Child Health Insurance

What is Child Health Insurance? 

A child insurance plan is a type of health insurance policy that helps cover healthcare expenses for hospitalisation, medical emergencies, and children's check-ups. It ensures financial protection during times of need, keeping out-of-pocket costs to a minimum.

Depending on your child’s age and healthcare needs, you can choose suitable coverage. Generally, newborns are covered under maternity plans during the first few months. Once a child is around 90 days old, they can be added to a family health insurance plan. As they grow older, you might also choose a separate individual health insurance policy if needed.

Importance of Child Health Insurance

Children are more prone to illnesses and medical emergencies, making health insurance essential. A child's health plan ensures comprehensive coverage beyond hospitalisation. Let’s understand its benefits in detail: 

• Protection Against Rising Medical Costs: With healthcare costs rising annually in India, even minor treatments can be expensive. Child health insurance helps manage these expenses without affecting your savings.
• Affordable Coverage at a Young Age: Health insurance premiums are generally lower for children, making it a cost-effective way to secure comprehensive coverage early.
• Financial Security: Without insurance, medical emergencies can disrupt your financial plans. A child health insurance plan ensures treatment costs are managed, keeping your family’s savings and future secure.

Who Should Buy Child Health Insurance?

Child Health Insurance is essential for parents and families who want to ensure their children receive timely medical care without financial stress. It is suitable for:

• New and Expecting Parents 
• Parents of Newborns, Infants, and Toddlers
• Families Without Maternity or Newborn Coverage
• Parents of Children with Low Immunity or Health Risks
• Families seeking protection against medical inflation 

The healthcare needs of children change as they grow. Knowing the age-wise coverage options for them can help you choose the right health insurance policy.  

Age-wise Coverage for Children

Here are the different coverage options for children depending on their age: 

What is Covered Under Child Health Insurance?

Understanding the coverage offered under a child health insurance policy helps you make informed decisions. Here’s the scope of coverage we offer:

• Pre and Post-hospitalisation: Expenses incurred before hospitalisation ( doctor consultation, diagnostic tests and medications) and after hospital discharge (follow-up visits).
• Daycare Treatments: Covers over 500 daycare procedures that don’t require a 24-hour hospital stay, up to the sum insured.
• Ambulance Cover: Provides cashless ambulance or reimbursement for emergency transportation
• Domiciliary Hospitalisation: Covers treatment taken at home under specified conditions, provided the treatment continues for at least 3 days.
• AYUSH Cover:  Provides coverage for AYUSH treatments, including Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy, on a cashless or reimbursement basis.
• Organ Donor Cover: Covers expenses for organ removal from the donor for transplantation to the insured child, subject to the Government of India's guidelines. 

Add-Ons That We Offer in Child Health Insurance

Enhance your child's health insurance policy with optional add-ons that provide additional protection and benefits beyond the base policy. These add-ons allow parents to tailor their health insurance for children to meet specific needs:

• Tenure Multiplier: This additional benefit helps you use the combined sum insured of a multi-year policy in a single claim. 
• Claim Shield:  Get coverage for non-payable items under Annexure I ( List I, II, III, IV)
• Be-Fit Plus: Children 12 and older can access unlimited visits to network fitness centres within a policy year.
• Instant Cover: Reduces waiting periods for selected conditions, such as asthma, after the initial 30-day waiting period, subject to policy terms and conditions.  
• PED Wait Period Modification: Shortens the waiting period for pre-existing diseases as specified in the policy.

By choosing the right add-ons, you can customise your child's health insurance for broader coverage, ensuring financial security and better access to healthcare when your child needs it most.

What is Not Covered Under Child Health Insurance?

Below is the list of exclusions under the Child Health Insurance Policy that we offer: 

• Act of self-inflicted injury, attempted suicide or suicide
• Any illness related directly to the consumption of Alcohol/Tobacco/Cigarettes, etc. or any sexually transmitted disease
• Cosmetic or plastic surgeries or related treatment
• Pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth, maternity, including C-section, abortion, or complications of any of these
• All the treatment expenses due to participation in hazardous activities
• Damage caused by a nuclear, chemical, or biological attack or weapons
• Illness or injuries caused by any breach of law by the insured
• Determine all the inclusions and exclusions before getting a child's health insurance plan.

Policy Eligibility & Plan Details

Take a look at the eligibility criteria and plan details of the Child Health Insurance Policy that we offer:

How to Choose the Best Child Health Insurance Plan in India?

Buying health insurance for your child is essential to ensure timely medical care without financial strain. While children can be covered under individual plans, younger children (under 18) are usually included in a family floater policy for continuous protection.  

 Here are the key factors to consider when choosing the best child health insurance plan in India:

Budget

Choose a plan that offers comprehensive coverage at an affordable premium. Enrolling newborns in a health insurance policy helps secure lower premiums and long-term financial safety while covering hospitalisation and emergency treatments. 

Policy Type

Based on your child’s healthcare needs, decide whether you’d like to choose an individual health insurance policy or a family floater policy. 

Check the Network Hospitals

Before finalising the policy, check whether the insurer has network hospitals near your location. This lets your child receive quality treatment without having to pay bills upfront. 

Premium & Sum Insured 

Use an online health insurance premium calculator to opt for an appropriate sum insured based on your child’s healthcare needs and your budget. 

Coverage & Exclusions

Carefully review policy coverage and exclusions to avoid claim-related surprises. Opt for a plan that covers hospitalisation, ambulance services, daycare products, and other essential treatments, in line with IRDAI guidelines. 

Scope of Coverage

Care Health Insurance offers child health coverage through plans such as Care Supreme, Care Advantage, and Ultimate Care, which include features like pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses, ambulance cover, organ donor expenses, daycare procedures, and more. 

Age Criteria & Renewability

Check the minimum entry age (as low as 91 days) and opt for a plan with lifelong renewability to ensure long-term protection for your child.

Also Read: Which Is Better, Individual or Family Health Insurance?

How to Add a Child to a Care Health Insurance Policy?

To secure medical insurance for younger children only, it’s recommended to include them in a Care Health Insurance family floater plan, which provides dedicated coverage for them. 

You can easily add your child to your existing Care Health Insurance policy during the renewal period. Follow the steps below to complete the process:

• Inform the Insurer: Notify Care Health Insurance about your child's birth after the 90th day.
• Fill the Change Request Form: Submit the duly filled Change Request Form along with the Non-Communication Declaration (NCD), if applicable.
• Submit Required Documents: Baby’s birth certificate, maternity discharge card, a recent photograph for the cashless health card and medical reports (if any) describing the baby’s health condition.
• Policy Update: Once the insurer verifies the documents, your policy will be updated with the new member and revised premium details.

Tip: Consider a maternity add-on to your policy for comprehensive newborn coverage.