Claim denied for short hospital stay? These health insurance policies cover even 2 hours

A significant number of insurance claims involve day care procedures, such as cataract surgery or angiography. However, most traditional insurance policies require a minimum hospital stay of 24 hours for the claim to be covered. This leads to the rejection of many claims, resulting in the rising need for companies to offer policies that cover short hospital stays. 

The old rule of a minimum 24-hour hospital stay for health insurance claims isn’t the norm anymore, as many insurance companies now cover medical treatments that require hospitalisation for as little as two hours. This is in line with the advanced needs in the modern healthcare system. 

While surgeries like cataract removal and chemotherapy used to take the whole night before, they can now be done within a couple of hours with technological advancements. In response to this, insurers have started covering short stays in the hospital to ensure that claims aren’t denied just because patients did not stay the night at the hospital. 

Here are some insurance companies that offer such policies:

• ICICI Lombard, Elevate Plan: This covers day care treatments, including hospitalisation under 24 hours, even just a few hours. 
• Care Health Insurance, Care Supreme Plan: This covers claims for short-stay and day care procedures. 
• HDFC ERGO, Optima Secure: This also supports claims for day‑care treatments, allowing non‑24‑hour stays. 
• Niva Bupa, Health ReAssure Plan: This has special coverage for day care treatments under 24 hours. 
• Zurich Kotak (formerly Kotak Mahindra) Health Care: It offers day care treatment coverage and has optional hospital daily-cash benefits. 
• Star Health, Assure Plan: This also includes day care procedure coverage. 

Premiums

For a sum of ₹10 lakh, premiums may start at approximately ₹9,195 per year for ICICI Lombard Elevate, ₹12,790 for CARE Supreme, and ₹14,199 for Niva Bupa Health ReAssure.

These premiums are for a 30-year-old non-smoker male living in a metro city. The premium may be higher in individual cases, depending on a person's age, medical history, and whether he is a smoker or non-smoker.

Should you get a policy that covers day care treatments?

As modern medicine has evolved drastically, most treatments now take less than 24 hours. Treatments such as cataract surgery, dialysis, some laser treatments, and minor orthopedic procedures can be performed without the need for an overnight stay. However, these short procedures end up costing a lot, and most traditional policies don’t cover them. 

To decide on this, one must compare all the available policies and consider their requirements carefully. If you’re looking to get an insurance policy that supports short stays, compare all insurers, their claim settlement ratios, and hospital networks before opting for one. Consider the benefits of a policy based on your and your family’s needs, age, health, and other conditions.