Health Insurance for Parents: Best Medical Insurance for Parents

It is pure bliss to have ageing parents at home and gain the blessings they shower upon us. There is no denying that parents brave all challenges to shape our lives, guiding us through various phases. They gave us the best of everything, even before we could ask for it. Now, as they step into the golden years, it is our foremost responsibility to give them the medical attention they deserve, as ageing catches up and brings unavoidable health issues. Therefore, investing in health insurance for parents will keep them financially safe during their retirement years and give you peace of mind.

Having medical insurance entitles your ageing parents to secure their savings by availing of tax benefits. Besides, if they are above 60 years, they can get a higher Section 80D deduction limit on the health insurance premium, up to Rs 50,000 per year, and a total deduction up to Rs 1 lakh, if the proposer and insured in a floater plan are above 60 years. Indeed, old age is a crucial stage when your parents need the utmost care and financial support. That is achievable if you choose a health cover or mediclaim for parents specifically designed to cover the hefty hospital bills they are likely to incur due to an ailment, injury, or an existing condition.

Table of Content

What is Health Insurance for Parents?
Benefits of Health Insurance for Parents
How One Can Select the Best Health Insurance for Parents
Types of Health Insurance Plans for Parents
Why you need Medical Insurance for Parents?
Mediclaim for Parents - Eligibility Criteria
What is Covered under Health Insurance for Parents?
Exclusions in Health Insurance for Parents
Tips for Ageing Parents to Achieve Good Health and Overall Well-Being
FAQs on Mediclaim for Parents

What is Health Insurance for Parents?

Growing age-related health issues and medical inflation hint at the importance of medical insurance cover. Health insurance for parents is a separate health cover you can get for your ageing parents and get high coverage for various medical treatment expenses. It provides many benefits, including cashless hospitalization, day care treatments, annual health check-up, and alternative treatment, while giving overall financial protection during unforeseen medical emergencies.

You can opt for an individual plan, family floater cover, and senior citizen health insurance if they are above 60. Prior planning and research will help you find the best health insurance plan for parents in India for ensuring a secure future for your elderly parents.

Benefits of Health Insurance for Parents

You can now provide the best medical care for your ageing parents without facing any financial hurdles. The high-risk factor due to coronavirus and medical inflation are some challenges we might have to face. Thus, pick the medical insurance for parents that would offer the following benefits:

Cashless Medical Treatment: The thought of arranging money for paying hospital bills will no longer bother you or your parents. Your parents can go for any planned surgery or get emergency treatment at our network hospital, and we will directly settle the expenses, subject to policy T&C.
High sum insured: There is a higher health risk and increased possibility of hospitalization during old age. Health insurance plans for parents in India are designed to offer a higher amount of insurance coverage, safeguarding your finances when medical inflation rises faster than we expect.
Coverage for pre-existing illnesses: There is a chance that elderly parents might be dealing with a pre-existing ailment, say diabetes, or a heart problem. Picking a medical policy for parents covering such illnesses, subject to a waiting period, will ensure comprehensive protection against the large scale of expenses.
Covid-19 Coverage: The elderly are more at risk of coronavirus-related complications. Getting a health insurance plan with coronavirus cover is more like a financial safety shield in times of uncertainties. It will cover hospitalization-related expenses due to Covid-19, thus securing your parents’ health amidst the pandemic.
Tax Benefits: You can avail of tax savings by claiming a deduction of up to Rs 50,000 on the health insurance premium you pay, as per Section 80D of the Income Tax Act.

How One Can Select the Best Health Insurance for Parents in India?

There are different health insurance plans you can get for your parents. However, a suitable health insurance policy must include coverage for pre-existing diseases, cashless hospitalization, and a higher sum insured. Check these pointers to consider when buying a health insurance plan for your parents:

Check the Entry Age Criteria: You can easily find health insurance plans for parents without any restriction on maximum entry age. However, to get a senior citizen health insurance policy, an individual should be at least 61 years or above.
Type of Coverage: Health insurance plans have two coverage options, namely individual and floater. Your parents can make a selection, depending on their needs.
Coverage Amount: Health insurance for parents offers high sum insured options. When selecting a health cover for parents, ensure they get adequate coverage and protection.
Policy Benefits: Check the benefits offered in the policy, which should include cover for modern day-care procedures, pre and post hospitalization medical expenses, and alternative treatments.
Co-payment: Co-payment is a mandatory feature in health insurance for parents in India. Under this feature, the policyholder must pay a certain percentage of the hospital bills. When selecting medical insurance for parents, remember to opt for plans with a lower co-pay amount.
Waiting Period: While opting for medical insurance for parents, check for the waiting period clause. Health plans have an initial waiting period of 30 days, a 2-year waiting period for specified diseases, and a 4-year waiting period for pre-existing illnesses. When reviewing the plans, do remember that the lower the waiting period, the better it will be so that you can get coverage without any delay.
Renewability: A medical insurance plan for parents provides a lifelong renewability option. It helps them get continued coverage in the future. Always check if the feature is available while selecting an option.
Daycare Treatments: These days, minimally invasive surgeries, cataract surgery, chemotherapy, dialysis, etc., are possible in daycare. So, opt for the policy that covers a maximum number of daycare treatments.
Cashless Network Hospitals: When buying a health policy for parents, you must check cashless hospitals that are empanelled with the company. Find out the network hospital nearest to your locality so that you can get a timely and hassle-free claim on your parent's medical treatment.
Read the policy document: When reviewing and comparing the best health insurance for parents in India, it is always necessary to thoroughly the details given in your policy document. Look for the inclusions - that is, the things your parents will be covered for and the exclusions - the cases when you cannot make a policy claim

So, look for a good mediclaim policy for parents by considering various factors such as low co-payment amount, age, policy inclusions, exclusions, waiting period, and the premium. Make a selection of the plan that best suits your requirements and also has add-on benefits. Secondly, know about the payment mode and claim settlement process. Thirdly, submit the essential documents and complete the formalities.

Types of Health Insurance Plans for Parents

For availing health insurance cover for your parents, you have different options to choose from, depending on their specific healthcare requirements and insurance needs:

Individual Health Insurance Cover: It is an ideal medical policy for senior citizen parents or individuals having specific medical conditions. A key point to note is that the insured member is covered up to the sum insured opted in the policy instead of sharing the sum insured with other members, like in family floater plans.
Family Floater Health Cover: Those having dependant parents at home can also opt for a family health insurance plan that provides coverage for immediate family members. These plans are quite affordable compared to individual health plans.
Senior Citizen Health Insurance Plan: It is the best medical insurance policy for your parents if they are above 60 years of age. They come with a higher sum insured and unique benefits to fulfil your parents’ healthcare needs.
Super Top-up Health Insurance: It is a type of health insurance that your parents can avail to boost their existing coverage. It is an affordable way to get a higher sum insured as there is no need to pay a high premium for upgrading your current health policy. It works on the principle of deductible and covers multiple claims in a policy year.

Look for best health plan that suits your need!

Health Insurance for Senior Citizens

Your Parents have always care for you, Now its your TURN

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Health Insurance for Family

Health Insurance that Covers your Loved Ones

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Pre-Existing Diseases Cover

Health Insurance for Diabetes, High BMI and Hypertension

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Heart Health Insurance

Health Insurance that Covers Pre-existing Heart Ailments

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Super Top up Health Plan

Boost Your Existing Health Cover With Super Top Up Plan

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Benefits of Buying Health Insurance Online

Why do you need Medical Insurance for Parents?

Seeing parents grow older is bound to have an emotional impact on most of us. It also comes with a realisation that they require constant support and timely care for a happy life during old age. While we manage to provide them with abundant love and care, offering financial support can become challenging, especially during medical emergencies. Your parents may be dependent on you monetarily. Besides, getting quality medical treatment in India is an expensive proposition. That is why you need a support system to safeguard your family’s future in times of adversity.

A health insurance policy for parents acts like a safety cushion that lets your loved ones manage a health crisis without worrying about expenditures. It also enables you to get quality medical care to treat your parent's illnesses most affordably. It is true since the risks of having illness increases as a person ages. Moreover, the chances of hospitalization due to a worsening pre-existing medical condition, chronic ailments, or surgeries are higher in old age. These health insurance plans offer various financial benefits and thus let you focus on delivering care and comfort to your parents.

