GENERAL INSURANCE BLOG

The end of 2019 had brought forward a deadly virus that is still haunting the world, the COVID-19. Since we are still lagging in getting a proper vaccine for this virus, the situation is causing more and more adverse effects, even fatality.

In the case of treatment of COVID-19, best health insurance in India covers pre and post hospitalization expenses, including in-patient and out-patient expenses. Yet it is best if we could prevent it from the first occurrence just keeping ourselves well protected.

COVID-19 might have paused our regular daily routine for a few days, but we are getting back on track with our professional commitments. In such cases, getting proper protection has become inevitable to keep ourselves safe.

So here are 6 ways to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 while commuting to work:

1. Using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Whenever you step out of our house, you must gear up with proper personal protective equipment, like masks and a pair of gloves. This protects us from getting in direct contact with the virus by shielding our most prone parts of our body, like hands and mouth.

You should also carry an extra pair of disposable gloves and mask for an emergency. Try not to open PPE at all while you are outside. It would be best if you washed the mask properly in case it is reusable. This ensures our safety.

2. Using Sanitizer

The use of sanitizer is one of the essential precautionary measures. It would be best if you always carried a sanitizer while going out and use it whenever you contact any other substance or any other person. Sanitizers kill the virus before it starts harming our body. It is better to use sanitizer just before and after a meal is a must.

3. Eating Safe

Eating unpacked, and street food increases the chance of coming in contact with the virus. So, it is safe to either carry your food or any packed items. Food prepared in the house must be washed well before cooking.

You should only purchase foods from outlets that follow the proper protocols of WHO. Some of the best insurances of India encourage its policyholder to eat safe and eat healthily.

4. Maintaining Social Distance

Whenever you travel, you must maintain social distance. Keeping a safe distance from other persons reduces the chance of getting in direct contact with the virus. It would be best if you avoided public transports that are too crowded. Instead, travelling in private vehicles minimizes the chance of infection.

It would be best if you also kept a decent distance from people who are continually sneezing or coughing. Crowded places are always the den for spreading the virus. The Best Health Insurance In India insists its policyholders on maintaining social distancing.

5. Avoiding Any Physical Contact

Public places are prone to contamination by the virus. Please do not touch any unmanned items, walls or railings as that can increase the chance of coming in contact with the virus. So, before you get in contact with such places, it is a must first to disinfect the surface properly.

6. Spread Awareness

While travelling, if you find a person without wearing a mask, make him/her aware of the same. We must stand in a safe distance and insist others to maintain distance too. Being a responsible citizen, you must always spread awareness about the current situation. Not wearing a mask outdoors might result in legal charges and consequences.

Summing up

While travelling to your workplaces, you must always maintain the above steps. These will keep you away from coming in direct contact with the virus. Social distancing, using personal protective equipment and sanitizers are some of the crucial things you should practice regularly.The best health insurances in India always promotes all of the above steps for the betterment of their customers.

The monsoon is a welcome change for many from the scorching summer heat. It brings promises of new life with itself. Thus humans often greet this season with open arms.

But sadly the bacteria and viruses enjoy this season as well. So we need to keep an eye on our health and take the necessary precautions to stay safe. But with the growing number of diseases due to various viruses in this period, one should also consider health insurance plans in India to keep their family protected.

Here are a few simple health tips for the monsoon that every person must take up to stay fit and healthy.

1. Increased intake of Vitamin C as it fights against any deadly virus:

• Monsoon is the time where viruses and bacteria thrive the most.
• A rich vitamin C diet, including oranges and green vegetables, can help increase the immunity against such diseases.

2. Avoiding junk food:

• The streets are filled with puddles and potholes. These are home to a vast number of microorganisms.
• Street foods, which are sold openly on the streets, are often exposed to these harmful microorganisms.

3. Not storing stagnant water:

• Mosquitoes are born in stagnant water. They are carriers of a vast number of diseases.
• One must also ensure that drains are not clogged, and rainwater is not stored in any part of the house.

4. Adding disinfectants in bathwater:

• Most people like to walk in the rain. But bathing at least twice a day can do away with any health problems.
• Use of disinfectants in the water can protect from the various microorganisms and keep one fit.

5. Using ironed clothes:

• Clothes stored in wardrobes often get cool with the damp from rain and lack of sunlight. Wet moisture causes molds
• Ironing the clothes before wearing makes them free from these fungi besides giving a stylish look.

6. Having well-cooked vegetables and fruits:

• Fruits and vegetables skins are home to several germs.
• They need to be adequately washed in running water before cooking them to stay safe from water-borne diseases.

