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All about Child Health Insurance in India

05 September, 2019

Naturally, children are dearly loved by their parents. In order to ensure their safety and well-being, parents must make sure that they deliver their best in securing their child’s future.

 

Ensuring a healthy childhood should be every parent’s aspiration. Being an overpopulated country, India, sadly, has an infant mortality ratio higher than the global average. A major reason is the prevalence of various infectious diseases like diarrhea, diphtheria, and measles among infants and children.

 

In order to protect children from such infectious diseases, it is imperative for every parent to ensure that their children are given medical check-ups on a regular basis. There are no two ways about the importance of healthcare for children, but in a modern world, treatment and prevention of these illnesses can be extremely expensive!

 

The good news is that nowadays, a number of affordable health insurance plans are being offered specifically for children. These insurance plans cover issues ranging from illnesses to injuries. However, with so many plans in the market, it is important for families to select the best possible child health insurance plan to avoid a financial crisis in the unlikely event of an illness or injury.

 

Let’s understand what exactly a child insurance health plan is, its different types and the benefits that your child can get from such insurance plans.

 

What is a child health insurance plan?

A child health insurance plan is an insurance plan which families can purchase from insurance companies in order to secure the lives of their children. These plans generally cover a wide range of diseases or injuries. Some of them also include annual clinical check-ups.

 

Types of health insurance plans available for kids

There are a variety of health insurance plans available in the market for children depending on the preferred coverage families are looking for. These include:

 

  1. Individual child health plans – These health plans for children provide comprehensive health coverage along with cashless hospitalization options. In modern India, cashless hospitals are on the rise, which is why such plans can be more convenient for parents. These also comprise of a variety of benefits like lower insurance premiums and no claim bonuses.
  2. Family floater health plans – These plans typically cover the entire family and comprise of the main insurance holder along with the spouse with the coverage extending to a maximum of four children. These plans come with a variety of discounts, a fixed insurance premium, and tax benefits.
  3. Mediclaim insurance policy – This policy provides coverage against incurred medical expenses and thus beneficial for low-income and moderate-income families. This, in turn, saves them from any possible financial crisis which they might incur in their efforts to ensure the well-being of their children.

 

It is advisable for parents to purchase health insurance plans for their children as early as possible as doing so will help them accumulate higher coverage over a long period.

 

The benefits of ensuring your child's health

 

Children tend to secure several benefits from health insurance, such as:

  1. Improvement in well-being - The main benefits children derive from health insurance coverage is an improvement in their overall well-being. Children who have health insurance are more likely to be healthy as they have proper access to medical care as compared to those who aren’t.
  2. Improvement in their learning levels - You may be familiar with the fact that the learning ability of children is directly related to their health. Children who have health insurance and enjoy regular clinical check-ups tend to enjoy good health and in turn, achieve better outcomes at school.
  3. Economic security - In the modern world, the first and foremost priority of an individual is to ensure economic security. Healthy children tend to be more economically secure and in turn, contribute better towards the economy and society.

 

India is the second most populated country in the world with a high childbirth rate.  Children are our future, and in order to ensure their health and safety, parents and family members must ensure ways of securing their child’s future as best as they can afford. With various insurance plans to choose from, parents should no longer ignore the importance of having health insurance for their children.

 

FAQs

 

Can I get health insurance for my child?

Yes, anybody can and must get their child insured. These days there are many insurance options for parents to choose from.

 

Which insurance is best for my child?

Varieties of health insurance options are available in India, and choosing the best option depends on the facilities and benefits provided as part of the plans.

 

Who is eligible for child health insurance?

An infant is eligible for insurance 90 days after birth. However, a family must inform the insurance company of their choice about the child’s birth within seven days of birth.

 

What are the required documents to be submitted for the renewal of child health insurance policy?

The necessary documents include the child’s birth certificate, along with the hospital discharge card. Based on policy requirements insurance companies may ask for other documents as well.