When it is about being prepared for financial worries in case of the loss of a loved one, many of us think of buying life insurance. However, having a basic life insurance policy by your side does not seem enough in the current Covid-19 pandemic.
This disease has taken the world by storm, making ‘stay home’, ‘sanitize your hands often’, and ‘social distancing’ some common trendy topics around the world. While the disease has made the entire world come to a standstill, India has reached the level of one of the worst-hit countries affected by Coronavirus.
To help people deal with medical emergencies in these tough times, the insurance sector has come up with a few standard health insurance plans to cover the treatment of Covid-19 disease. One of these plans is Corona Kavach Policy.
Let’s understand various facets of Corona Kavach policy in detail.
What is Corona Kavach Policy?
As per the recommendation of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), all the general and standalone health insurance companies are mandated to provide a standard health policy for Covid to individuals named ‘Corona Kavach Policy.’ It has been designed to provide insurance coverage for medical expenses including hospitalization and others to get the required Covid treatment.
Corona Kavach policy is also known as an indemnity health insurance plan covering the healthcare expenses related to Covid-19 treatment. It also covers the insured for any co-morbid health conditions triggered due to the Covid-19 disease. With this policy, you can receive coverage for domiciliary expenses along with the cost incurred during pre-and post-hospitalization needs, home care treatment, and AYUSH treatment if diagnosed positive for the Coronavirus infection.
Basics of Corona Kavach policy
Given below are the concise details of Corona Kavach policy as defined by the IRDAI guidelines:
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Corona Kavach Policy Basics |
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| Sum insured | Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 5 Lakh |
| Policy period | Three and a half months, Six and a half months, Nine and a half months |
| Age for eligibility | Between 18 to 65 years |
| Waiting period | 15 days from the policy inception date |
| Premium mode | Single |
| Benefits | As per hospitalization |
| Policy Type | Both individual and family floater policy available |
What are the Features and Benefits of Corona Kavach Policy?
Buying Corona Kavach policy is highly advantageous in several ways because of its wide range of features and benefits, as detailed below:
- It covers hospitalization expenses for room rent, ICU charges, surgeon fees, and co-morbidities.
- You only need to pay the premium once while buying Corona Kavach policy.
- You get pre-and post-hospitalization coverage up to a certain period.
- There is no capping related to the room rent.
- You can get the treatment under Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopath covered under this policy.
- It also provides emergency ambulance cover.
- Its benefits will remain the same irrespective of the insurer you buy it from.
- You can choose the Corona Kavach policy period of 105 days, 195 days, or 285 days.
- Previously, the validity of Corona Kavach policy was limited till Mar 31, 2021, which has been extended to Sep 30, 2021.
Also Read: All About Coronavirus Health Insurance
What All is Covered under Corona Kavach Health Insurance Policy (Corona Kavach Policy Inclusions)?
Given below is the list of Corona Kavach policy inclusions to help you understand the policy better:
- Insurance coverage for Covid-19 related hospitalization expenses
- Ambulance cover to transfer the patient to a nearby hospital (up to Rs. 2,000)
- Home treatment cover for 14 days
- Pre-hospitalization coverage for doctor’s consultations, medical tests, and health checkups for 15 days
- Post-hospitalization cover under Corona Kavach policy for up to 30 days after the discharge date
- AYUSH treatment coverage
- Coverage for ICU expenses
- No capping on room rent so that you can choose a single private room
- No insurance deductible required
- Hospital cash benefit for certain days as mentioned in the Corona Kavach policy documents, subject to 0.5% of the chosen sum insured
What is not Covered Under Corona Kavach Policy?
The list of Corona Kavach policy exclusions may vary from one insurer to another. However, there are some common exclusions, which are defined as follows:
- Treatment that is unrelated to Covid-19 disease
- Expenses related to home nursing facility or custodial care
- Expenses incurred to buy medicines that are beyond the given medical advice or doctor’s prescription
- Claims for healthcare treatments for which there is no medical documents or bills available
- Claims arising from war or war-like situations
- Expenses for preventive treatment, vaccination, or inoculation
- Treatment taken outside India
- Claims based on testing done in an unauthorized hospital
- Expenses incurred for OPD and daycare procedures that do not require hospitalization
What are the Steps to Cancel Corona Kavach Policy?
The IRDAI has covered various aspects to make Corona Kavach policy flexible for both policy buyers and insurance companies.
As a Corona Kavach policy buyer, you can cancel the policy on the grounds of unsatisfactory coverage or lack of certain inclusions that you expected, within 15 days of buying it. The premiums you have paid will be adjusted as per the related norms.
On the other hand, an insurance company also has the right to cancel the policy purchased by any policy buyer if it is found that the insured has not disclosed medical history or health status accurately. Similarly, the cancelation may occur on the grounds of false documents after giving a notice of seven days. In such cases, the insurer is not liable to return the Corona Kavach policy premium received.
You should also know that the policy cancelation terms may differ from one insurance company to another. Hence, it is advisable to read the Corona Kavach policy documents carefully.
What are the Steps to Buy Corona Kavach Policy Online?
Corona Kavach policy purchase process is quite easy. You need to follow the steps given below to buy it in a hassle-free manner:
- Visit the official website of the insurance company from whom you want to buy Corona Kavach policy.