7. Enough sleep and exercise:

• 7-8 hours of sleep is mandatory for an individual to create immunity and prevent various diseases.
• Regular exercise can keep the body in perfect shape and build immunity against various diseases.

8. Avoiding touching the eye:

• Eye infections like conjunctivitis, dry eyes and corneal ulcers are common during these times.
• In case of any irritations, doctors should be consulted. There are some health insurance plans in India which can cover the cost if required.

9. Maintaining hand hygiene:

• Washing or sanitizing hands properly before having food is a must. It kills all the germs.

10. Precautions against mosquitoes:

• In-home, mosquito coils or tents should be used to stay safe from mosquitoes.
• Several health insurance plans in India now deal with diseases caused due to mosquitoes. Hence these should be considered.

11. Clipping nails:

• Bacteria and germs often accumulate underneath nails. So they should be clipped at regular intervals.

12. Protection against allergens:

• Allergies can become severe during this season.
• Wearing masks while going out and carrying anti-allergy medicines are a must.

13. Not using wet shoes:

• One should not be wearing wet socks and shoes as pathogens may grow.
• Keeping an extra pair of shoes might be beneficial.

14. Staying clear of damp indoors:

• Damp walls are home to the growth of fungi.
• People having asthma or breathing problems should stay away.

15. Keeping distance from sick people:

• Many people catch the flu or cold during this time. So it's better to keep a distance from them.

The monsoon usually lifts the spirits of many but often makes the health vulnerable. With some essential precautions, one can stay fit. One can even take the help of Health Insurance Plans In India so that even when you fall ill, you can deal with the situation effectively.

Establishing life goals entail insurance plans, but that’s not a holistic confirmation to your investments. The next question would be - whether to settle for an individual or a family floater plan.

Insurers provide these variant coverages for their health insurance services. But what are the key differences? What should you choose? What are the benefits? All of which will be answered in the following paragraphs.

Know the difference

The literal meaning automates a difference which understandably leads you to think of the package claims.

• Individual health insurance is issued against a single person. So, if you were to propose insurance coverage for your entire family, you’d have to buy insurance respectively for each member. That’d provide an allotted sum dedicated to each individual under the insurance policy.
• But if you are looking into family insurance, all the members will be covered under one single insurance package. Unlike the former variant, family insurance has an allotment dedicated to the entire family, which is to be shared. So, if your family has two other members with an insured sum of 4 lacs INR, the cluster would be sharing the same amount. Thus, a health insurance policy for the family will only dispatch the stipulated amount irrespective of the individual requiring healthcare assistance.

How does it work?

A family insurance plan relies on the hypothesis or rather, the possibility of all members requiring medical assistance at the same time. So, if a family of three buys an individual plan of 3 lakhs for each member, a family floater plan of 8 lakhs can equally justify the needs.

How are the premiums determined?

The premium for family health insurance is determined based on the age of the oldest member. However, for individual plans, the only determining factor is the age of the member insured. The family plans tilt towards your affordability, especially for younger families. But if the oldest member suffers from a terminal or any immediate ailments, individual plans are recommended.

Comparative Analysis of Family vs Individual Health Insurance

• Individual health insurance is issued against a single person. So, if you were to propose insurance coverage for your entire family, you’d have to buy insurance respectively for each member. That’d provide an allotted sum dedicated to each individual under the insurance policy.
• But if you are looking into family insurance, all the members will be covered under one single insurance package. Unlike the former variant, family insurance has an allotment dedicated to the entire family, which is to be shared. So, if your family has two other members with an insured sum of 4 lacs INR, the cluster would be sharing the same amount. Thus, a health insurance policy for the family will only dispatch the stipulated amount irrespective of the individual requiring healthcare assistance.
• But if you are looking into family insurance, all the members will be covered under one single insurance package. Unlike the former variant, family insurance has an allotment dedicated to the entire family, which is to be shared. So, if your family has two other members with an insured sum of 4 lacs INR, the cluster would be sharing the same amount. Thus, a health insurance policy for the family will only dispatch the stipulated amount irrespective of the individual requiring healthcare assistance.
• Family insurance plans offer age-restricted renewals. So, if the oldest member were to breach the maximum threshold, the presiding members won’t be able to forward any amount prescribed by the policy.
• If a child migrates to an individual plan, eventually, the credit for their waiting period is lost.
• For a family plan, any member issuing a claim can nullify the No Claim Bonus or NCB for that fiscal year.
• Generally, kids and immediate dependents are covered in a family plan. But for cases where you’d want to include your in-laws or grandparents, individual plans remain their only plausible option.

