5 to-dos for using your health insurance well

Even the most impressive type of health cover will prove to be useless if you don’t have the right kind of paper work on you.

By: Pavitra Sampath | | Published: January 3, 2014 10:26 am

Having health insurance is quickly becoming the need of the hour. But even the most impressive type of health cover will prove to be useless if you don’t have the right kind of paper work on you. Here is a quick list of things you should have ready in case you have to visit the hospital in an emergency. Also Read - Health is a fundamental human right: Healthcare schemes in India you must know about

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1. Keep your insurance identification ready Also Read - World Health Day 2019: Your ultimate medical insurance guide

This is probably one of the most important pieces of information you have regarding your health insurance policy. An insurance card or identification document has all your health insurance information, all stored in the form of the ‘insurance policy number’ or ‘ID number’. This is basically a number (11 to 12 digit number) that identifies who you are, what type of insurance you have, how much you can be covered for and which hospitals are covered under your insurance policy.

How to use it: When you visit the hospital after you have admitted the patient to the emergency department give your card to the associate at the admissions desk. He/she will ask you to fill out a form for basic admissions and will then proceed to contact your insurance company with your details. This acts as a request on your part to the insurance company for them to cover your medical expenses. Once cleared, your admission papers will be processed.

2. Find a list of hospitals covered by your insurance scheme

Every insurance company has certain hospitals that it ties up with in order to provide you with medical assistance. Usually a health insurance provider will have various types of hospitals (multi-speciality, super-speciality, nursing homes etc.) under it, in different locations. Therefore keeping a track of which hospitals near your area of residence can cater to your health insurance cover is extremely important. Not only will this help you get to the hospital on time, being able to decide which hospital is right in your hour of need is crucial to a fast and successful recovery. (Read: 10 practical tips to choose the right health insurance)

3. Have all the previous medical papers ready

All of us have had to visit a hospital or doctor at some time, be it for a chronic illness or for a cough and cold. Whatever the reason may be, your medical papers are of immense importance. They give your treating physician an idea about the patient’s previous medical history (illnesses you might have suffered from), any medication he/she are or might have been on, any substance or drugs that he/she might be allergic to and any surgical procedures they might have had. This information is crucial when it comes to deciding a line of treatment and is best if provided at the earliest. In some cases unavailability of medical history can be fatal.

How to use it: When you visit the hospital and have admitted the patient to the emergency department, inform the treating physician and the nurse about the fact that you have the patient’s previous papers. Depending on the seriousness of the patient’s ailment you may be asked for the information once the patient has been stabilized or before administering any treatment. In case the patient has a chronic illness, medical history will be crucial.

4. Have money and photo identification at hand

Your health insurance policy might cover all your medical costs but there are times when you will need to have money at hand. For instance, there are some insurance covers that are the reimbursement type (where you have to bear the cost of the medical treatment and will be reimbursed after the treatment is over). This may require you to pay the admission charges or for medicines, IV drips and other sundry charges. Cash is always better, but if you have no choice you can carry a debit or credit card.

Photo identification is another important document you must have. Most hospitals will require you to prove the identity of the insured before the policy is brought into action. Make sure the identification of the patient is valid and is accepted by the insurance company and hospital. (Read: Ten questions you should ask your health insurance company)

5. Know what you are entitled to

Information is power, and the same applies to health insurance. Knowing about the services you are covered for is crucial to getting the best treatment, and to help prepare you for more severe and demanding emergencies. The best to find out is to check the fine print on your insurance policy. In most cases you will find this information under the’terms of your policy’ section. If you find the document too daunting to understand, ask your insurance company/ agent to help you understand better.

Health.india.com tip:

The best way to be prepared for an emergency is to make a separate bag with all this information in it. You could make separate bags for various family members as well, and store them in an easy to access location that is preferably present closest to the front door.

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Published : January 3, 2014 10:26 am

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