Medical emergencies can come unannounced. During such situations, patients need immediate medical care, and one way is to reach the hospital as soon as possible. Ambulances, one of the most trusted means to transfer patients, are now equipped with medical instruments to provide emergency care.
Since ambulances are available 24×7, have a swift response, and are equipped with advanced medical facilities, and trained caregivers, the cost of ambulance service can be very high. Therefore, just like choosing a health insurance policy based on medical expenses and treatment coverage, having an ambulance cover is gaining importance. Thus, having a medical insurance plan with an ambulance cover is best.
Health insurance policies have become an integral part of a sound financial plan. Due to several benefits a health insurance plan offers, like financial coverage at the time of emergency or physical and mental protection during these testing times, buying a plan that adequately covers your needs is always recommended.
Types of Ambulances
Before we understand if ambulance costs are included in a health insurance policy, let us first know more about the types of ambulances in terms of services provided by them that are available in India.
- Basic ambulance: These are the most common types of ambulances which provide facilities like stretchers, blood pressure monitors, saline stands, oxygen cylinders, etc.
- Advanced life support ambulance: These ambulances have all the facilities covered under basic ambulance along with added facilities of ECG monitors, defibrillators, resuscitation kits, etc. These may even have a doctor for immediate assistance.
- Neonatal ambulance: These ambulances are especially for babies who require intensive neonatal care. They are equipped with basic ambulance facilities along with incubators for newborn babies.
- Patient transport ambulance: The key aim of these ambulances is to transfer a patient from one medical facility to another.
- Mortuary ambulance: These have freezer boxes to transport corpses.
- Air ambulance: These are planes modified into ambulances during emergencies. Helicopters, too, are used for these purposes.
The cost of these ambulances differs due to the facilities they offer.
Does Health Insurance Policies Cover Ambulance Charges?
A lot of medical insurance plans these days offer ambulance coverage. This cover provides financial compensation to the insured against ambulance expenses incurred during a medical emergency. The coverage for ambulance costs is typically calculated based on the sum insured. Therefore, a certain percentage of the sum insured qualifies under health insurance ambulance cover. Thus, there is a specific upper cap applied for an ambulance cover.
For example, Tata AIG offers medical insurance ambulance cover under all three plans. The coverage, however, varies on the sum insured and the plan you choose.
Alternatively, if the insurance company does not cover ambulance costs, they will most likely have a rider or an add-on related to this. A rider or an add-on is an additional service over and above the base plan to enhance your coverage. You can add this rider to your base policy while buying or renewing your health insurance policy.
That is why it is important that you always enquire about the inclusions and features of a health insurance plan before buying.
What is an Ambulance Claim?
When you have health insurance with ambulance cover, or you opt for a rider to cover this service, you can avail of this facility. For example, suppose an insured gets injured or suffers a heart attack; they can call for ambulance services to transport them to a hospital. Since this service forms a part of the coverage, the insured can then raise a claim for the ambulance charges.
Should You Purchase Health Insurance with Ambulance Cover?
Medical emergencies can pose a financial challenge to many. This is when a health insurance plan can come to the rescue. Medical insurance can cover various aspects like OPD cover, AYUSH cover, pre and post-hospitalisation cover etc. However, ambulance cover is one of the most essential features which should not be missed. Since this coverage can reduce your financial burden by compensating for the costs of ambulance service, it is recommended to opt for a plan that offers this coverage.
Conclusion
In an emergency, ambulance service is one of the first things that comes to your mind. So it is important that your medical insurance plan offers ambulance cover. To cater to this need, many insurers like Tata AIG offer assistance 24×7 to provide you with ambulance service at the earliest. All you have to do is choose the right policy that offers such essential coverage.
Comments are closed.