Ever needed to rush to an ATM or break an FD because of a medical emergency? Cashless hospitalisation allows you to get immediate medical assistance without having to scramble for funds. This is because your health insurance provider pays the hospital directly, allowing you to focus on getting better.
How Do I Get Cashless Treatment?
What you must remember is that the cashless facility is available only at network hospitals, which are those hospitals with which the insurance provider has tie-ups. Do check the list of network hospitals and ensure to visit these when you need medical assistance, for getting cashless treatment. Leading insurance providers typically have network hospital across India, allowing you to benefit from cashless treatment when you are travelling or have relocated to a new city.
If you visit a medical facility that is not a network hospital, you will need to pay for your treatment and claim reimbursement from the insurer later. Cashless hospitalisation makes it convenient and less stressful.
Documents Required for Cashless Treatment
The most important item for cashless hospitalisation is your health card. This card generally includes your name, address, date of birth and policy number. Consider keeping it in your wallet or purse at all times, along with your debit and credit cards.
To avoid hassles during a medical emergency, keep the list of required documents handy. Most insurance providers ask for the following documents for cashless hospitalisation:
Claim form: Make sure this is accurately filled and properly signed. Most leading insurance providers will allow you to download this form from their website or mobile app.
Medical certificate: This is issued by the doctor and authorised by the hospital.
Diagnosis reports: This may include blood tests, X-rays, CT scans, etc, which act as proof of your need for hospitalisation. These are typically submitted directly by the hospital to the insurer.
Identity proof: Voter ID, PAN, driving licence, and Aadhaar card are usually accepted as identity proof.
Discharge papers: These are documents issued by the hospital when your treatment has been completed.
Apart from these, you may need the following documents:
Payment invoices of the pharmacy for medicines purchased.
Ambulance receipt.
Other original bills and receipts by the hospital. Ensure that these mention the hospital registration number, your name, and date of admission.
You may need an FIR in case of hospitalisation due to injuries caused by an accident.
How Does Cashless Treatment Work?
Cashless hospitalisation can be a boon during a medical emergency. However, do remember that hospitalisation may not be completely cashless under certain scenarios. These could be:
Your policy has a copay clause for certain ailments. Otherwise, you may have chosen an option that is more expensive than your policy limit. Let’s say your policy has a room rent limit of ₹2,000 daily but you have chosen a room costing ₹2,500 daily, which means ₹500 per day will be out-of-pocket expenses for you.
Premiums should not be the sole criterion for choosing a health insurance policy. According to news reports, about 49 per cent of hospitals in India provide cashless hospitalisation. Remember, your out-of-pocket expenses are drastically reduced through cashless treatment. However, do check aspects like, exclusions of the policy, list of network hospitals, and waiting period to make the right choice.