- Search for the available Corona Kavach policy that they offer.
- Go through the benefits, features, and other information about the policy online.
- Use an online insurance premium calculator to check how the Corona Kavach policy premium varies as per policy period.
- Select the option that best fits your particular needs and pay the premium online to buy Corona Kavach policy.
What are the Steps to File a Claim Under Corona Kavach Policy?
There is no such difference in the claim process of Corona Kavach policy or any other health insurance policy. You can either get a cashless claim facility or opt for an expense reimbursement benefit. The steps to file a claim under Corona Kavach policy are given below:
- Firstly, inform your insurer about the need for a claim. You need to initiate a claim depending on the type of hospitalization required – planned or emergency.
- If you opt for a cashless facility, submit a pre-authorization letter to the insurer.
- For reimbursement cases, submit the hospital bills paid to file a claim.
- Once the claim is approved, the insurance company will settle the bills with the hospital or reimburse expenses as per the policy terms.
You May Also Like to Read: A Detailed Guide to Insurance in India
List of Insurance Companies Offering Corona Kavach Health Insurance Policy
Currently, 30 general and standalone insurance companies are offering Corona Kavach policy as per IRDAI, including the following:
- Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Acko General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Bharti AXA General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Edelweiss General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Go Digit General Insurance Ltd.
- Future Generali India Insurance Co. Ltd.
- HDFC ERGO Health Insurance Ltd.
- HDFC ERGO General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- IFFCO TOKIO General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Liberty General Insurance Ltd.
- Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Magma HDI General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Max Bupa Health Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Manipal Cigna Health Insurance Co. Ltd.
- National Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Navi General Insurance Ltd.
- Reliance General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Raheja QBE General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Care Health Insurance Ltd.
- Royal Sundaram General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Star Health & Allied Insurance Co. Ltd.
- SBI General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Tata AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd.
- The New India Assurance Co. Ltd.
- United India Insurance Co. Ltd.
- The Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Universal Sompo General Insurance Co. Ltd.
Also Read: A Complete Guide to Corona Rakshak Policy
Corona Kavach Policy FAQs
The IRDAI has released a set of frequently asked questions about Corona Kavach Policy that most people want to ask. Given below is the list of such questions and their answers:
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How does Corona Kavach policy offer insurance coverage?
It is an indemnity-based policy, because of which you can receive its benefits while getting treatment for Covid-19 disease.
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What is Corona Kavach policy tenure?
You can buy the policy for 105 days, 195 days, and 285 days, based on your specific requirement.
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How much sum insured can I select under Corona Kavach policy?
The available sum insured under this policy ranges from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 5,00,000.
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Can I buy Corona Kavach policy for all my family members?
Amidst the current pandemic times, you can choose to buy the individual policy for yourself or a family floater plan covering all your loved ones.
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What is the waiting period to be served under Corona Kavach policy?
You need to serve the waiting period of 15 days to become eligible to get the insurance benefits under this policy.
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Is there any deductible related to this policy?
You need not pay any deductible while getting insurance protection under this policy.
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How can I file a claim under Corona Kavach policy?
The steps to be followed for claim filing are given above, and are as same as for any other health insurance plan.
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Do I need to undergo any medical tests while buying this policy?
The insurance company you select will let you know about the need for such tests based on your medical history.
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Can I get medical expenses other than for Covid treatment covered in this policy?
Corona Kavach policy is strictly meant for covering treatments related to Coronavirus infection only.
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What is the minimum and maximum age for buying Corona Kavach policy?
The minimum and maximum age to buy this policy is 18 and 65 years respectively.
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Can I get tax benefits under Corona Kavach policy?
The premium you pay to buy this policy is eligible for tax deductions under Section 80D.
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Can I get the benefits of this policy for home care treatment?
As per the recommendation of an authorized medical professional, the expenses for home care treatment are also covered under Corona Kavach policy.
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Can I buy Corona Kavach policy for my entire family?
This policy is also available in the family floater type and you can buy it to protect your spouse, parents, parents-in-law, and dependent children under the age of 18.
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Does Corona Kavach policy have any sub-limits?
The sub-limits under this policy are defined as follows:
- Optional hospital daily cash for every insured member up to 0.5% of the sum insured per day for a maximum period of 15 days
- Home care treatment for 14 days
- Ambulance cover up to Rs. 2,000 per hospitalization
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What are the sum insured options I can get under Corona Kavach policy?
You can select the sum insured between Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 5,00,000 in multiples of fifty thousand.
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Are pre-existing diseases covered under Corona Kavach policy?
The policy does cover the expenses for comorbid conditions including pre-existing illnesses that are diagnosed during the Covid-19 treatment course.
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Can I buy Corona Kavach policy at discounted rates?
Only health workers are allowed to buy this policy with a discount of 5% on the policy premium.
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Do different insurers offer different Corona Kavach policies?
Their policy names and premium may differ. However, Corona Kavach policy is a standard benefit policy whose policy wordings are same, no matter which insurer you choose.
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Can I buy Corona Kavach plan for a group of individuals?
Insurers are allowed to offer this policy to a group of people. For more details, please refer to this guideline for group health insurance product.
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Can I port my Corona Kavach policy from one insurer to another?
The insurers are permitted to allow you to port your policy to another insurer.
