Difference between Health Insurance and Mediclaim

In these days of financial inclusion where every investment and cost-cutting counts as the required mode of monetary assistance, it is very essential that clear financial planning must be done. This ensures that a stable and strong corpus is created for meeting the requirements as and when they arise. One of the prime areas of focus when it comes to creating the financial base is having an insurance policy in place. These days, the rising costs of healthcare and associated fields have mandated that a person ends up paying hefty amounts towards healthcare costs and therefore, an added burden is put on her/his pockets in case of any health-related contingency. This is where the importance of having a credible health-insurance plan in place comes in. However, when it comes to choosing between plans, most people often don't know the difference between a standard health insurance plan and a mediclaim policy. The fact is that a health insurance plan serves as blanket coverage against the incurred costs during any health-related contingency and this is the basic point of difference between a health insurance plan and a mediclaim policy.

Following are the important points of difference between a traditional health insurance plan and mediclaim:

1. A health insurance plan offers extensive coverage in times of any health-related emergency and generally, this coverage includes pre and post hospitalization benefits, medical consultation fee, costs against nursing, etc. However, a mediclaim policy offers coverage that is generally restricted to hospitalization and incidence of any specific illness.
2. The scope of mediclaim policies is limited when viewed in comparison with health insurance plans. Health insurance plans offer detailed coverage that includes not only hospitalization but added benefits as well. The range of offered coverage includes multiple benefits as well as post-hospitalization and recuperation as well. This is not so with a specific mediclaim policy because it is restricted to pointed benefits.
3. A standard health insurance plan also comes with additional riders or extra benefits that act as add-ons to the main plan benefits. However, this is not so with a mediclaim policy. A mediclaim policy does not offer any coverage in the form of riders and as such, as mentioned previously, the scope of coverage is quite limited.
4. One more important point of difference between a health insurance plan and a mediclaim policy is that the sum assured in case of a standard health insurance plan is far greater than what is offered with a mediclaim policy. A mediclaim policy does not entitle a policy holder to a coverage that can exceed Rs 5 Lac. This is not the case with a health insurance plan.
5. One more point of difference is in the mode of disbursement. With a health insurance plan, in the event of a critical illness or any accidental disability, the sum assured i.e. the main plan benefit is paid as a lump sum. However, with a mediclaim policy, the mode of disbursal is continual in nature and the reimbursement continues until the whole sum assured is paid.

HDFC Life offers various health insurance plans that serve to protect your finances in the event of any health-related contingencies. For details, click on the mentioned link: https://www.hdfclife.com/health-insurance-plans.