon as possible to ensure the safety of the personnel as well as the cargo. You must, therefore, ensure that your vessel undergoes regular maintenance and follows safety and standard operating procedures. You should also keep a log of the repair and maintenance work carried out on the vessel, as it will help with your claim later on.

You must therefore carefully assess your needs, discuss them with your marine insurance company and only then subscribe to a comprehensive marine cargo insurance policy that caters to all your requirements.

Ocean shipping is one of the most cost-effective means to ship out your goods to international borders. If a business acquires large bulks of orders from foreign customers wherein there are no quick delivery protocols, then shipping goods by the sea is the most viable option. However, there are some demerits attached to this practical advantage. Shipping goods via sea or ocean floor depends highly on factors like; weather, human-error, technical issues, and etc.

The hazards of not comprehending such factors might lead to disasters or accidents in the ocean, which further adds monumental loss to both business owners and the environment. This can be easily averted if you plan and get hold of proper marine insurance to combat the risks of shipping. Some of the better-known dangers related to sea shipping and how insurance can help tackle them includes;

• The occurrence of natural calamities - Perils never comes knocking on doors; they strike on decks without a single warning. Thunderous sea-storms, cyclones or tsunamis can destroy well set stocks and lives of those sailing on carrier ships. We cannot challenge the force of nature but what we can do is opt for marine insurance online to cover the losses, injuries, or damage caused during such natural disasters.
• Human Errors - There are certain dangers caused by man that could lead to a disastrous situation. Having untrained ship sailors or workers who load and unload goods with negligence and carelessness might create rooms for few accidents to occur in transit.
  A reliable shield in the form of marine insurance to handle the mismanagement of shipping goods by workers would be a great help in such situations.
• Geographical Hazards - Apart from natural distress signs, there are other forms of dangers present at sea in the name of geography. Try remembering Titanic, an unsinkable ship that sank nevertheless by hitting a massive iceberg. Big cargo ships going through narrow canals, icebergs, rocky shores or shallow coral reefs can get caught on sides or bottom, hence creating unimagined losses.
  Mitigating such losses by having a rational marine insurance plan is one way, and another way is to have the ship properly tested for such hazards and assign a well trained, professional staff for commandeering the vessel.
• Technological Issues - Such issues are more or less related to the ship's structure, engineering equipment, navigational tools, or motor engines. If the boat starts leaking oil in the ocean or one of the propellers is jammed due to long years of service, it could sustain significant damage to the goods on board.
  To avoid such substantial financial losses; having a well-planned marine policy that can cover the ship's outer and inner structure after a thorough inspection is the right way to go.

Businesses work for profit and if your business requires delivering goods via sea or ocean, then why not keep yourself financially protected with a Marine Insurance cover and keep the profits intact.