Just a few years ago, there were very limited health insurance options for Indian customers. However, in recent times, insurance companies have come up with a variety of highly specific health insurance policies targeted at different demographics. Health insurance plans for women have become a popular choice among female consumers who look for plans that provide enhanced coverage for female medical needs. The best health insurance plans for women tend to have lower premiums and offer maternity cover as well as coverage for women-specific medical issues such as breast cancer, etc. In this article, we’ll take a deeper look at the best health insurance plans for women and how to buy them.
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
Features |
Bajaj Allianz Health Insurance |
Care Health Insurance |
Aditya Birla Health Insurance |
CSR (Claim Settlement Ratio) |
94% |
90% |
94% |
Claims Settlement Process |
Taken care of by the insurer |
||
Sum Insured Options |
₹2 Lakh - ₹50 Lakhs |
Up to ₹50 Lakhs |
₹4 Lakhs - ₹2 Crores |
Network Hospitals |
6,500+ |
5,050+ |
6,000+ |
Premium Amount* with GST |
₹3,776 |
₹5,277 |
₹3,887 |
Premium Amount* without GST |
₹3,200 |
₹4,472 |
₹3,294 |
Disclaimer |
SI - ₹2 Lakhs, Age-18 |
SI - ₹4 Lakhs, Age-18 |
SI - ₹3 Lakhs, Age-18 |
Disclaimer: Premiums rates mentioned above for the above health insurance plans are not constant and subject to change over time.
There are many benefits of buying women-specific health insurance plans, such as:
The pricing for women-specific health insurance plans is set up in a way that women can afford to buy the plans without worrying too much about the cost.
Health insurance for women also generally has maternity cover built into the plan. However, the scope of maternity cover will depend heavily on the type of women health insurance plan chosen and the maximum sum insured.
Most health insurance plans for women have provisions for free periodic health check-ups that women can take advantage of and get tested for potential medical conditions.
Health insurance plans for women also allow policyholders to easily add other family members to their plan on notice, especially kids.
These plans also provide critical illness cover for women-specific medical conditions like breast cancer, ovarian cancer, etc.
Now you can buy a health insurance plan for women while sitting at home by just following the steps given below:
Step 1: Visit the ‘health insurance calculator’ page on the insurer’s website
Step 2: Enter your personal details such as age, gender, required sum insured, etc.
Step 3: A set of health insurance plans will appear on the screen.
Step 4: Choose a women’s health insurance plan from the available options (like ‘Care Joy Maternity Health Insurance Plan’ or ‘Bajaj Allianz Women’s Health Insurance: Critical Illness Cover).
Step 5: Upload the relevant documents and make the online premium payment.
Step 6: Your health insurance will be activated and details will be sent to your registered email.
These are some of the important factors that must be considered before buying a health insurance plan for women:
The most important factor to consider when looking for the best health insurance plan for women is the sum insured. Sum insured refers to the maximum amount of financial coverage you are liable to get in the form of a health insurance claim. Make sure you buy a plan that offers an adequate sum insured to take care of all your medical needs.
There is a waiting period in health insurance of a few months to a few years before providing coverage for pre-existing diseases. Try to look for a plan that has the lowest waiting period for pre-existing diseases.
Maternity cover is something that a good number of women may need during their lifetime, but this cover is usually not available in general health insurance plans. So, if you are buying women’s health insurance, make sure it has maternity cover included.
Last but not the least, you will have to look for a health insurance plan that fits your budget. Fortunately, there are tons of options for online health insurance for women offered by different companies that you can choose from.
The inclusions or coverages under a health insurance plan are as follows:
Health insurance plans offer coverage for pre and post hospitalisation expenses, which are the costs that are incurred before and after the period of a patient’s hospitalisation.
Daycare procedures are those medical procedures that do not require hospitalisation and can be finished within a few hours, like minor surgeries. Daycare procedures are covered under health insurance.
The expenses for organ donation procedure treatments are also covered by health insurance plans.
In case of hospitalisation of the patient, the health insurance plan will provide a certain daily cash limit for expenses so that the policyholder and their family do not have to worry about arranging immediate cash.
Ambulance charges for some private hospitals can be exorbitant. Fortunately, health insurance will help provide coverage for these expenses.
The following are exclusions that will not be covered under health insurance:
Pre-existing illnesses will not be covered by the health insurance plan initially but might be covered once the waiting period is over.
Dental procedures are not covered under any general health insurance plans.
Any medical conditions arising out of excessive drug or alcohol abuse will not be covered under health insurance.
Injuries when participating in naval, military or air force operations or dangerous sports like racing and driving are not covered.
With increased competition in the insurance sphere, many insurers have come up with some great women's health insurance plans that offer many valuable features at an affordable price. If you are a woman, you should take advantage of these health insurance plans to get the best medical coverage possible. However, if you feel that these plans may be inadequate for your needs, you can also browse through the general health insurance plans available at Bajaj Markets and supplement the coverage by getting a health insurance top-up rider.
Many insurance companies offer women health insurance policies. You should compare their prices/features and then decide which plan is best for you.
Yes, the best insurance plans for women have maternity cover included as one of the features.
Yes, you can purchase health insurance for women online at Bajaj Markets and other insurance websites.
Ideally, you should purchase health insurance at a young age so that you can benefit from lower premiums in the long term.
Yes, a women’s health insurance plan can help cover the cost of your medical treatments and hospitalisations. With the rising cost of private healthcare, health insurance has become a necessity for all.