Verdict

This is more of a strategy than a choice since you can opt a heterogenous plan, here’s what you can do:

• If your family consists of younger members,Family Health Insurance Policy will fare better for apparent reasons until the members cross their age threshold for the policy.
• For families without any history of chronic illnesses, the family plan suits them best. Moreover, they remain under a certain price bracket that provides financial convenience.
• But if you are someone at a higher risk of any significant illness, subscribe to individual insurance covers so that the entire family can rely on the sum insured in the family plan.
• If you have parents in the older age bracket, purchase individual insurance covers. This step will ensure you protect the NCB from being nullified in case your parents require serious medical expenses.

So, to sum it all up, younger families are recommended to buy a family cover while buying individual covers for members who are at a higher risk of requiring serious medical attention.

All of us are preparing for the rainy season with our umbrellas and raincoats in place. While we are getting ready for the heavy rains, let us not forget to prepare our cars for the same.

Wondering why your car needs a bit extra care? It’s because the heavy rains have a terrible effect on your vehicle’s body. The dirt, mud, waterlogging, and massive jams are all bad for your car’s health. The water during the rain sticks to your vehicle resulting in rusting and electrical issues and has a corrosive effect on the car in the long run.

Many car owners miss out on essential tips necessary to take care of their vehicles during the monsoon weather.

Here are some useful tips for maintaining the good health of your car during the monsoon.

Tip 1:

• Make sure that you have perfectly running tyres on the road to have a safe ride.
• The right amount of tread is crucial for your care during monsoon.
• Shallow tread in tyres during monsoon can be risky and can lead to road accidents. Get your car insured from the best car insurance company in India for your safety.
• Also, keep a check on the tyres’ inflation regularly as low pressure will make it difficult for you to drive your car.

Tip 2:

• Get the brakes of your vehicle checked.
• Their proper functioning during monsoon is much more essential due to slippery roads and waterlogged streets.
• To maintain the excellent condition of brakes, make sure you regularly clean and, if required, replace the brake pads.
• Make sure they have required friction material, especially during the rainy season.

Tip 3:

• Maintenance of wipers and washers during monsoon season is of prime importance.
• Check and make sure that the wiper blades of your car do not leave behind any lines or smudges.
• Wiper blades tend to wear out fast. Get them checked before the monsoon season sets in.
• The rubber blades tend to crack during the summer season, making them ineffective during the monsoon season.
• Check the washer’s reservoir level and top it when the level is low or as and when required.

Tip 4:

• Water and electricity don’t go together, and we all are well aware of this fact.
• Patch up any exposed wiring beforehand to ensure that your car’s electrical is in good working condition.
• The life of your car’s battery too tends to decline if you are living in an area that receives heavy or regular rains. Get the battery replaced if required so that all the electrical components like headlights, wipers, etc., function properly.

Tip 5:

• Working headlights, tail-lamps, and indicators or turn signals are vital regardless of the weather.
• During monsoon, visibility is hampered, which requires your car’s lights to function well, making it easier for you to notice other road users.
• Test your vehicle’s lights by running them together. If you notice that they are getting dimmer or are inconsistent, get them replaced with new bulbs.
• Make sure they have required friction material, especially during the rainy season.
• Note that flickering lights are also an indication of a weak battery.

Tip 6:

• Do not allow water to sit on the body of your car, as this can harm its paint.
• You can use a thin layer of wax polish to prevent the body of your car. Alternatively, you can also use anti-corrosion sprays.

Make sure to keep these tips in mind to have a safe ride. Chances of accidents during monsoon are high due to slippery roads and reduced visibility. Get car insurance from the Best Car Insurance Company In India at the best possible price and enjoy your ride with your loved ones.

Car insurance is all about cutting your losses in case of an accident or theft. You will pay the premium annually or more frequently as per the guidelines of your policy. You need to pay the premium regularly to keep the policy active. Car accidents do not happen that frequently, but they do occur quite a lot. This makes having a proper car insurance policy extremely important. Though at the time of purchasing a car insurance policy, it is important to look up new car insurance rates, so you do not end up shelling an unnecessary amount of money. You will also be rewarded for driving safely and responsibly by No Claim Bonus.

