Ask Mint Money | Many countries won’t give visa if you don’t have travel insurance
Ask Mint Money | Many countries won’t give visa if you don’t have travel insurance
My latest job change has left me without a medical cover. My father and mother are 75 and 68 years old, respectively. My father has a heart problem and my mother needs a knee replacement surgery. She is also diabetic and has high blood pressure. The surgery needs to be done immediately. I need an insurance cover for myself and my parents which will give us the maximum benefit as far as the pre-existing conditions go. Please advise.
—Shweta Bhasin
With multiplying job options, it is being observed that many times people are left without a health cover. It is, therefore, very important to have a personal health cover even if your employer provides one.
Individual health plans provide limited coverage for pre-existing diseases. Senior citizen policies from state-run insurers can provide cover for hypertension and diabetes only. You can take any of these policies for your parents and a regular policy for yourself. Knee replacement is not covered by insurers for the first four years of buying a policy.
My wife and I are both 32 years old and have a five-year-old daughter. My parents are dependant on us. My net salary is Rs18 lakh per annum. Also, my wife has a company health insurance cover, but I don’t have any corporate cover. I am covered under my wife’s policy as a spouse. Should I buy a cover for myself and my parents, who are not covered by any health insurance policy?
—H. Arora
It is important to have a personal health cover even if your wife’s employer provides one for both of you.
If your parents are above 60 years of age, you can cover them under senior citizen policies of state-run insurers. These policies can also cover pre-existing diseases such as hypertension and diabetes on payment of extra premium. In view of your high annual salary, you can consider a Rs5 lakh floater policy, which will cover you, your wife and your daughter.
I plan to go for a vacation abroad with my family, including my parents who are above 60 years of age. Should I opt for travel insurance? If yes, then please suggest a good one.
—Pranjal Jain
It is extremely important to take travel insurance. Many countries issue visa only after you take travel insurance. More importantly, the cost of medical care is very high abroad. This goes up further in case of emergency medical care. Hence, it important to take travel insurance across all age groups.
Travel insurance also covers loss of baggage, loss of passport, trip delays and trip cancellations. The best part is that it is very reasonably priced.
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