Main Features
- Health insurers to launch instalment option on premium payments by September 30
- Four health insurers have already launched it on a couple of health policies
- EMI facility may cost extra in total premium outgo
- Timely premium payment must for health policy to stay active
- Grace period of 7-15 days is extended after due date
- If hospitalised, insurers may deduct the balance premium from claims amount
- No-cost EMI on health insurance premium available on credit cards too
- Health & wellness platform Vital offers it on all types of online payments
You would want to buy a health insurance policy with substantial coverage, but shelling out a hefty premium in one go is not possible. So, you settle for a low premium policy with lower sum insured. But, you no longer have to compromise. Now, you can pay premium on your health policies in monthly, quarterly and half-yearly mode in addition to the yearly option. This will make health policies more affordable. So, if you can't pay the lumpsum yearly premium, you can take the EMI route on a high sum insured policy. Some insurers have already launched it, while others are in the process of it. But, before you go for the instalment option, you must look into the fine-prints to avoid negative surprises.
IRDA notifies insurers for instalment option
Impact on total premium outgo
The frequency of premium payments plays a role in fixing total premium on a health policy. Insurance companies are authorised to load some extra amount if you opt for the higher frequency instalment option. The higher the frequency, the higher will be the premium. So, monthly premium payment option will cost more than the half-yearly mode. "On the same policy for a similar profile of a customer, monthly option will cost 3 per cent more than the yearly option. Quarterly and half-yearly will range between 2-2.5 per cent," says Anand Roy, MD, Star Health Insurance.
Star Health introduced the instalment facility in March with the launch of its Aarogya Sanjivani policy. "Now we have launched it for a couple of other popular products. By month-end we'll have it for all policies," says Roy.
Bajaj Allianz last month launched it with its Health Guard Policy. It is yet to offer that on other policies. "There is a load factor of about 3.2 per cent on monthly mode and 2.8 per cent and 1.8 per cent, respectively on quarterly and half-yearly mode," says Rashmi Nandargi, Head - Health Retail Underwriting, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.
Note that if you opt for a policy period of more than a year, your annual premium decreases for each year given you pay the full premium for all policy years in one go. "The additional amount depends on the tenure of policy (1, 2 or 3 years) and the payment frequency opted by the customer (monthly, quarterly or half yearly) and may vary from 2 per cent to 9.5 per cent for our Care Advantage product," says Ajay Shah, Director & Head- Retail, Religare Health Insurance.
Chhabra says HDFC Ergo does not charge extra load on premium if taking the instalment route.
What if you miss an instalment
If you have paid the policy premium in one go for a one-year policy, it stays active for the whole year. However, in monthly mode, you need to stay alert about the status of your policy. If you miss the premium payment by the policy due date, you will be given a grace period of 7-15 days (which is one month in case of yearly payment option). "If the insured fails to pay the premium within the 15 days of the relaxation period extended to the insured, the policy will lapse and he will lose the accumulated continuity benefit with respect to the waiting periods or cumulative bonus accrued," says Nandargi of Bajaj Allianz.
