What Is Health Insurance Card and Its Benefits?

With the season changing from monsoon to winter, there is an increase in the chances of an outbreak of seasonal diseases. This also leads to frequent trips to the doctor. While you may feel like your lifestyle and fitness habits can keep you immune from viral outbreaks, you could be mistaken. A medical emergency can happen suddenly and can catch you off guard. The cost of medical treatment could put a strain on your finances. Having medical insurance can help you take care of those costs. However, having a health insurance card can be even more beneficial. Continue reading to know more about this feature and the benefits you can enjoy with it. *

What is Health Insurance?

Health insurance is a type of policy that assists you with taking care of the expenses incurred during your hospitalisation or that of your loved one. The expenses that would be covered depend on the policy and its sum insured. * There are different types of policies in this category such as family health insurance, senior citizen medical insurance, and critical illness insurance. Each type provides different benefits and the sum insured varies as well.

What is a Health Insurance Card?

During a medical emergency, if you have health insurance policy, you can use it to take care of the hospitalisation expenses. However, you would be required to carry the policy document and all the paperwork related to it, which can be a burden. In such situations, having a health insurance card can make the process quicker for you. What is this card? This card is the digital form of your medical insurance. It contains all the details pertaining to your identity and your policy. For example, if your partner gets hospitalised for a minor medical procedure and the total cost of treatment is Rs.50,000, your medical insurance will cover this cost with the sum insured offered to you under the policy. However, if you have a health insurance card, this process becomes quicker and seamless. When you submit your card to the hospital, the details mentioned on the card will help them get an idea about the coverage of your policy. If the hospital offers cashless treatment, that would be an added benefit for you as the medical bill would be taken care of directly by your insurer. *

What are the Details Present in a Health Card?

The card contains details related to you and your policy. Your contact information, your policy number, date of issuing and expiry, and the amount of sum insured are some of the details that you might find on the card. This helps the hospital in gaining correct information about your policy before your claim gets processed. As the card is issued by your insurer, the chances of any details being wrong are very low. With the card, there is no paper mess either. Having to carry physical copies of your policy document can be a task. The card, instead, simply negates the need of having to carry any physical copies. With the information given on the card, the respective hospital can just access the necessary information and proceed with the billing and claim. * Read More: Why Health Insurance is necessary After Retirement?

Why is a Health Insurance Card Essential?

At first glance, a health insurance card might seem like just another card in your wallet, but its importance becomes evident when you understand its functionality and benefits. These cards, issued by insurers, are integral to the digital transformation of health insurance services. Below are the key reasons why a health insurance card is indispensable:

1. Proof of Insurance

Similar to Aadhaar or Voter ID cards proving identity or citizenship, a health insurance card serves as proof of your eligibility for medical financial coverage under a specific insurer.

2. Facilitates Cashless Hospitalization

Emergencies don’t come with warnings. A health insurance card enables you to avail of cashless treatment at network hospitals. Once admitted, you simply need an authorization letter and your health insurance card to initiate treatment. The insurer directly settles the hospital expenses.

3. Quick Insurer Contact

Most health insurance cards include toll-free numbers to contact the insurer. These numbers can be lifesaving in emergencies or if you face issues using the card.

4. Acts as a Smart Card

Equipped with a chip, the card securely stores vital information such as:

1. Policyholder’s name
2. Date of birth
3. Policy details and number
4. Coverage amount (sum insured)
5. Policy validity period

5. Ease and Convenience

Carrying bulky policy documents or large amounts of cash is inconvenient. A health insurance card consolidates all necessary details in a compact, easy-to-carry format.

6. Simplifies Claim Validation

The card enables hospitals to verify your policy details with the insurer instantly. This ensures a seamless start to treatment while keeping you informed about any out-of-pocket expenses, allowing you time to make necessary arrangements.

7. Tracks Policy Validity

The card prominently displays the policy’s expiration date, serving as a convenient reminder to renew your insurance on time and avoid lapses in coverage. Read More: What Is Health Insurance: Meaning, Benefits & Types

Why It’s Crucial for Senior Citizens

For elderly policyholders, a health insurance card is even more critical, especially since India lacks a widely available Medicare-like flexible health card. While it doesn’t function as a medical debit card, it significantly reduces paperwork and delays, which can be life-saving for seniors during emergencies. Key Considerations

1. Network Hospitals

The card’s cashless facility is only available at empanelled hospitals in your insurer’s network. Treatment at non-network hospitals will require you to pay upfront, with reimbursement possible later.

2. Data Security

Health insurance cards contain encrypted personal and policy details. To prevent misuse, store the card securely and report its loss to your insurer immediately.

3. Cashless Facilities

Ensure the listed hospitals support cashless transactions to maximize the card’s benefits.

4. Replacement Process

If your card is lost or stolen, inform your insurer promptly and apply for a replacement to safeguard against fraud. A health insurance card is more than just a convenience—it’s a critical tool in managing medical emergencies efficiently. By understanding its usage and maintaining its security, you can unlock its full potential and enjoy hassle-free healthcare services.

How to Get a Health Card?

It is quite easy to get your health insurance card. Most insurers provide the card when you purchase your policy from them. However, it would still benefit you to ask for the card from your insurer yourself. If you purchase an individual policy, only you would get the card. But, if you have a family floater plan, each member covered under the policy would get a separate card with their details present on it.

Things to keep in mind while having Health Card:

1. Cashless benefits can be claimed only at network hospitals. If the treatment takes place at a hospital outside of the network, you would be required to pay for the expenses, with the insurer offering a reimbursement for it. *
2. Keep the card safeguarded as important details related to you and your policy are mentioned in it. If misplaced, it can be misused by miscreants.
3. Always make sure that the hospital where the treatment is taking place offers a cashless facility and is in your insurer’s network of hospitals.

* Standard T&C Apply Read More: 3 Reasons Why You Should Get Health Insurance

Conclusion

This is how you can benefit with the help of this card. If you wish to know more about the card or about the benefits of health insurance, you can get in touch with your insurer. Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms, and conditions, please read the sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale. *Standard T&C apply