Mediclaim for Parents - Eligibility Criteria

The insured person should be:

Aged between 60 and 80 years to avail the health insurance plan for parents
Senior citizen parents up to a maximum age of 65 years are entitled to life-long renewability of their health insurance policy

Documents Required

Mentioned below are the vital documents that need to be submitted for availing of a mediclaim policy for parents:

Proposal Form
Medical Check-up Report, if required
Pre-existing medical condition reports (if any)

What is Covered under Health Insurance for Parents?

Avail health cover for your senior citizen parents so that they can access the best medical facility during any emergency hospitalization. You get the choice to pick an individual or a floater option and get the following coverage and benefits:

Hospitalization cover: The plan covers in-patient care and medical treatment expenses, including ICU charges you incur while your parents are hospitalized.
Day care treatments cover: Thanks to the progress made in medical science, many surgeries and treatments do not require you to stay in a hospital for more than a day. Your parents can now get coverage for modern day care treatments.
Pre and Post hospitalization coverage: The medical expenses, such as diagnostic tests and medication, up to 30 days prior to hospitalization and up to 60 days after discharge from the hospital, will be covered.
Pre-existing diseases coverage: The mediclaim policy for parents will cover treatment expenses for pre-existing diseases, subject to a minimum waiting period, ensuring that they get medical care without delays.
Second opinion: The policyholder is entitled to get a second opinion for major illness or injury in a policy year.
Organ donor cover: For treating a serious ailment, one may incur organ donor expenses. We cover the medical expenses up to the specified amount, subject to policy T&C.
Automatic recharge: If you exhaust the sum insured, it will be reinstated up to the sum insured per policy year, under the benefit of automatic recharge.
No claims bonus: We reward the insured for not filing a claim. One gets a specified percentage increase in SI for every claim-free year.
Annual health check-up: Your parents can get medical check-up benefits annually and keep constant track of their health.

Why Do you need Health Insurance Cover?

Health Insurance is a shield that protects you and your loved ones in cases of medical emergencies.

An affordable health insurance plan makes sure that financial crisis is not an issue during a medical emergency.

With the skyrocketing cost of healthcare in the country, opting for a good health Insurance Plan is a smart decision for the safety of the individual and family as a whole.

How Care Health Insurance Plans Can Help You?

15500+

Cashless Healthcare Providers

23 Lacs +

Claim Settled*

100%

In-house settlement for better management

95.2%

Industry best claim settlement ratio*

37

Less grievance ratio per 10,000 claims

We, at Care Health Insurance, make your buying journey easier. Choosing our health insurance plans for your parents is beneficial in several ways:

Avail discounts on health insurance premium up to 20%
Access value-added services on our official website or app
Get an annual health check-up for all insured members
Experience seamless customer support and hassle-free claims procedures

Exclusions in Health Insurance for Parents?

Buying mediclaim for parents is a smart decision as you have ensured that you get the possible medical facility for them without causing a burden on your pocket. When reviewing an option, remember to check the various scenarios, also called exclusions, which mention the expenses the policy will not cover. They are listed below:

Diagnosis of any disease, undergoing surgery or occurrence of an event, whose signs first occur within the initial 30 days of policy period start date
Expenses as a result of self-inflicted injury (due to suicide or attempted suicide)
Medical expenses resulting from the treatment of congenital diseases or due to alcohol/drug use, misuse, or abuse
Medical treatment expenses due to pregnancy and childbirth, miscarriage, abortion, and its consequences
Treatment and tests for infertility and in vitro fertilization
Hospitalization expenses resulting from war, riot, strike, or nuclear weapons attack

Click to know more about mediclaim policy

Tips for Ageing Parents to Achieve Good Health and Overall Well-Being

Your elderly parents would surely know the secret of ageing gracefully, yet some aspects of health need more focus so that health risks are taken care of. Here are some health tips for senior citizens:

