GENERAL INSURANCE BLOG

Recent studies indicate that over 50% of vehicles on Indian roads are uninsured, of which two-wheelers make the majority. This is alarming considering the lack of safety features in two-wheelers and poorly maintained Indian roads, which lead to the ever-increasing number of road fatalities.

Despite making two wheeler insurance India mandatory, a vast majority continue to undermine its importance. This may be attributed to the financial product's complexity and uncertainties concerning the claim settlement process. While two wheeler insurance India protects against financial losses and damages from riding accidents, it is contingent on the claim's approval. Insurance providers have recognised the fear of potential policy buyers and have further simplified the process of raising a claim to increase penetration rates in the country.

Follow these tips to ensure the successful two wheeler insurance claim settlement.

How to raise successful claims?

This may come as no surprise, but the best way to raise a successful claim is to follow the insurance company's claim settlement process correctly. It is ideal for complying with the settlement procedure stated on the insurer's website to ensure favourable results. Most insurers have similar processes, which are reasonably straightforward to follow.

However, here are some tips to make sure that your claims are viewed favourably and settled at the earliest.

1. Early reporting:
Inform your insurer immediately after the accident. If you delay the process, you may forget the essential details required to validate your claim. Visit the insurer's website or call their toll-free number to raise a claim. If not possible, initiate the process within a week of the accident.

2. Proper surveying:
It is understood that an accident is a traumatic event to witness or be a victim of, irrespective of its scale. However, to successfully receive a complete settlement, you need valid and comprehensive proof to support your account. While details like the number plate of the other vehicle, pictures showing the damage, etc., are essential, any minute details can help solidify your stance.

3. Maintain precise post-accident records:
The most commonly accepted record by insurance companies is an FIR filed at the nearest police station to the accident site. Any medical expenses or bike servicing costs should also be recorded and submitted to the insurer for compensation.

4. Gather proof of following standard driving protocol:
An accident is an unfortunate event that cannot be entirely blamed on either party. While insurance companies look at the overall picture before passing a judgement on the case, you must ensure that you followed appropriate driving guidelines at the time of the accident. Here are a few reasons that can get your claim rejected:

● Riding without a valid driver's licence

● Riding with a lapsed two-wheeler insurance policy

● Riding under the influence of substances

● Reckless riding

● Use of two-wheeler for commercial or unauthorised use

5. Check your policy's inclusions:
Raising a claim requires knowing your policy's coverage to avoid rejection. You must know essential details like the authorised geographical region, active policy period, etc. Before raising the claim, ensure that you do not fall under any exclusions. Do not make false claims that you cannot support with evidence, as it automatically leads to rejection.

6. Provide all the requisite documents:
In case of incomplete submission of documents, you will have to duplicate efforts and submit the records until you satisfy the insurer's requirement. Usually, the list includes

● Copy of valid two wheeler insurance India

● Contact details of the policyholder

● Copy of FIR filed with the nearest police station

● Claim settlement form

● Copy of driver's licence and registration documents

● Original bills as proof of medical expenses and repairs

Two wheeler insurance India is a prudent mechanism to ensure protection against financial losses and damages to third parties due to your two-wheeler. Despite the general notion of the tedious nature of the claim settlement process, you can raise claims successfully by following above tips and simply complying with the insurer's requirements!

Click HERE to purchase hassle-free two wheeler insurance India policy.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

Health insurance policies now come with the portability feature in which you can transfer your current health insurance policy to a new service provider, subject to certain terms and conditions. You may look to port your policy for several reasons, such as poor service quality, a slow claim settlement process, higher premiums, and room rent restrictions.

Your NCB (No-claim bonus) amount accrued to date is also transferred along with the policy. Moreover, the waiting period served to date with the existing insurance provider is also considered and adjusted with the new company.

Here’s a complete guide to making the portability of health insurance policies clearer.

1. Eligibility and charges:
Individuals with an active indemnity-based health insurance policy are eligible for the portability process. But the porting can be done only with a similar health insurance policy.
For example, we can port a top-up insurance plan to another similar plan only. There are no additional charges for the portability feature in a health insurance policy.

