The outbreak of COVID-19 has become a global pandemic. The virus is highly contagious and affecting people worldwide. Looking at the adverse effects of Coronavirus, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) introduced Corona Kavach and Corona Rakshak policies and directed all  health insurers in India  to cover COVID-19 under standard health insurance. As it’s a tough time for everyone, IRDAI has asked all the insurers to be extra careful while checking the claims and if some are rejected, should be informed to the concerned party with a valid reason.

Though the guidelines listed in the policy about its benefits and claims are quite simple, insurers get plenty of questions from the customers’ end. Some of the notable ones are:

  1. Will the insurer accept the claim if an individual chooses to get hospitalized after getting diagnosed with COVID-19?

  2. Are home treatment expenses covered under standard health insurance?

  3. Which hospital should I go to for COVID-19 treatment?

Let’s address these questions in a step-by-step manner.

COVID-19 Claim Filing Process

The COVID-19 claim process is somewhat similar to  health insurance . The first step to file any claim is to inform the respective insurance company about the diagnosis/hospitalisation.

It's up to the policyholder to opt for cashless treatment or stick with a reimbursement claim.

Under the cashless facility, the policyholder first needs to check the network hospitals associated with his/her insurer to get the treatment done. There is no need to worry about the expenses, as they are borne by the insurer. In the case of reimbursement, the policyholder can get the treatment done in any hospital and pay the bills. After discharge and getting proper documents, (s)he can file a claim.

According to PolicyX.com, the cost of lab-tests, pre-post hospitalization expenses, domiciliary hospitalization expenses, and other expenses related to the treatment are covered under the policy and are borne by the insurance company.

Thanks to IRDAI, insurance providers have created dedicated teams to speed up the COVID-19 claim process. Also, claims related to COVID-19 must be processed within 2 hours of filing a request.

Best Hospitals for COVID-19 treatment

For the convenience of policyholders, the government has assigned hospitals to help in the recovery of COVID-19 patients. Some of the designated hospitals in Delhi are:

  • Lok Nayak Hospital and GB Pant Hospital (Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg, Delhi - 110002)

  • Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (Tahirpur, New Delhi - 110064)

  • Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital (Shahdara, Delhi - 110095)

  • Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital (Hari Nagar, New Delhi - 110064)

  • Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital (Sector 6, Rohini, New Delhi - 110085)

If you don’t feel comfortable to get treated in a hospital, you can opt for home care as well. And yes, the  insurance provider  will cover its expenses (if treatment is approved by the hospital).

Crux Of the Matter

The mere thought of getting diagnosed with Coronavirus scares us. The effect it has on the budget of an average man can even worsen the situation. However, with the right health insurance policy and by following the correct claim process, one can concentrate on his/her treatment without worrying about the expenses.

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