Consumables Cover in Health Insurance

When you buy a health insurance policy, it provides you with coverage against treatment expenses and medical costs in hospitals. However, a health policy will not cover everything in your hospital bills. Expenses such as consumables are generally not covered under general health insurance plans and can be a major portion of your hospital bills. However, you can choose to buy a ‘Consumables Benefit’ add-on cover if you want these costs to be covered under your health insurance policy. This add-on allows you to get coverage for items like needles, syringes, gloves, surgical tape, etc. under your health policy. 

Let’s take a closer look at what’s covered under the consumables benefit in health insurance: 

Important Update (Dated May 30, 2024) – Good news for Health Insurance policyholders! According to the Master Circular on Health Insurance Business 29052024 rolled out on May 29, 2024 by IRDAI, insurers are to decide on the request for cashless claims within 1 hour of receiving the request. Also, the final claim is to be granted within 3 hours after the policyholder’s discharge from the hospital. Insurers have been directed by IRDAI to establish necessary systems and procedures for this process by July 31, 2024.

 

The Master Circular on Health Insurance Business 29052024 circular is available here - https://irdai.gov.in/document-detail?documentId=4942918

The following is a common list of consumables in health insurance that are generally used in health treatments: 

• Surgical items

The most common form of consumables in health insurance includes surgical items, which are frequently used for any surgery and post-operative care. They can be needles, syringes, stitching sutures, surgical tape, cotton gauze, razors, gloves, masks, gowns, plasters, braces, collars, etc. 

• Housekeeping Items

Your stay in a hospital involves several housekeeping items like mineral water, toothpaste, slippers, tissue paper, shampoo, powder, toothbrush, caps, belts, diapers, baby food, cradle, carry bags, sanitary pads, combs, etc.

• Room-Related and Administrative Charges

These charges kick in especially during admission for any treatment in a hospital and include documentation generation and processing fees, admit cards, visitor passes, medical records, billing process, room convenience charges, additional taxes, etc.

It is important to note here that the above-mentioned list is not exhaustive. There are dozens of consumables that one can be billed for. Most of these are listed in the relevant section under your policy document. Policyholders and new buyers are advised to carefully read these sections to avoid disputes later on.

Here are the exact steps you can follow to buy health insurance with consumables cover on Bajaj Markets:

 

Step 1: Visit the ‘Health Insurance Premium Calculator’ page on Bajaj Markets. 

 

Step 2: Fill out the form available on the calculator page by entering all the required information correctly and click on ‘Get Quote’ 

 

Step 3: Check out all the policies in detail and then pick a plan that best suits your needs.

 

Step 4: Once you have selected your plan, pick ‘Consumables Cover’ from the list of available add-on covers.

 

Step 5: Pay the online premiums for the health plan and the consumables cover.

 

Once you have successfully completed all the steps, your health policy with the add-on cover will be activated and sent to your registered email. 

• Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of consumables like masks, PPE kits, sanitisers, etc. has gone up significantly.

• It is common to find that a large part of your hospital bill consists of consumables expenses these days. If you have a hospital bill of ₹5 lakh and consumables are 20% of the total amount, the cost of consumables in your bill is ₹1 lakh. You will have to pay this amount out of pocket if your health insurance does not cover consumables. 

• If you have to stay in the hospital for extended periods due to serious medical issues, the cost of consumables can get overwhelming. To ensure that the cost of these consumables is also covered under your policy, you should opt for the consumables cover in health insurance.

Health Insurance Plans Available at Bajaj Markets