India has a universal healthcare system applicable throughout the country. So public healthcare is free for all. However, the standard of services and facilities available largely varies in different parts. Many public hospitals lack enough funds and equipment to efficiently serve a large number of incoming patients. There is a lack of proper hygiene as well, especially in rural areas.
The private hospitals in the country are more expensive but offer much better treatment facilities. Therefore, a lot of people opt for private medical coverage to improve their healthcare services.
Types of insurance in India
There are different types of private health insurance that you can take care of before visiting India. These include:
- International Health Insurance
- Travel Insurance
- Expat Life and Disability insurance
- Group Expat Insurance
Depending on your needs, you can select an insurance plan that works well for you. While there are local providers available, Expats will particularly find international policies more attractive since they offer more extensive coverage. Among the international providers, Allianz Care and Cigna Global offer popularly beneficial policies. Allianz Care has two plans, namely Care pro and Care plus with different sets of benefits in each. Cigna Global offers three different plans, namely Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
Choosing health insurance in India
You must ensure that you have sufficient health coverage before visiting India. If you're visiting as an employee, your employer company will most likely provide you with some insurance benefits for your stay here. Otherwise, you'll need to select an insurance plan on your own. Most expats will prefer international health insurance with global coverage while in India. One must check what hospitals are covered under the insurance scheme before finalizing the purchase decision. A plan with a large network of hospitals is recommended. If your insurance provider is not recognized by an Indian hospital, make sure to keep all the paperwork handy so as to get reimbursed by your insurance company.
Cost of health insurance in India
The various insurance plans vary greatly in their costs. So one must go through all the insurance policies carefully before finalizing the purchase. Many policies cover the entire family in their plan. Yearly contributions to health insurance might start at around INR10,000.
After purchasing an insurance plan, you will most likely receive an insurance card. However, unlike Western nations, this card usually works at very few good hospitals and you may have to pay most of your expenses using cash.
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