A ‘premium’ relief for diabetes, hypertension

Mumbai: New India Assurance—India's largest non-life insurer—has decided to stop charging additional premium for those with diabetes and hypertension under its revised health insurance policy. The state-owned insurer has also withdrawn a clause from its policy that excluded cover for ailments caused by tobacco consumption. 

    The move will come as a relief to a significant chunk of India's urban population and will also eliminate disputes arising out of wrongful rejection of claims. The company has decided to include tobacco-related ailments because the exclusion was causing hardship to a lot of policyholders and also because it amounted to rejection of claims on account of lifestyle. The new health insurance policy, however, continues to exclude cirrhosis of liver caused by alcoholism. 
Drunk driver liable for insurance claim 
    An insurance firm has been told to pay the insured sum to the widow of a biker killed in an accident despite the presence of alcohol in his blood. The order held that a claim can't be denied on the basis of a exclusion clause the insured was not informed about. P 6 All renewals from Aug under new terms 
Mumbai: The New India Assurance company's decision to stop charging extra premium for diabetese and hypertension patients will come as major relief for urban policy holders. 
    "Under the new policy there will be no difference in rates for a standard proposal and someone with diabetes or hypertension," said G Srinivasan, chairman, New India Assurance. He said that one of the reasons for the decision was the high incidence of people with such conditions. However, the earlier practice of having a four-year cooling period for pre-existing conditions will continue. This means that if a diabetic buys a policy, the coverage for diabetes-related hospitalisation will begin only after four years. 
    The new 2013 mediclaim policy now allows health insurance up to Rs 8 lakh as against Rs 5 lakh earlier. "Senior citizens will also be given a one-time option to increase their sum insured if they have had two claim free years," said Segar Sampathkumar, head of health insurance at New India Assurance. 
    The new policy has come into effect from July for new sales and all renewals from August 2013 will be under the new terms. TOI had earlier reported on the increase in health insurance charges by all the state-owned insurance companies from the current fiscal. Following the revision prices have gone up by on an average around 23%.