Pandemic pushes insurers to launch cashless OPD health insurance plans
Covid-19 has made possible faster adoption of digital methods for OPD treatment like tele-medicine and online pharmacy. Following the trend several insurers have recently launched their OPD health insurance plans.
- Dec 17, 2021,
- Updated Dec 17, 2021 5:14 PM IST
Covid-19 has made possible faster adoption of digital methods for OPD treatment like tele-medicine and online pharmacy. Following the trend several insurers have recently launched their OPD health insurance plans. The latest one to jump on the bandwagon is Bajaj Allianz General Insurance with the launch of ‘Health Prime’ rider.
This rider can be availed along with the company’s existing and new health insurance and personal accident policies.
Health Prime rider covers 4 key areas namely – Tele-consultation Cover where one can opt for unlimited consultations with a doctor on the service provider’s digital platform; Doctor Consultation Cover where the customer can consult a doctor in person from the prescribed network centers of the service provider or outside its network; Investigations Cover for pathology or radiology expenses from prescribed or outside network centers; and lastly, Annual Preventive Health Check-up Cover wherein the policyholder can avail free preventive health check-up once in every policy year as per the tests mentioned. All these benefits are completely cashless.
The premium for the rider ranges from Rs 63 to Rs 1,084 excluding GST and 3 plans on floater basis with premium ranging from Rs 1,146 to Rs 2,348 excluding GST. The Company has tied up with Bajaj Finserv Health, a health-tech company which will leverage its network of more than 2,500 lab chains and 90,000 doctors, to serve policyholders.
Recently ICICI Lombard also launched BeFit policy, which covers OPD services in a cashless manner where one can take doctor’s appointment through its app, including physical and virtual consultation by general, specialist and super-specialist doctors as well as physiotherapy sessions.
The insurer has done a tie-up with 11,000+ doctors across 20 cities. The pharmacy service covers medicine delivered at home and lab tests both at home and centre visit. The product also offers 24 x 7 consultations (tele and virtual) by the insurer’s panel of expert panel of doctors.
The basic hospital policy only covers hospitalization cost. Buying an OPD rider can give one extra layer of coverage. However, one of the important factors to look at before buying an OPD plan are that there should be enough network doctors for the quick consultation with doctor.
“Next is the coverage allotted by the insurance company for OPD treatment overall and per consultation charges that it should be enough for the doctor’s consultation, medicine and lab test. Lastly, the facility of OPD should be available throughout the day so that in case a person needs a facility during odd hours, it should be available to them,” said Naval Goel, Founder and CEO, PolicyX.com.
Also Read: Health insurance policies with lowest waiting periods; check them out here
Also Read: Plum, Razorpay sponsor health insurance for early-stage start-up founders
Covid-19 has made possible faster adoption of digital methods for OPD treatment like tele-medicine and online pharmacy. Following the trend several insurers have recently launched their OPD health insurance plans. The latest one to jump on the bandwagon is Bajaj Allianz General Insurance with the launch of ‘Health Prime’ rider.
This rider can be availed along with the company’s existing and new health insurance and personal accident policies.
Health Prime rider covers 4 key areas namely – Tele-consultation Cover where one can opt for unlimited consultations with a doctor on the service provider’s digital platform; Doctor Consultation Cover where the customer can consult a doctor in person from the prescribed network centers of the service provider or outside its network; Investigations Cover for pathology or radiology expenses from prescribed or outside network centers; and lastly, Annual Preventive Health Check-up Cover wherein the policyholder can avail free preventive health check-up once in every policy year as per the tests mentioned. All these benefits are completely cashless.
The premium for the rider ranges from Rs 63 to Rs 1,084 excluding GST and 3 plans on floater basis with premium ranging from Rs 1,146 to Rs 2,348 excluding GST. The Company has tied up with Bajaj Finserv Health, a health-tech company which will leverage its network of more than 2,500 lab chains and 90,000 doctors, to serve policyholders.
Recently ICICI Lombard also launched BeFit policy, which covers OPD services in a cashless manner where one can take doctor’s appointment through its app, including physical and virtual consultation by general, specialist and super-specialist doctors as well as physiotherapy sessions.
The insurer has done a tie-up with 11,000+ doctors across 20 cities. The pharmacy service covers medicine delivered at home and lab tests both at home and centre visit. The product also offers 24 x 7 consultations (tele and virtual) by the insurer’s panel of expert panel of doctors.
The basic hospital policy only covers hospitalization cost. Buying an OPD rider can give one extra layer of coverage. However, one of the important factors to look at before buying an OPD plan are that there should be enough network doctors for the quick consultation with doctor.
“Next is the coverage allotted by the insurance company for OPD treatment overall and per consultation charges that it should be enough for the doctor’s consultation, medicine and lab test. Lastly, the facility of OPD should be available throughout the day so that in case a person needs a facility during odd hours, it should be available to them,” said Naval Goel, Founder and CEO, PolicyX.com.
Also Read: Health insurance policies with lowest waiting periods; check them out here
Also Read: Plum, Razorpay sponsor health insurance for early-stage start-up founders