All the plans you design for your up-coming life, we are pretty sure that there is no plan to get sick or injured or get into an accident. Still, everyone needs medical assistance at some point in life. If you have medical insurance in Pakistan, it can cover the cost for you and provide other important benefits. Before getting one immediately, you need to answer a few questions: Is it mandatory to get health insurance? What if there are hidden penalties? How to choose the best healthcare insurance provider for my family and me?
With so much information and questions in mind, it can become quite overwhelming to choose a provider and make the best decision for your future. In most developed countries around the world, healthcare is the topic of the government.
In emerging countries, such as our country, healthcare is not one concern households are looking for. Hence we can safely say that there is a need for this service, but there are few appropriate platforms where such services are available at individual levels. Whereas at the corporate level, these are commonly available to most employees by responsible employers. The majority of the population still does not have access to health insurance or at-least accident insurance in our country.
There are no laws passed that ensure that this basic service is accessible to all. Governments do take initiatives, but they are not enough to cover the whole of the population. Before going further, let’s see the benefits of having healthcare insurance coverage. Firstly healthcare helps you cover the cost if you get ill or injured, protecting you from the huge medical costs. Some good insurance companies in Pakistan offer you options such as free preventive care, which includes vaccines, initial screening, checkups and follow-ups. Some might cover emergency treatments as well, which is a cherry on top.
So the question is, how do we choose the best insurance company for ourselves and our family. There are a few things you need to answer and tell yourself before opting for such a service. Your budget shouldn’t become a burden on you. You should be clear on how much premium you would be able to pay each month without disturbing your other expenses. Which medicines are covered under the opted medical insurance plan? How many hospitals will serve us under healthcare insurance? Is the insurance plan limited to my country, or it can be used on international visits as well?
These answers will vary for every individual as there are so many moving parts along the whole process before finalizing the product.
Many experts suggest choosing a plan with high deductibles as these plans carry smaller fees. These health insurance policies are a good fit for those who need regular health care facilities.
Your family doctor or any hospital with the best medical services may also guide you to go for healthcare insurance. Hospitals have insurance companies on their panel, and they often guide their regular patients who go for expensive procedures to get their costs covered. All in all, it is always better to bring everything in black and white before taking any decision that may affect you financially. The weightage of the pros and cons should be considered and thought upon.
Stay safe and stay protected.