In today's times, if you are hospitalized even once, your years of savings can be wiped out in a single stroke. Figures from 2025-26 show that medical treatment is becoming more expensive at a rate of approximately 15-20 percent every year. In such a scenario, health insurance is the only safety net that can protect your savings from being depleted during this period of rising costs.

However, in this era of Digital India, when people buy policies online, they are often only looking for the cheapest insurance. People often don't read the hidden terms and conditions of the policy. Sometimes, in their pursuit of a cheaper option, people even skip essential add-ons. So, the question arises: how do you decide what to include and what not to include in your health insurance?

1. Room Rent Limit: The Most Important Condition

This is where people often get cheated with health insurance. Many times, companies don't clearly state whether there is a room rent limit or not. Let's say your health insurance is for 5 lakhs, and the room rent limit is 1%. This means you can only avail a room costing up to 5,000 rupees. Note that in today's times, if you are admitted to a major hospital, the room rent alone can go up to 10,000 rupees. In such a case, the health insurance company will only pay 5,000 rupees, while you will have to pay the remaining 5,000 rupees yourself. So, choose a policy that has 'No Room Rent Limit'.

2. Restoration Benefit

You should definitely include this feature in your policy. Under this, if your sum insured is fully utilized, it will be restored. This means that if you have a 10 lakh rupee policy and your medical bill comes to 10 lakhs, as soon as your sum insured is exhausted, the company will restore it, and you will have a balance of 10 lakh rupees again for the remaining months of the year.

3. Check the Waiting Period

Not every illness is covered immediately upon purchasing insurance. Many illnesses have a waiting period of several months or years. Read the policy carefully before purchasing it. Compare policies from different companies; choose the one with the shortest waiting period to maximize your benefits.

4. Be Cautious of Co-payment

Sometimes, companies reduce your insurance premium by adding a co-payment clause. For example, they might say there will be a 20% co-payment on your policy, making the premium cheaper. You should be immediately wary of this. If your hospital bill comes to ₹1 lakh, the company will pay ₹80,000, but you will have to pay the remaining ₹20,000 yourself.

5. Pre and Post Hospitalization Coverage

When it comes to treatment, hospitalization isn't the only thing that matters. Many illnesses require numerous tests before and after hospitalization. Therefore, you should prioritize policies that offer extensive pre- and post-hospitalization coverage. Otherwise, you might end up paying a heavy price for a cheaper premium.

6. Check the Benefits of No Claim Bonus

If you don't fall ill and don't make any claims throughout the year, the company rewards you. A company might tempt you with a cheaper premium but not offer this benefit. This benefit is crucial because it increases your sum insured year after year.

7. Check Day Care Treatment Coverage

In today's world, technology has advanced so much that many surgeries, such as cataract surgery or dialysis, can be completed in less than 24 hours. Therefore, you must ensure that all day care treatments are covered under your policy; otherwise, you might face difficulties.

Conclusion

Buying health insurance online is a responsible task. Don't just view it as a means to save on taxes, but consider it a safety net for your family. In 2026, insurance companies are introducing many new and fancy features, but you should stick to your basic needs (adequate sum insured, no room rent limit, and a large cashless network). Remember, a good policy isn't the one with the lowest premium, but the one that covers the entire bill without any hassle when you need it most.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Zee Business. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.