Introduction
Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India is considered a sacred city located on the banks of the holy river Ganges or Ganga. While it is a historical city in the country, it is fast become populous and congested. It is also known for high levels of water and air pollution resulting in many health issues across the city. Add to this, the increasing culture of eating unhealthy and unhygienic street food. Due to these, the city’s residents are prone to health ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, etc. Treating such ailments can prove to be expensive and, in some cases, even run into tens of thousands of rupees. Therefore, a safety net in the form of medical insurance is a must in the city else medical expenses can easily burn a hole in one’s pocket.
With a medical insurance cover, people in Varanasi can use the available medical facilities without worrying about the expenses. Today, health insurance covers offer many benefits including annual health check-ups. These can help diagnose health issues and get the right treatment at an early stage.
Why is Health Cover Essential in Varanasi?
Varanasi is a populated city with more than 3.5 million residents. The city is also home to many of the country’s poor. With the increasing number of people flocking to the city every day, it hardly has the required medical infrastructure to cater to the potential health conditions that may arise.
In today’s age, medical expenses are not just rising but become unaffordable for most. Thus, many individuals are unable to pay their medical bills, as seen in the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic that has affected millions of lives till now. This proves the increasing need for people of Varanasi to get health insurance cover at the earliest. A health insurance cover provides various benefits, including cashless treatment, pre-and post-hospitalization expenses, ambulance charges, etc.
The healthcare establishments in Varanasi mainly include government hospitals and few private hospitals. It also has various diagnostic and wellness centres. While these use the latest facilities and have highly qualified medical professionals, there is a dearth of necessary medical infrastructure in the city.
What are the Benefits of Health Insurance in Varanasi?
People who have health insurance cover in Varanasi don’t have to worry about shelling out huge amounts of money for medical care. Health insurance can prove to be especially beneficial for those availing of treatment in private hospitals even if the costs are high.
For a person residing in Varanasi, a health cover is a must, especially if he/she has dependent family members. Health cover can be bought by paying an annual premium. This can prove beneficial in reducing one’s stress concerning medical expenses. Whether it is expenses related to medical emergencies or doctor’s consultation charges, most of the health-related costs can be covered under a health insurance plan.
Additional read on Family health insurance.
How does Cashless Treatment work in Varanasi?
There are multiple benefits of opting for a cashless treatment within a health insurance plan in Varanasi. In case of a medical emergency, a family may face financial hardships while paying high medical fees. With a cashless treatment option, such a financial burden can be reduced as the insurer settles medical expenses as per the policy terms and conditions.
In a cashless treatment, a policyholder need not spend money out of his pocket. While choosing this option under a medical insurance cover in Varanasi, the policyholder should try to avail treatment at a network hospital as per the insurer’s list. In case an insured avails treatment at a non-network hospital, he/she may have to pay for the bills during treatment and file a claim for reimbursement later.
How to Avail Cashless Treatment in Varanasi?
Some easy ways to get cashless treatment within a health insurance cover in Varanasi are:
- Always seek medical services from a network hospital listed in the insurance policy
- As soon as a medical treatment is required, one must inform the insurance provider as per the policy terms
- A pre-authorisation letter must be submitted to the hospital’s insurance desk
- Submit a complete set of supporting documents and the health card of the insured
- Post successful verification of all documents, the claim management team of the insurance provider will send an approval intimation
- In some cases, the insurance provider may also raise a query
- The medical bills will be settled after approval and as per the policy terms and conditions
The claim is then settled by the insurance provider as per policy terms and conditions.
Additional read on ways to buy cashless claim facility
What is Pre & Post Hospitalization Expenses?
Health insurance generally covers medical expenses in case of medical emergencies and also provides pre and post-hospitalization expenses. It is common that in case an individual is hospitalised, he or she may have to undergo many tests and health check-ups apart from starting with medication. Both these aspects are covered by health insurance policies in Varanasi.
Why People in Varanasi do not buy Health Insurance?
Varanasi has had very low awareness about the importance of health insurance. Many people nowadays depend on employer-provided health insurance covers. There is also a very low penetration of health insurance providers in smaller cities like Varanasi.
However, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, people in Varanasi are starting to realise the importance of health covers and are buying these to get protected against the deadly virus.
Do I Require a Separate Covid-19 Health Insurance in Varanasi?
Since the Covid-19 pandemic doesn’t seem to be over and there is no prediction on its severity in the upcoming days, people in Varanasi should buy health insurance covers specially designed for Covid-19. This can protect them against potential financial drain in case of medical treatment required for the same. With a health insurance cover, one can avoid financial troubles in case the virus knocks on one’s door.
A comprehensive health insurance cover specifically meant for Covid-19 offers financial stability and ensures that medical expenses do not become a hindrance in achieving personal financial goals.
Additional Read – Learn more about Covid-19 health insurance
EndNote
Health insurance is not just a good to have but a must-have in today’s times. People residing in crowded cities like Varanasi must get themselves covered via health insurance so that they don’t have to worry about expenses in case of a medical situation or emergency.
FAQs
1. How much does health insurance cost in Varanasi?
Comprehensive medical insurance coverage could cost somewhere in the range of Rs. 10,000-Rs. 15,000 per annum in Varanasi. This is far lower than the expenses that one may have to incur in case of hospitalisation in the city.
2. How do I purchase health insurance?
You can visit the websites of insurance providers to find out about various policy options for health insurance. Depending on where you live, you can also reach out to an agent or broker for buying the right medical insurance.
3. When should you purchase health insurance?
If you are residing in a city like Varanasi, it makes sense to buy a medical cover at a young age to ensure that the premium cost is lower. The higher your age, the higher will be the insurance cover premium.
4. Can I buy health insurance and use it immediately?
Health insurance coverage necessarily comes into effect the day you purchase it. Whether you have health insurance through a company or personal insurance cover, there is often a waiting period before you can begin using the cover.
5. Is healthcare cheap in Varanasi?
Healthcare in Varanasi is cheap in case you opt for treatment at government hospitals. However, since government hospitals often lack the required infrastructure, you may have to go for private care centres to get the right treatment and this can prove expensive.