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6 Important Benefits Of Having A Health Insurance Card

Team AckoNov 17, 2023

Health insurance has become an important product as it protects you from the exorbitant medical costs incurred if you or your family face a medical emergency. Given the medical inflation which is rising unchecked, having health insurance policies with an optimal sum insured has become very important. When you buy a health plan you look carefully at the coverage features that the plan offers and the premium which you have to pay. When the policy is issued, you get a health card which looks just like a regular debit or credit card. However, most of you don’t pay any attention to the card and keep it away with your policy document. Is it a wise move?

No, it is not. Health insurance cards prove very useful at the time of claims. Here are six of the most important benefits of having a health insurance card at your disposal when you are hospitalized and a claim occurs –

6 Important Benefits Of Having A Health Insurance Card

Contents

#1 You can avail cashless hospitalization
#2 You can contact the insurance company easily
#3 You get the policy details at your fingertips
#4 The card serves as an identity card for cashless treatments
#5 Specifies the validity date
#6 Clarifies the eligibility of the claim

#1 You can avail cashless hospitalization

Health insurance cards work only if you get hospitalized in a network hospital of the insurance company to provide you with cashless treatments. When you get hospitalized at a network hospital, you would have to present your health card. If you have the card handy and you present it upon hospitalization, you can initiate the cashless claim process and get your claim settled easily and quickly.

You may also have accident insurance coverage in your existing health plan for all accidental claims.

Also, read: Family health insurance plans

#2 You can contact the insurance company easily

Your insurance company may have a toll-free helpline number which you can use in case of claims or any queries that you have. How many of you remember this number or any other emergency number provided by the insurance company? Not many do and here is where a health card proves beneficial. The card contains the emergency helpline number of the insurance company. You can, therefore, check the number available on the card and contact the insurer for intimating your health insurance claim. Informing the insurance company of the claim is the first step in claim settlement and the health card, by providing the contact details, lets you do just that.

#3 You get the policy details at your fingertips

While filling in the claim form or informing the insurance company of your claim, you need to mention your customer identification number or policy number so that your details can be checked. For all you know, your insurance policy may also have critical illness insurance coverage. You need to be completely aware of all its features and benefits.

In case of emergencies, searching for the policy document to find out the policy number and details is difficult. The health card contains the unique identification number which you can use to get the policy details at your fingertips. Doesn’t this ease up the claim process?

#4 The card serves as an identity card for cashless treatments

Your health card doubles up as your identity card when you avail cashless hospitalization. The hospital is assured of your identity and allows you cashless treatments by using the details available on the card and matching it with your ID proof

#5 Specifies the validity date

Just like your debit and credit cards contain their validity date, your health card also contains the date up to which your health insurance policies would be valid. After the validity expires and when you renew your health plan, a new card is issued. Thus, using the card you can also find out whether your medical insurance cover is active or not.

Also, read: Who is Eligible for Group Health Insurance?

#6 Clarifies the eligibility of the claim

The last benefit of the card is that it validates your claim. When the card is presented for cashless treatments, the hospital can cross-check the policy records, your identity and the validity of your health insurance policies. Upon finding everything in order, the hospital can validate your claim and allow cashless treatments. This is also true for any critical illness insurance claims when the need arises.

Given these benefits of the card, you should always carry the card with you at all times. You never know when an emergency might strike and you get hospitalized. When you have the card on your person you can present it to the hospital to avoid delay in cashless treatments. So, keep the card in your wallet just like you do with your credit and debit cards so that it can be used at any time. Also, remember to inform your family about accident insurance coverage features so that it can be used in an emergency when you are not in a stage to act upon it.