SBI Arogya Plus vs National Insurance National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy
Introduction
Before we start comparing these two policies we have to set out some ground rules.
Both products are marketed by different insurance companies. Arogya Plus is sold by SBI and National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy is sold by National Insurance. So any meaningful comparison should include a comparison of the product alongside the insurers themselves.
Second, we know that both products have massive differences in their core structure. Arogya Plus is quite comprehensive. It offers considerable protection and it doesn’t impose as many restrictions. However, National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy is specifically designed for senior citizens. So in many ways, you’re comparing apples and oranges here.
And finally, any comparison is ultimately futile without considering the use case. Who are you buying this policy for? You, your family, your parents?
That’s something you’ll need to answer before using this guide. So with that introduction out of the way, we can get to comparing the actual policies themselves.
Let’s start with Arogya Plus. The product comes from SBI’s stable:
SBI General Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between the State Bank of India and Insurance Australia Group (IAG). The firm, which was founded in 2008, offers insurance products in the areas of auto, travel, home, and health.
However considering they are a part of India’s largest government-owned banking firm, you can expect a bit of dilly-dallying during the claims process. And their claim settlement ratio of 97% isn’t something to boast of either.
National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy meanwhile comes from National Insurance’s stable:
National Insurance is the country's oldest general insurance firm and is wholly owned by the Government of India. That means, despite a claim settlement ratio of 93% and over 3,200 network hospitals it can be a bit difficult to reach the insurer when you need them the most. Perhaps due to the fact that they are still a public sector enterprise.
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Compare Insurances Insurance Parameters Recommended Not Recommended | ||
---|---|---|
Network hospitals | 6,000+ | 3,200+ |
Claim settlement ratio (avg. of last 3 years) | 97% | 93% |
Co-payment | No | No |
Room rent | Any Room | Any Room (up to 1% of sum insured) |
Disease sub-limit | Yes | Yes |
Pre existing diseases waiting | 3 years | 2 years |
Pre/Post hospitalization | 60/90 days | 30/60 days |
No claim bonus | 5% per year (up to 50%) | |
Domiciliary | ||
Ayush treatments | ||
Restoration benefit | ||
Health check-up | Once every 2 years | |
Maternity | Available (Up to Defined limits) | |
Out Patient Department | ||
Day care |
Feature Comparison
Co payment
With a co-payment clause, the insurer will mandate that you pay a part of the bill. So if the bill adds up to Rs. 2,00,000 and the co-payment is set at 20% then you could be asked to pay Rs. 40,000 from the bill. In this case, however, Arogya Plus doesn’t impose a co-payment clause. And neither does National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy.
Room rent
If the policy does impose room rent restrictions then the insurer may only let you stay in a room of a certain specification or impose a cap on the total room rent. If you were to breach either criterion then the insurance company may ask you to pay a portion of all the expenses you incurred while staying in the room. In this case, however, you can pick any room you want with Arogya Plus but National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy only lets you stay in a room whose rent doesn’t exceed 1% of the total sum insured.
Sub limits
Some policies will tell you that they will cover all medical expenses up until the sum insured, but then impose caps on the total costs you can incur while dealing with a very specific list of diseases. We call these caps “Disease Wise Sub Limits.” In this case, Arogya Plus imposes disease-wise sub-limits on Modern treatments whereas National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy imposes sub-limits on Cataracts, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Modern treatments
Waiting periods for pre-existing diseases
If you’re suffering from a lifestyle condition or if you’ve had surgery in the past, or if you’re dealing with an acute or chronic illness at the time of buying the policy, then the insurer may classify this as a pre-existing disease. And they may tell you that they will only cover these illnesses after some time. In this case, Arogya Plus imposes a waiting period of 3 years on pre-existing diseases while National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy extends a waiting period of 2 years on existing conditions.
Pre and post Hospitalization expenses
Most people aren’t hospitalized right off the bat. Instead, they’ll have to go through a whole series of diagnostic tests before hospitalization and take medication post-discharge. These costs are outlined as pre-hospitalization expenses and post-hospitalization expenses respectively. In this case, Arogya Plus covers expenses incurred 60 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred 90 days post-hospitalization. Meanwhile, National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy covers expenses incurred 30 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred 60 after hospitalization, although there may be different sub-limits
No claim bonus
Some policies will tell you that they will incentivize you for not making a claim in any given year. And they offer such incentives by offering extra cover on top of the existing sum insured. This extra cover is categorized as a no-claim bonus. In this case, however, Arogya Plus doesn’t offer a no-claim bonus whereas National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy offers a no-claim bonus.
Domiciliary
Imagine you are forced to treat yourself at home because you don’t find a hospital bed, or you have a chronic condition that prevents you from visiting one, then, insurers may choose to cover your treatment even if you’re hospitalized at home. And such costs are collectively categorized as domiciliary treatment costs. In this case, however, Arogya Plus offers domiciliary cover. And National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy also coves domiciliary expenses.
Ayush treatments
Most policies only cover treatments administered in a registered medical facility. However, on some occasions, you may want to pursue alternative treatments including homoeopathy, Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. These treatments are collectively categorized as Ayush treatments. And in this case, Arogya Plus covers Ayush procedures and National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy also extends coverage for Ayush treatments.
Maternity benefits
If you’re hospitalized during childbirth, then you may have to incur significant costs during delivery of your newborn, child care and other related matters during the course of the hospitalization. These costs are collectively termed maternity costs. And in this case, however, Arogya Plus offers maternity cover whereas National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy doesn’t offer protection for maternity-related hospitalizations.
Out Patient Department (OPD)
Doctor visits and regular consultations aren’t usually covered by health insurance policies. They are categorized as Outpatient consultations (or OPD treatments) and patients have to bear the cost on their own. In this case, however, Arogya Plus offers OPD cover whereas National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy doesn’t offer OPD protection.
Final Conclusion
Since this isn’t a fair comparison, to begin with, we will only tell you this much. If you want something that’s comprehensive, you could go for Arogya Plus. However, if you are specifically looking to buy a policy for senior citizens, then you may want to consider National Senior Citizen Mediclaim policy.
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