As we age and enter the years of retirement, we look forward to spending our days by relaxing and reminiscing the times gone by. However, ill-health often strikes in old age and brings along with it many financial worries. After all, we do know how expensive even the most basic medical treatments are these days. This is why it is extremely important to have health insurance in place to stay prepared for any eventuality.
Now, standard health insurance plans generally place a limit on the age at which you are allowed to buy coverage. That limit is usually around 65 years; this means that if you cross that age, you simply can’t buy coverage. However, if you already bought the policy, you may renew the plan for life.
But what happens to someone who crosses the age limit without buying coverage? Are they forced to stay without insurance and pay for medical expenses on their own?
Not at all! They can simply opt for a senior citizen health insurance plan. Many are unaware of the existence of special health insurance plans that cater coverage exclusive to senior citizens. If you too are hearing about these plans for the first time, know that senior citizen health insurance products are exclusively designed to cater to their target audience for holistic health coverage that is needed after a certain age.
To help you gain a better understanding of senior citizen health insurance, we have listed out a few features that the best plans have. Look for these features when selecting a senior citizen health insurance plan for yourself or your loved ones.
- High limit for maximum age
Look for a senior citizen health insurance plan that offers the highest possible age limit for buying coverage. This way, you can get coverage for your loved ones who are really senior – for instance, above 75 years of age.
- Cashless treatment at a wide array of empanelled hospitals
One of the biggest benefits of having health insurance is that one gets to benefit from cashless treatment during a medical emergency. As raising funds for treatment at the eleventh hour can prove to be quite a difficult task, cashless service is indeed a huge boon. However, make sure that the senior citizen health insurance plan you select has a good network of cashless hospitals near your home. If the network hospitals are far away, you would face major difficulties in getting the insured senior citizen across for treatment each time.
- Added benefits
Look for a senior citizen health insurance plan that comes along with added benefits to coverage. For instance, some plans offer free medical check-ups for a certain number of claim-free years. Having these check-ups can help you diagnose medical conditions early on before they progress to advanced stages.
- Affordable coverage
It is important to choose an affordable plan for coverage. At the same time, price should not be the only criteria based upon which you buy a plan – try to strike the balance between quality of coverage and the cost of the premium.
- No preceding medical check-up
Look for a senior citizen health insurance plan that does not require you to undergo a medical check-up prior to buying coverage. This would save you from a lot of hassles and ensure that the process of applying for coverage is smooth and quick.
We hope that this blog has helped improve your understanding of features to seek in a senior citizen health insurance plan. Remember to always compare health insurance plans so that you get the best coverage available.
Take care.
Read more: Should I Increase My Health Insurance due to the Pandemic?