No Claim Bonus is essentially a discount over the own damage premium component. It means that you would have to pay less in the forthcoming premium if you do not raise any claim in the entire year. You generally start with zero NCB (except in the case of NCB transfer) and accumulate discounts over the years. It is often misinterpreted, so here are few features you need to be mindful of: -

• NCB is available only on policy renewal. It is a reward for not making any claims during the entire year. It is earned by keeping a claim-free record. It starts at 20 percent after one claim-free year and accumulates steadily with each subsequent claim-free year and can reach up to a maximum of 50 percent.
• NCB belongs to you and not the car. It is essentially a reward to the driver. If you decide to change the car and get an insurance policy for it, you will retain your NCB discount from the first premium on your new insurance policy. So, in essence, NCB is transferrable between cars. However, NCB is not transferrable between two people.
• Transferring NCB is a simple procedure. After the purchase of a new vehicle, you have to submit Form 29 and Form 30 along with a letter requesting your insurer for NCB transfer. Your insurer will issue an NCB certificate which will be valid for three years after the date of the issue. You have to submit this certificate to your new insurer to retain your NCB benefits.
• NCB is only valid over the own damage component of the premium. This means NCB is not valid over the third-party liability component of the premium.
• NCB must be kept in mind before making small claims. NCB is reset to zero, no matter the magnitude of the claim. It is therefore important to make calculations before making any small claims. You can end up losing more than you gain. In addition to NCB be set to zero you will also lose any accumulated discount and will have to start over to reach a 50% discount earmark.
• You can purchase an NCB add-on cover that will allow you to make a limited number of claims without affecting your NCB. This can help you if you are stuck in the decision to make a small or moderate claim.
• Maximum NCB discount is 50% though some insurers allow higher discounts in their policies for driver's clean records.

Insurance is nothing but risk management. You buy insurance just so you do not fall into a financial burden in emergencies. Insurance is all about saving money. At the time of purchasing a new policy, you must always check up new car insurance rates, so you don't end up paying more. NCB too is a step towards saving money, you must always drive safely, and NCB ensures you will be rewarded for it.

A lot of people become victim to unfortunate road accidents. Merely witnessing an accident can leave a huge impact on the mind of an individual. Imagine the situation of those who have to go through such misfortune. That is why the Indian government always insists on following road safety rules.

It is very important to have car insurance for your vehicle to reimburse you for the losses suffered due to an accident. But as someone has wisely said, prevention is better than cure. Therefore, following road safety rules should be the topmost priority of every single person driving a vehicle. Road safety rules are made by the government for the safety of those on the road - be it people driving vehicles or pedestrians.

The given road safety rules are for the safety of Indian citizens and must be understood as well as followed by everyone: -

●Use of indicators - While changing directions or taking a turn on either side of the road, using an indicator is very important. If you wish to turn left, keep left with your indicator light on and turn when there is no vehicle following too closely to avoid a collision. Similar is the case while turning right.

●Overtaking - A lot of people are in a hurry to reach somewhere, that's why they keep on driving past the other vehicles. If you are in such a situation, always remember that if you want to overtake the vehicle driving ahead of you, it needs to be done from the right side. Never overtake in a curve as it might lead to obstruction of the view of the other driver. Also, if the vehicle ahead does not slow down, overtaking might end up in an accident.

●Helmets and seat belts - You all must be familiar with this rule! The government lays special emphasis on the use of seat belts in cars and wearing helmets while driving two-wheelers. If any accident happens, the damage to your car can be covered through policies issued from the best car insurance company in India, but your safety is not guaranteed by any means. That is why you should make sure that you undertake all safety measures like wearing helmets and seat belts while driving.

●Noise- Unnecessary honking can be very irritating to other drivers as well as pedestrians. Thus, you must use the horn only when required. Avoid using it in prohibited places like hospital areas, school areas and others. Also, ensure that the horn in your vehicle does not make a loud and blaring noise.

●Following distance - Maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle ahead of you is also a very important thing. In case the driver applies his brakes all of a sudden, you might not be able to engage your brakes at the same time, and this might end up in a collision.

●Documents - All required documents ranging from RC book of your vehicle to the car insurance papers, your driving license, PUC (Pollution Under Control) license and others, should be kept inside the vehicle so that you can access them whenever required.

●Traffic signals - Traffic lights are present at junctions or intersections of four roads. If not, there might be traffic police officers or authorized persons giving directions to the vehicles that must be followed. At such crossings, move carefully so that no inconvenience is caused to any other vehicle. You should always allow vehicles to turn right and avoid blocking the right side of the road.

●Emergency vehicles - Certain vehicles like ambulances and firetrucks work for saving the lives of people and it is your duty as a responsible citizen to give way to them.

If you have purchased a new vehicle, make sure that before everything else, you contact the best car insurance company in India to reap the benefits of their policies and also enjoy superior protection against possible incidents.