2. Portability time:
The option of portability of your health insurance policy is only available at the time of the renewal. The policy must be running continuously over time, without any break-in period.
Moreover, any insured should apply for portability of his policy at least 45 days before the premium gets due for renewal. Also, he cannot apply earlier than 60 days from the renewal date of the premium of his existing health insurance policy.

3. Portability benefits:
Portability of time-bound exclusions and the waiting period already served with the current insurance service provider gets transferred to the new policy. Other benefits, such as accrued NCB (No-claim Bonus), also get ported.

4. Pending acceptance:
Suppose the health insurance portability acceptance is pending with the new insurance service provider, and your policy expires with the current insurance provider. In that case, the new insurer can request the previous one to renew the policy for a few days. They will charge a pro-rata premium for that period to extend the policy validity.
Your current insurer cannot cancel your policy until the new service provider confirms the issuance of the new policy or a specific request to your current insurer is made to cancel your policy.
If you raise a claim in this extended period, your existing health insurance company can agree to settle the claim after you pay the balance premium for that full year. Also, you will have to continue with that insurer for that year.

5. Higher SI (Sum Insured):
Opting for a higher SI or sum insured is permitted when porting your health insurance. However, the existing benefits, such as the NCB, will be the same as per the terms of the existing service provider when porting the policy.

6. Waiting period:
You need to be careful with the waiting periods offered by the new insurance company. All the terms and conditions of the new insurance company are applicable to the policy after you make the shift, including additional waiting periods, if any. However, the waiting period served under the current insurance policy will count and be adjusted with the new insurance company.

7. Group health insurance policy:
Suppose you are a part of a group policy and intend to change the service provider. In that case, you can do it by migrating to an individual health insurance policy with the same insurance company. You can then start the porting of your policy to another insurance company.

The portability of health insurance policies is a favourable option provided by the IRDAI. Being a valued customer, you have the right to receive the best services from your insurance provider. You can always port your health insurance to a better insurer if your current insurance company fails to provide adequate services.

Browse through all the available options and substitutes for your existing policy. It is preferred to opt for online health insurance, understand the terms and conditions of different options, and choose the best one for you!

Click HERE to buy online health insurance.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

Covid-19 has taught us the importance of having a strong immune system that takes care of our health adversities. Many people have been severely infected, hospitalised, landed in emergency rooms, or have faced the unfortunate loss of their dear ones. The pandemic hasn’t been contained. But people have gotten a lot more immune to the virus.

Plus, the vaccine has been proving extremely helpful in such dire times and aid in developing a shield in your body against the virus. And many of these patients have had the privilege of holding medical insurance, which helped them and their family members cover the cost of the treatment without focusing on financial matters.

There have been multiple occasions where we all have been confused between health and medical insurance. While these terms are closely related, the benefits and coverage of these insurance policies differ. Are you someone who is confused between the two? This blog discusses all such significant pointers which will help you understand and differentiate between the two. So, let’s get started.

What does health insurance entail?
Health insurance covers all hospital costs alongside the pre-hospitalisation and post-hospitalisation expenses. This expenditure includes costs of ambulances, treatments, etc. It is considered a comprehensive insurance policy that acts as a massive benefit for the policyholders and caters to their needs in a customised manner.

What does medical insurance entail?
Medical insurance has restricted privileges one can avail of. It is directed towards specific ailments and accidents which have been specified earlier. There is an absence of options that can provide add-on coverages like health insurance. Medical insurance depends on the amount insured. You can claim the medical insurance policies in two ways: cashless and reimbursement.

1. Cashless insurance Policy: Health insurance defines a set of hospitals under its policy. Upon getting treatment in that hospital under proper supervision, the policyholders do not have to pay a single penny. The patient can avail the cashless treatment option of their health insurance against their policy number, and the hospital works things out with the insurance company directly.

