All You Need to Know About Health Insurance During the Pandemic

Daily life has come to a standstill due to the pandemic. Although news about coronavirus medicine to be launched soon in India has been welcome amidst all the uncertainty surrounding the situation in the past few months. Still, coronavirus symptoms like acute respiratory illness, impaired lung and kidney function, and possible multi-organ failure are scary and in some cases, fatal. The peak is only arriving in India and this is the time to take all the precautions.

In an event that acute symptoms manifest themselves, you must be ready. You must know how much your insurance policy will cover you and your family against the disease. If you do not have one, get online health insurance as soon as possible to lead your life without any worries. Moreover, while other diseases are being neglected, their risk is still very much real, which makes health insurance necessary. Check out amazing fitness + insurance plans offered by FITPASS in association with the likes of Religare and HDFC Ergo. Get benefits of up to ₹20,000* on different packs. Get the benefits of FITFEAST – your personal nutritionist and FITCOACH – AI-based fitness coach.

Standard Health Insurance for Coronavirus

All general and health insurance companies have been directed by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to offer standard benefit based COVID-19 health insurance by mid-July. Some existing policies allow the insured the benefits of the health insurance policy for hospitalization due to coronavirus.  

The standard benefit-based insurance policy will provide a cover of up to ₹3 Lakh for hospitalization expenses due to coronavirus. Following are the 5 key features of the standard coronavirus policy:

1. It will cover the basic health needs of the insuring public related to COVID-19
2. The policy will be a standard product with common wordings across the industry
3. It will offer seamless portability to insurers
4. The policy will be available for senior citizens i.e. people over the age of 65 years
5. Policy issuance period will vary between 3, 6, and 12 months and may be renewed accordingly

Benefits of COVID-19 Insurance Policy

Insurers will be able to avail of a lump sum benefit equal to 100% of the insured sum. The basic requirements include hospitalization of up to 3 days and positive diagnoses. The latter must be confirmed by diagnostic centees authorized by the government. These centers are declared by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

For example, if you get a COVID-19 health insurance policy online with a maximum insured sum of  ₹3 Lakh, you will receive a lump sum payout or reimbursement of the entire amount. In case, the sum exceeds the insured amount i.e. ₹3 Lakh, in this case, the expense will have to be borne by the insured.

Maintaining Work-Life Balance During The Pandemic

While it is important to have good health insurance, taking care in any way possible is indispensable. Routines and lifestyles have been drastically affected; you are most likely working from home, which is challenging for some while welcome to others. Even if work from home was common for you before the pandemic affected our lives, it is much different now because social life is almost non-existent except for on virtual platforms. Since you are confined to your house, a few things might help you cope better. Here is what you can do to maintain work-life balance:

1. Make a routine and follow it – It is very easy to fall out of routine when you do not have to step out for work. While it feels good for the first few days, it can eventually affect your physical and mental health. Set a time for starting and ending work and always take breaks in between. Communicate with your colleagues to make better use of time.

2. Workout – You must realize that you do not have the physical activity you had when you were not cooped up inside your home. Therefore, it is even more important for you to work out for at least 30 minutes 4 times each week. Checkout complete health plan by FITPASS - FITPASS Suraksha that gives you major health benefits along with 3-month FITCOACH membership. Get workout recommendations based on your need and preferences and workout using HD videos created by celebrity trainers.

3. Make nutrition a priority – Several doctors across India have confirmed that a good healthy diet that provides all the necessary nutrients, especially Vitamin C and zinc, can equip your immune system better to fight the disease. First of all, don’t skip meals no matter how much work you have. Make sure your diet consists of proteins because that’s what coronavirus is known to break down. It is best to cook at home rather than ordering from outside.

4. Create a workspace – Depending on the space available at your home, make a workplace where you can work in peace. It is always better to work somewhere other than your room; certainly not on the bed.

5. Keep the weekend for relaxing – Even though you’re at home all the time, you need the weekend to declutter the body and mind. Spend time with your family, read, watch movies, cook, or tend to your garden.