Health Insurance Renewal – Guide to Online Process

A health insurance cover has become mandatory in today’s age. If you don’t believe me, consider the medical costs. Medical inflation is at an all-time high and the costs have become unbearable for the common man. In such cases, if you or your family member falls ill and is hospitalised, the medical bills have the potential of wiping out your entire savings. A health insurance plan protects your savings from this potential financial disaster. It pays for the medical costs and saves your money. Unlike life insurance plans which come for a longer tenure, health plans are annually renewable plans. If you want to enjoy the security offered by a health insurance plan, you have to renew it annually. Do you know how to do it?

Many of you are not familiar with the health insurance renewal process. Especially with the progress of the online medium which allows you easy renewal process, many of you feel confused. So, here is a step by step guide to the online renewal process of your health insurance plan:

Go online and compare

The first and foremost step is to visit an online platform to compare the available health insurance plans. While you might stick to your current insurance provider comparing is always recommended to find whether there are other plans available in the market which are better than your existing health insurance plan. Visit the website of a reputed insurance broker or aggregator, fill in your requirements and view the plans available. Understand the coverage features vis-à-vis the premium offered. If you find a better plan, port your existing health insurance plan to the new plan. Porting should be done at least 45 days before the policy renewal date by submitting a porting request with your current health insurance provider.

If you wish to continue with your current health insurance company, follow the below-mentioned steps:

• Visit the website of your insurer and choose ‘Renew’ option.
• When you choose this option, you would be asked to provide your policy details. Your personal information might also be required for verification like your birth date, name, etc.
• After you have provided all the details, you can edit your existing plan. You can
  • Increase or decrease the sum insured if required
  • Opt a new rider or opt out of an existing one
  • Add new family members or remove existing members, etc.
  • Change your residential address or your contact details
• Based on any changes done to your existing plan and your age, the new premium would be calculated
• You would have to pay the premium through any digital mode like credit card, debit card, net banking, mobile wallets, etc.
• Once the premium is paid, the policy would be renewed and the new policy document would be sent to your registered address.

If your renewal date has passed you are allowed a grace period of 30 days within which you can renew the policy and ensure a continuous coverage. Renewal during the grace period is also done using the above-mentioned steps. So, understand the steps and renew your health insurance plan regularly for a continuous coverage.

Choose wisely!