health insurance | wealthymatters

Managing Your Health Insurance Premium Costs

February 23, 2014 1 Comment

A more equitable health insurance market is leading to a heavier burden on younger ,healthier policyholders.Many health insurance policyholders have seen their premiums go up 15-35% in this financial year, as insurance companies, including public sector firms, revise their premium rates.

The new health insurance regulations implemented by the IRDA in October last year,including the abolition of claim-based loading and the introduction of the lifelong renewability clause,are some of the main reasons why premiums have risen sharply.The first refers to the practice of increasing subsequent premiums for those who make claims. The lifelong renewability clause is to ensure that older people with health issues continue have access to health insurance.Apart from this, the new health insurance guidelines also allow insurance companies to raise premiums only when a policyholder moves to a new age band. Moving away from claim-based loading and mandating lifelong renewability means that younger people pay more. There is some cross-subsidisation otherwise it becomes impossible for senior citizens to afford health insurance.Most claims come in the age group above 60 years but companies cannot load premium beyond a point for this age group. Read more of this post

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Opt For The Critical Illness Rider

July 10, 2013 Leave a comment

wealthymatters Its a common tendency to automatically opt for the Double Accident Benefit (DAB) rider in case of life insurance policies. Personally I feel it makes sense to similarly adopt the Critical Illness Rider (CI) too.The few extra rupees are probably well spent.Here’s why I think so:

According to a recent study conducted by the private non-life insurer ICICI Lombard, the maximum increment in critical illness incidence rates was experienced in the age bracket of 26-35 years.The vulnerability to illnesses such as cancer among the younger age group is increasing. In this age group, the incidence rate has doubled in the last three years. The study also noted that spike in critical illness incidence rates was more significant in IT and manufacturing sectors.

Other insurers also have a similar story to tell.According to Aviva India,claims for lifestyle diseases like cancer, heart attack and diabetes from people below 40 years of age stood at 23% in 2011-12 and it has shot up to 38% in FY2012-13.Due to a spurt in lifestyle diseases where people are exposed to various risk factors like diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol disorders there is an increase in the number of claims for cardiac diseases and cancer, which are covered under major critical illnesses.

Critical illness riders offer a fixed sum once the illness is diagnosed.They can be a valuable addition to your basic health cover if you contract any serious illness. Your health cover will take care of most of your hospital bills, and pay-outs from critical illness cover can be used to fund medical costs that are not covered,your travel, food, post-treatment recuperation expenses and other long term or permanent expenses such as colostomy pouches.It could also come to your aid should you have to travel abroad for treatment. In case of a critical illness rider the sum insured is paid once any of the illnesses is diagnosed irrespective of where the treatment is taken, at home or abroad.

In fact,if you prefer to take treatment abroad only,consider buying a standalone critical illness policy available from the general insurers.

Filed under Paper Assets Tagged with Aviva India, cancer, cardiac diseases, CI Rider, critical illness rider, DAB Rider, diabetes, Double Accident Benefit Rider, general insurance, health cover, health insurance, heart attack, ICICI Lombard, Insurance, life insurance, lifestyle diseases, medical tourism, postaday, standalone critical illness policy, travel abroad for treatment

Legacy Drawer

April 13, 2011 1 Comment

Dave Ramsey talks of the Legacy Drawer.It’s a drawer that houses all of the important information your family needs in case something happens to you.It might be the last gift you will give your family, so it’s worthwhile making it a good one.

The drawer should be somewhere in your home and contain everything your spouse or family needs to know if you aren’t around—anything that has to do with your financial life should be in that drawer. You must organize it in a way that anyone can find a specific document in 30 seconds. All files should be clearly marked, in order, and easy for a grieving family member to find. There’s no need to go into extreme detail when creating your Legacy Drawer. Simply include the appropriate documents in an easy-to-understand format, and you’re good to go!

Here is a list of things your Legacy Drawer should contain :- Read more of this post