Exercises: Staying physically active will help your elderly parents drive the fatigue and lethargy away, which is natural as one grows older. Physical exercises are vital for the joints' flexibility, improving bone strength and physical endurance, and ensuring overall well-being.
Healthy Eating: The nutritional requirements of elderly people must be fulfilled to keep illnesses at bay and allow their body’s immune system to fight diseases effectively. Eating a well-balanced diet that mainly includes immunity-boosting foods is vital. Besides, sufficient water intake helps the body maintain energy levels.
Adequate Sleep: Changing sleep patterns and signs of insomnia or sleep apnea require attention, and older adults need at least 8 hours of restful sleep in a day. Setting a sleep schedule, following relaxation techniques, and encouraging good sleep habits will ensure they get uninterrupted and restful sleep.
Mental Health: Age-related memory loss is common, but one should take measures to prevent the progressive damage caused by stress and ailments like dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Practising meditation, staying physically active, and having foods that boost cognitive functions work best for mental health.
Regular health check-ups: Monitoring the health is vital as one grows older since it helps identify hidden health problems and get treatment early before complications arise. So, never postpone visits to the doctor or the dentist.
Stay away from Myths: Several ageing-related myths exist that would only make you more anxious. The common belief is that growing older means poor health and various illnesses. However, one should realise that we can make positive changes to our lifestyle, thus, allowing a person to stay healthy, thereby defeating the challenges that ageing poses before us and delaying the onset of diseases.
Connect socially: Spending time with loved ones, whether new friends, family, children, or grandchildren, will make your elderly parents feel upbeat and give them a fresh perspective on life. It will help them drive away loneliness and achieve a positive impact on their physical and mental health.
Develop new interest: Retirement is the phase of life that gives a person ample time to pursue new interests and hobbies, may learning a new language, travelling to a new place, involving in community work, or buying a second home – it is never too late to make a beginning.

^Applicable on 3 years policy

*IBAI Claims Handbook for FY 19-20

FAQs on Health Insurance for Parents

Q. How do I get health insurance for my parents?

Getting insurance for your parents is now only a few clicks. You can reach out to us, and our health experts will assist with the overall buying process digitally.

Q. Why it is not advisable to include my parents in a family floater plan?

It is not advisable to include senior citizen parents in a family floater plan. This is because the premium in family floater policies, as well as the renewability, is based on the age of the eldest family member. So, covering a senior citizen parent in a family floater plan will burden you with higher costs.

Q. My parents are having diabetes/hypertension can I buy mediclaim for parents?

Yes, you can get mediclaim for parents by opting for an individual health cover that will give adequate coverage and protection against medical expenses. CHI offers a customised health cover, Care Freedom, for those having diabetes/hypertension.

Q. How to renew a health insurance plan for parents?

You can renew the health insurance for parents online. Here are the steps to follow:

Notify us and raise a request for the policy renewal within the specified time before the policy lapses.
Provide complete details, including the policy number and information regarding any change in the medical condition.
Pay the health insurance premium through any secured payment mode, such as credit card, debit card, or net banking.

Q. What is the procedure to file a claim under mediclaim for parents?

You can get a claim for parents under the mediclaim policy in two ways - cashless claim and reimbursement claim. Here are the steps to avail of the cashless facility:

Select a network hospital for cashless medical treatment
Duly fill and submit the pre-authorization form at the hospital TPA desk, along with ID proof of the patient
The hospital will send us the documents
Our claim management team will verify the documents. It may raise a query if required
The claim management team will share an approval letter

Here are the steps to avail of the reimbursement claim facility:

Fill the reimbursement claim form and attach all the required documents.
Submit the form to us and share the required documents.
The claim management team may raise the query.
Once the documents are verified by us, you will get an approval letter from the claim management team.
After approval, the hospitalization expenses will be reimbursed up to the sum insured.

Q. Is there any medical test while buying a medical policy for parents?

There is no pre-policy medical check-up required for choosing a medical policy for senior citizen parents. However, the underwriter may recommend a pre-medical check-up in some cases

Q. Does Health Insurance for Parents offers Tax Benefit?

Yes, the premium paid towards health insurance for parents is eligible for tax deduction under section 80D. With a senior citizen mediclaim policy, a person can avail a deduction of Rs 50,000 in a year and a maximum deduction up to Rs 1 lakh if the proposer and insured are senior citizens. The tax exemptions are subject to the rules and regulations of the Income Tax Act.

Q. What is the maximum age to stay on Parents Health Insurance?

There is no maximum limit on the entry age to get health insurance for parents. It provides the lifelong renewability option, and one can get continuous coverage through regular policy renewal.