2. Reimbursement: A properly planned comprehensive health insurance policy covers pre-hospitalisation charges, including ambulance costs, tests from the specified hospital, etc. This pre-hospitalisation coverage lasts anywhere from thirty to sixty days, based on the type of health insurance plans you have opted for.

Key differences between health insurance and medical insurance:

1. Medical insurance plans are pretty tunnelled and work only regarding the specified ailments. There is no pre or post-hospitalisation coverage benefit in medical insurance plans. The patient is supposed to bear the transportation charges and other expenses.

2. Health insurance policies give you several add-on coverage options like critical illness, disabilities due to accidents, etc. At the same time, no such choices are available when purchasing medical insurance plans. The critical condition includes diseases like cancer, heart attacks, etc., which carry a grave danger to your health, and their treatments can burn through your bank accounts.

3. Health insurance plans are pretty flexible compared to medical insurance policies. They provide you with the scope of reduction of the policy period, insurance premium amount after a specific duration, etc.

We hope this information gives you a basic understanding of the two types of insurance and the benefits you can avail yourself of. Given the current climatic conditions, lifestyle, sleeping patterns, environmental changes, and several other factors, health issues come without warning.

As the world progresses for the better in terms of technology, humans have backtracked when it comes to healthy living. To avoid any financial distress during such hectic and unfortunate circumstances, you must browse through various health insurance plans in India and choose the one which would suit your needs in the best ways. Health is wealth, and there is no second opinion about this.

Click HERE to learn more about the benefits of different health insurance plans in India.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

Most people are familiar with motor insurance, its benefits, and its exclusions. It is an efficient financial instrument that supports us when our insured vehicle encounters an unfortunate incident. Motor insurance comes with many optional coverages that may be useful to you. Did you know about the Return to Invoice or RTI coverage? Choosing this coverage while you buy motor insurance online can be a great help. Let's learn more about RTI coverage, its benefits, and its functionality.

What is "Return to Invoice" in motor insurance?

Return to invoice is an optional coverage for your car insurance. It lets you get money equal to the car's original value, also called the invoice value. This coverage is not required by law, so you can buy motor insurance online and include RTI coverage as an add-on. It is an application you use when your car faces total loss, such as if someone steals it or it gets fully damaged by fire or a natural calamity.

How does it work?
In normal car insurance coverage without an RTI add-on, you can get the maximum claim amount as your car's "insured declared value" (IDV). IDV is always less than the invoice value of the car.
However, with car insurance having RTI coverage, you can get the maximum amount of claim on the invoice value of your car. In simple words, when you have RTI coverage in your car insurance, you can get the road value of your car when it is stolen.

How is it calculated?
You can easily determine the amount of insurance that comes with RTI by looking at the car's total price when you buy it. The return to invoice includes the total car price, such as road tax paid, ex-showroom price, and registration cost.

What is covered in Return to Invoice?
If your car gets stolen or damaged beyond repair, you can raise a claim against the RTI. Let's look at the different circumstances when this coverage can benefit you:

● When you don't have secured parking

● Living in an area where car thefts are common

● Living in an area prone to natural calamities such as floods, landslides, and more

What does not apply in the Return to Invoice?

Sometimes, the RTI cover may not work, and you can't claim the insured amount. Here are some situations when this cover is not applicable, including:

● Damage to your car when someone else is driving

● You can't avail RTI add-on if your car is older than 3 years from the buying time

● You can't avail of the RTI cover for minor dents and grazing on the car body

● You must submit a copy of the FIR to process the return-to-invoice claim

Benefits of Return to Invoice in motor insurance.

Some benefits of RTI in car insurance include:

● It increases the scope of your car insurance coverage

● It is beneficial when you live in an area where car thefts are common

● It is available for new cars. Hence, you can give your new car more care with this cover

● It is available with a comprehensive car insurance policy

Once you understand everything about the Return to Invoice, consider adding this optional cover. RTI can help you when your car is damaged beyond repair. If you live or park your car in a place where theft, natural calamity, or fire is common, you should add RTI to your policy when you buy motor insurance online.

Click HERE to buy motor insurance online.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.