Anyone who has seen a person close to them in the hospital will agree that it is the most stressful time in their life. A medical emergency disturbs the lives of everyone around the affected person. The person who is battling a disease or any other medical condition goes through a lot of pain and suffers a lot. Along with that person, the people close to him also go through an equally stressful time. There is too much to look after. During those times, the financial burden can make everything worse. Medical expenses are rising continuously for many years. For many, it has become almost impossible to provide quality treatment to their family members out of their pockets. If the affected person has health insurance, it will lighten the burden on the people close to him, and everyone can pay attention to more important things in life.

Health insurance will provide you with coverage for a lot of medical conditions that you are likely to suffer from. The policy will cover most of the expenses that you will incur in the treatment. It will take the financial burden off the shoulders of your family members. This will, in return, help you as they will not be worrying about finances and can take proper care of you. If you do not have health insurance yet, you can quickly obtain one from one of the many online health insurance companies in India. Contact various health insurance companies to get health insurance quotes in India. Here are five explanations on why health insurance quote is essential:-

• It is the first step in getting health insurance. If you are looking forward to getting health insurance, you need to contact various health insurance providers and receive their quotations. The more you delay this step, the longer it will take you to finally sign the contract and get health insurance.
• Once you obtain various health insurance quotes, you can check which quote fits your budget best. You must not necessarily choose the cheapest quote. You should instead research coverage provided by the companies against their quotes and see which company gives you the best quote with all-round coverage.
• Health insurance quotes will help you be prepared on how you have to modify your monthly budget to accommodate the premiums. It might not be feasible to change your lifestyle overnight. Health insurance quotes will give you time to make small changes in life so you can better adjust to paying for health insurance.
• You can also contact the companies and check if you are getting all the available discounts. Many insurance companies offer various discounts on certain conditions. You must contact the insurance company after receiving health insurance quotes in India to talk in more detail and obtain a better quote.
• You can weigh the pros and cons of the policy financially after receiving the quote. The complete coverage policies might be too expensive for you. So, you might prefer opting for a policy with less coverage. Receiving the quotes will help you make a more informed decision.

It is crucial to have health insurance nowadays. If you do not have one, your family might fall into tough times, as they would have to go through their savings to provide you with healthcare. Health insurance benefits you as well as everyone around you.

'The more, the merrier'. A lot of you must be familiar with this phrase. It states that the more the number of people, the more fun they are likely to have. But that is not the only situation where this phrase is applicable. The same thing applies while buying a health insurance plan.

If you are thinking of getting insurance for yourself, you might want to get more than just one.

Many online health insurance companies offer insurance plans that offer you comprehensive protection against a wide range of ailments and allow you to avail cashless treatment in the network hospitals.

The following points elaborate on the benefits of getting insurance policies from 3 different companies: -

●Less premium - If you purchase an insurance policy which offers comprehensive protection against a wide range of conditions, it might require a greater premium amount as well. However, if you spread this amount within multiple policies, you are likely to pay a much lesser amount for each cover. Such small sums add up to a large amount with different companies and turn out to be less expensive.

● Better coverage of diseases - Usually, general health insurance plans include only a selected handful number of diseases. Such diseases are not critical, which might pose to be a huge threat in the future as you would not be able to avail the claim amount. Therefore, buying multiple plans from different companies can result in the coverage of a wide range of diseases - right from the basic ones to the high expense ones.

● Protection against price rise - With the rise in inflation, there is an increase in the price of medical treatment. Not just medicines, but the doctor's fees, hospital charges and other expenses can drill a hole in your pocket. That's why if you wish to save yourself from the given additional expenditure, you can invest in insurances from various online health insurance companies to claim the amount whenever required.

● No stress from claim rejection - There might be times when insurance companies do not find the claimed reason to be strong enough. Therefore, they might deny the claim, and you might end up with no amount of money. In such conditions, when you desperately require claims for paying medical expenses, your family might have to bear the burden of paying expenses at their own cost. To avoid this, insurance should be purchased from more than one company. That is how you can ensure that even if one company rejects your claim, you still have the hope of availing it from the secondary companies.

●Quick grant - Health insurance is like an amount of deposit which can be claimed in times of medical emergency. If you have insurance in three or more different companies, you can get the claim amount from at least one of them which can prove to be sufficient for your requirements.

●Diversified benefits - If you purchase insurance from a single provider, their policy might not benefit you as much due to the rules and regulations of premiums, cover, duration or claim on maturity and so on. However, if you purchase health insurance from different companies, you can get the best of each of their policies. Selection can be made based on each of your specific requirements, and you can avail the claim as per your convenience.

Life is not certain, and that's why insurance is something every individual should rely on. Buying it from various companies only results in a larger amount of benefits, so why not read them!