During the second wave of the Covid-19 epidemic, a lack of hospital beds caused many seriously ill people to return home and seek care there. To assist such patients, some hospitals even proclaimed a Covid home care package, in which patients received medical consultations, medications, and occasional home care at a predetermined fee.
However, very few health insurance companies cover the expense of in-home therapy as part of their domiciliary care coverage.Home treatment may soon be covered by health insurance, and insurance companies may provide this service as an add-on to clients. However, purchasers of these health insurance policies may be required to pay more in premiums.
As a result, despite having health insurance, many Covid patients were forced to pay for treatment at home out of their own pockets owing to hospital bed shortages.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has released a statement permitting home therapy as add-on insurance to assist such patients.
But how useful would the add-on coverage be about the price increase?
“With the IRDAI’s ruling, consumers will now be able to add Domiciliary protection as an add-on to their main health policy. Customers will be able to choose a domiciliary policy without disrupting their primary policy or having to wait for the next renewal. This is a fantastic effort that will provide insured people more options,” stated Shankar Bali, Joint MD at Vidal Health.
Although statistics on the additional premium for the add-on cover are not yet available, add-on covers are typically less expensive than stand-alone plans.
However, after the Covid-19 epidemic is gone, the value of such add-on insurance is questioned.
Speaking on the subject, Bali stated, “It is true that Covid-19 emphasized the necessity for a considerably broader reach of domiciliary cover.” It will help many consumer groups as well as hospitals by allowing them to provide post-op care at home rather than in hospitals. This, I believe, will have a long-term good impact on the products.”
What effect will the rulings have on health insurance plans that already provide domiciliary treatment coverage?
“The IRDAI judgment should have no bearing on plans that include built-in domiciliary treatment coverage. “This suggestion is to offer add-on coverage to the other current policies,” Bali explained.
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