You can challenge the rejection of a health insurance claim

Published in Mint on Aug 23 2016, Written by Abhishek Bondia Reports from the pre-issuance medical test and doctors’ consultation are expected to identify pre-existing ailments My mother, 52, has been diabetic for the past 5-6 years. She has a family floater health insurance and I am the sponsor. Her condition was declared at the […]

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When fine print stumps your policy claim

Published in Mint on Aug 16 2016 Most people buy insurance in three quick steps: give the agent a quick listen, sign off on the paper and store the policy away. Yes, insurance legalese makes for laboured reading, but ignorance is even more painful. You need to know your policy—the exclusions at the very least—to […]

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Participation in the Mint SecureNow Mediclaim ratings is not optional

The product options that are rated, have increased from 162 in 2013 to 423 this year Published in Mint Mon, Aug 1, 2016, written by Kapil Mehta The Mint SecureNow Mediclaim Ratings (MSMR) take an enormous effort to be put together. Over 10,000 pieces of information bits on health insurance are collated from public sources […]

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Underwriting practices vary across insurance companies

Published in Mint on July 26 2016, Written by Abhishek Bondia Can a dent on the car be reason enough for not giving it insurance coverage? My car’s insurance is due for renewal and they are asking me to fix the dent on my own. —Rakesh Sundria Underwriting practices vary across insurers. However, it is […]

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Why information gaps in insurance must be closed

Published in Mint on JUL 20 2016, Written by Kapil Mehta Information breathes life into our decisions. It improves industry conduct and, in insurance it reduces grossly wrong choices. At its best: information is simplified, data clutter is removed and the focus is on essential facts. Unfortunately, the insurance ecosystem—and I include hospitals in that—is still […]

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Most health insurance policies cover preventive check ups

Published in Mint on JUN 28 2016, Written by Abhishek Bondia I was admitted in the hospital with dengue fever in September 2012. I purchased a mediclaim policy now, do I need to disclose the same as a pre-existing disease? —Roshni Garg Yes, you should fully declare your past hospitalisation record while buying a new […]

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A child life insurance plan is essentially an investment plan

Published in Mint on JUN 21 2016, Written by Abhishek Bondia What is the cost of a living rider in a life insurance policy? —Kanishk Mahapatra There are two types of cost of living riders. One is a benefit to account for inflation and the need to replace higher income. Several life insurance products factor […]

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Portability between insurers is allowed for individual products

Published in Mint on JUN 14 2016, Written by Abhishek Bondia I want to insure the interior furnishings of my office. What kind of insurance would be suitable? The structure of the office is already insured. —Keshav Sinha You should buy a standard fire and special perils policy. This policy will cover risks such as […]

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Impact of HDFC Ergo, L&T Insurance merge

Published in Mint on Jun 13 2016 In a board meeting held on 3 June, HDFC Ergo General Insurance Co. Ltd approved the acquisition of L&T General Insurance Co. Ltd. Pending approvals from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) and the Competition Commission of India, HDFC Ergo will buy 100% stake in […]

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For a smoother claims settlement process

Published in Mint on Jun 03 2016 Reasons for a health insurance claim being delayed or rejected altogether range from administrative delays by hospitals to poor documentation, further enquiries by the insurer or even poor understanding of a policy by the policyholder. But you can prevent the claims process from turning sour by arming yourself […]

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