The advent of digitalisation has revolutionized our lives by providing unimaginable convenience and flexibility. Whether you plan on grocery shopping or booking a flight ticket, everything is just a click away in the comfort of your home.

Buying health insurance online is also easy, particularly for those who are familiar with purchasing health insurance online. But those who are not proficient in buying insurance may read this article.

We will provide detailed instructions on buying health policies online without much fuss by simplifying the whole process so you can make a well-informed decision concerning your health insurance plan. With these steps, you will quickly find the best-fitting online medical policy that meets your overall requirements concerning your health insurance.

What is health insurance?

A health insurance plan is a financial shield towards your health that ensures that you are covered against the financial repercussions of medical costs. If we put it in simple language, the insurance company promises to pay your hospitalisation costs and medical costs against the premium paid regularly by you to the health insurance company.

Factors to consider while buying a health insurance plan

• Claim settlement ratio of an insurance company

A claim settlement ratio reflects the likelihood of your insurance company accepting your request to avail your claim, as it denotes the percentage of claims filed corresponding to the percentage of claims accepted. A healthy claim settlement ratio indicates a high chance of satisfied claim settlement by the insurance company if you follow the terms and conditions accurately.

• Cashless hospitalisation

The best part of such a health insurance policy is that you are not required to pay anything from your pocket in case of hospitalisation, and the cashless medical policy takes care of everything. You need to get admitted to one of the network hospitals notified in your policy and notify your risk carrier, i.e. insurance company, by simply signing a pre-authorisation form at the hospital.

• Tax Benefits

In India, health insurance premiums an individual pays are eligible for deductions under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act. The health insurance tax benefits available under this section are as follows:

1. Tax deductions for health insurance premiums paid for self, spouse, and children: An individual can claim a tax deduction of up to ₹25,000 per year for health insurance premiums paid for self, spouse, and children. If the individual is a senior citizen (60 years or above), the limit is increased to ₹50,000 per year.
2. An individual can claim a tax deduction of up to ₹5,000 per year for expenses incurred on preventive health check-ups of self, spouse, and dependent children.
3. An individual can claim a tax deduction of up to ₹1,00,000 per year for expenses incurred on the medical treatment of specified diseases for self, spouse, children, and dependent parents.
4. An individual, in one financial year, can claim a tax deduction of up to ₹50,000 per year for health insurance premiums paid for parents who are senior citizens. If both parents are senior citizens, the limit is increased to ₹1,00,000 per year.

It is important to note that, to claim tax benefits under Section 80D, the individual must have paid the health insurance premium through any mode other than cash. Additionally, the tax benefits are subject to the overall limit of ₹1,50,000 per year under Section 80D.

How to buy health insurance online

You can purchase a health insurance policy and pay the premium online through the official website of an insurance company or insurance broker websites. Here are the steps to buy a health insurance policy and pay the premium online:

1. Use an online health insurance premium calculator to calculate your health insurance premium (through a trusted insurance company’s official website)
2. Then on the same insurance company’s trusted website, check the ‘Insurance Products’ tab and choose the type of health insurance you wish to buy.
3. Then fill out the form with your personal information and click ‘View Plans.’
4. The next step is to select the family members to be insured and provide their ages and the city where they live.
5. Then enter details of your medical history and compare the health insurance plans from different insurance companies shown on your screen.
6. Then choose the plan you wish to purchase and any additional coverage options you wish to add.
7. Then fill out the proposal form and select your favoured online payment method for the premium.
8. Provide the required details and make the premium payment.
9. Once the payment is made, the insurance company shall issue your health insurance policy through your registered email address.
10. Don’t forget to renew your policy before the expiration date to maintain coverage.”