What are Pre & Post Hospitalization Expenses in Health Insurance?

A medical emergency is a situation where you remember your health insurance investments. During these challenging times, a health insurance policy acts as a ‘friend in need, helping you keep your savings intact. But hospitalisation isn't the only situation when a health insurance cover comes to the rescue. The real treatment begins before a patient is even admitted to the hospital and continues even after discharge. Thus, it is essential to buy a policy that not just covers the actual treatment but also the pre-treatment and post-treatment expenses. Continue reading to know more about why you should invest in such a policy.

What Is Pre-Hospitalisation and Post-Hospitalisation Cover in Health Insurance?

A pre-hospitalisation cover in health insurance refers to the coverage where the insurance company compensates for the medical expenses before the actual treatment is sought, while the post-hospitalisation cover is for the continued medical expenses even after discharge from the hospital. Traditionally, health insurance policies are focused on reimbursing treatment costs. But as medical inflation is rising, the cost of diagnosis and other pre-treatment expenses, along with the after-treatment procedures, have become so high that they could burn through your savings. Thus, seeking a health insurance policy that not only provides coverage for medical treatment but also covers these other costs before and after such a treatment is important. * Standard T&C Apply

Benefits of Pre and Post Hospitalization Coverage

Whether you’re opting for individual or family health insurance, opting for pre-treatment and post-treatment coverage in your insurance plan can help in the following ways:

1. Lowering the financial burden

The pre-treatment and post-treatment cover help reduce the financial burden, compensating for the various costs that you might incur. Some treatments may require a patient to undergo expensive tests, whereas a few others may need medical support even after the discharge. *

2. Elimination of financial stress

Pre-hospitalisation and post-hospitalisation cover help the patient focus on the recovery instead of having to worry about the cost of medical expenses. *

3. Robust coverage for medical exigencies

Opting for a policy that provides insurance cover for medical expenses before and after the treatment helps to be prepared for medical emergencies that come unannounced. In these unpredictable situations, accumulating adequate finances can be difficult, and thus, pre-treatment and post-treatment coverage is useful. *

4. Protection of your retirement corpus

An insurance policy that provides a financial shield for the treatment, as well as before and after it, ensures your investments remain protected. You need not liquidate them to fund the cost of medical expenses that precede or succeed any of the treatments. Thus, it helps build on your retirement corpus and ensures that adequate medical coverage is available when required. * * Standard T&C Apply

Things to Remember While Buying Health Insurance with Pre & Post-hospitalization Cover

1. When buying a policy with the inclusion of the medical expenses before and after the treatment, you should note that the cost of expenses must be associated with the same condition for which the treatment was sought.
2. There is a limitation on how much coverage the insurance policy offers, which is mentioned in your policy document. Generally, 30 days of pre-hospitalisation cover and 90 days of post-hospitalisation cover is available.
3. To submit a successful claim, make sure to submit all necessary documents requested by your insurance company.

A pre-treatment and post-treatment feature in your health insurance plan is usually beneficial for elderly individuals since they need prolonged medical care. Thus, you should pay special attention to look for the policy inclusion when buying health insurance for senior citizens. * Standard T&C Apply Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms and conditions, please read sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale.