Charu had taken a health insurance plan of INR 5 lakhs for her entire family. After a few years, her father was hospitalized following a stroke, and the bill came to INR 6 lakhs. She had a top-up health plan of INR 2 lakhs, so the top-up policy covered the balance amount of INR 1 lakh. Unfortunately, later that year, she also met with a road accident and spent a whole month in hospital. The bill came to INR 5 lakhs, but neither her health insurance plan nor her top-up plan could help. If she had a super top-up plan, she could have been able to make a claim.
What is a Top-Up Health Insurance Policy?
A top-up health insurance policy is a type of health plan that acts as a backup cover. To have this, you primarily need a primary health plan in place. Say, for example, your primary health cover is INR 2 lakhs, and your top-up cover is for another INR 2 lakhs. You can use the top-up cover if you exhaust the basic health cover. If your hospital bill exceeds INR 2 lakhs, you can pay the remaining amount with the top-up policy. The top-up cover can be used only when the primary cover is entirely and thoroughly exhausted. In other words, you cannot use the cover if the claim amount is lower than the coverage amount of the base policy.
What is a Super Top-up Health Insurance Policy?
A top-up plan only pays for a single hospital bill. This means you can claim a single event in the policy year. If, however, you have more than one requirement of a medical claim in a year, you will need to use a super top-up plan. You can make multiple claims on the super top-up policy for as long as the coverage amount allows you to do so.
Top up vs. Super Top-up Health Insurance - Which is better?
Let us do a comparative study of the two to understand which is better in top-up vs. super top-up health insurance policy:
- Basic concept: The top-up health plan pays the balance amount after your primary health insurance cover is exhausted in a claim. To use the cover available in a top-up plan, you need first to use up the entire cover of the basic plan. Also, you can use the top-up plan only once. The super-top-up plan offers a similar backup to the primary health plan. The significant difference is that you can use it for multiple claims in a year.
- Cost: The cost of a top-up plan is significantly less. This makes it very affordable. It is much cheaper to buy a top-up plan rather than buying a secondary health insurance policy. The same holds for the super top-up health insurance plans, which are very affordable as well. There is not much of a difference in the price structure of the top-up and super top-up health insurance plans. As you can see, there are some fundamental differences between a top-up health insurance plan and a super top-up health insurance plan. There are also some similarities between the two, so choose wisely.
Top up vs. Super Top-up Health Insurance - Which one do you need?
Health insurance is something that everyone requires. You need to have the best and the most comprehensive cover to ensure you get the highest quality of treatment when needed. The same holds for your family members as well. Getting a top-up or a super top-up helps as you can maximize the scope of coverage.
If you are young and healthy and do not have any pre-existing illness or a family history of a severe ailment, a top-up plan should be enough for you. However, if you have any pre-existing illnesses or a family history of a severe illness such as cancer, getting a super-top-up plan may serve you well.
Top-up vs. super top-up Health Insurance - Important points to Remember
Before you invest in a good top-up or super top-up health insurance plan, you need to be aware of their features so that you know exactly what you are getting:
- Can buy independently: You can compare super top-up plans and top-up plans to find the most affordable options. You can buy them independently. There is no rule stating the plans must be bought from the same insurer whose basic health plan you have. So, you can have a health insurance policy from one insurer, a top-up health policy from another insurer, and a super-top-up plan from yet another insurance provider.
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Fewer clauses: The clauses related to the top-up and super-top plans are more relaxed than the basic health insurance plans. For instance, you don't have such long waiting periods in these plans. However, some exclusions apply to these plans, too, so you need to read the terms and conditions carefully before you compare and buy the top-up and super top-up health plans.
Once you know the features and benefits of the top-up health plans and the super top-up health plans, you will know which one is best suited for you.
Conclusion:
As you can see from the points mentioned above, there are many benefits you get when you buy a top-up and a super top-up health insurance plan. Analyze your needs and see which is a better option for you and your family. Then, get the most suitable health insurance cover and stay protected in a wholesome manner. The top-up health plans and the super-top-up plans are widely available online, so getting them is a quick and easy process.
Disclaimer: The information published in this article is for reader′s reference only. The content of this information is to provide an overview of your health insurance needs and should not be relied upon for personal, medical, legal or financial decisions and you should consult an appropriate professional for specific advice The makes no representations about the suitability, reliability, timeliness, and accuracy of the information, services, or any other items mentioned on this subject for any purpose whatsoever.