Page 14 - Insurance Times December 2020

winner does not survive the disease. tor at Star Health and Allied Insurance Digit Insurance introduces
Some families are already combating said, adding that discussions to solve
worries of job loss and any huge this are on. one cover for 8 viral dis-
healthcare expense could completely eases including COVID-19
deplete their savings. Covid Shield+ is Bengal Govt announces Rs
a comprehensive solution that provides and Dengue
financial protection against any such 5 Lakh Cashless Health In- Digit Insurance has introduced its lat-
eventuality," Mukhopadhyay added. surance for all residents est offering under Digit’s Illness Group
West Bengal chief minister extended Insurance that will protect an indi-
50% claims out of Rs. the benefits of the state health insur- vidual against hospitalization bills aris-

8,000-crore Covid claims ance programme Swastha Sathi, which ing out of COVID-19 and 7 Vector-
borne diseases like dengue, malaria,
filed so far have been offers cashless treatment benefit up to filariasis (payable only once in a life-
Rs 5 lakh in private hospitals per fam-
settled ily, to all the residents of the state. "All time), kala azar, chikungunya, Japanese

Insurance companies have settled less Bengali families will now be able to encephalitis and the zika virus. One
than 50 percent of the claims of nearly avail this benefit. Anyone who does not will be covered for hospitalization ex-
Rs 8,000 crore raised so far by COVID- have a health insurance can avail it. penses if one is diagnosed with and
19 patients. Treatment in our government hospi- hospitalized solely for any of the speci-
tals is free in any case. fied diseases and even for COVID-19.
Around 5.18 lakh insurance claims
worth Rs 7,973 crore have been filed This card will come handy in about Digit’s cover for COVID-19 and Vector-
till November 3, of which 3.97 lakh or 1,500 enlisted private health facilities. borne disease policy also covers pre-
77 percent have been settled. The We had earlier planned to bring 7.5 hospitalisation expenses for up to 30
amount settled, however, is only Rs crore people under this scheme but days, post-hospitalisation expenses up
3,436 crore or 43 percent of the claim. now we extend it to 10 crore people," to 60 days, road ambulance charges (1
Around 1.21 lakh claims worth Rs Mamata said. per cent of your chosen sum insured,
4,538 crore are pending clearance and The state population was recorded up to Rs 5,000) and a second medical
1,337 claims have been so far rejected, slightly above 9 crore in 2011 and cur- opinion. The product is currently avail-
it added. rent estimates claim that West Bengal able on Digit’s website and offers op-
"Difference in claims made and those has a population of 10 crore. tions of choosing sum insured of Rs 1
settled is due to the time lag between "Ayushman Bharat would have cov- lakh, Rs 2 lakh or Rs 3 lakh.
reporting of the claim and submission ered only 1.5 crore people. We are The plan has been launched under
of final bills," MN Sarma, Secretary covering 10 crore people. For Digit’s Illness Group product under the
General of the General Insurance Coun- Ayushman Bharat, the card-holder too Sandbox regulations which encourages
cil told. would have required to contribute. insurance companies to launch innova-

He however added that insurance Here, the card-holder does not need to tive products.
companies are "able to honour claims contribute," the CM said adding that In its statement, the company states
deemed reasonable and customary", the scheme will altogether cost the that according to the WHO (World
adding that hospitals were "exploiting state exchequer Rs 2,000 crore. With Health Organisation), vector-borne dis-
patients by charging exorbitant rates." a woman in the family as the holder of eases account for 17 per cent of all
He said if insurance companies are to the card, parents of married women infectious diseases and leads to
cover full bill amounts they would have can also avail the benefits of this cash- 700,000 deaths every year, worldwide.
to raise health cover premiums or ex- less insurance, she added. India has a long history of malaria due
clude COVID-19 from policies. The decision comes amid the BJP's to both its large population and cli-
"There is a lack of standardisation in consistent campaign that the state matic conditions. 2018 alone saw
treatment cost and hospitals have ei- government was depriving the people 429,928 cases of malaria and 96 ma-
ther refused to treat patients with of the state by not implementing the laria deaths! Hence, it is important to
cashless policies or demanded upfront Ayushman Bharat scheme launched by have an insurance policy that covers
payment," S Prakash, Managing Direc- the government of India. these diseases.
The Insurance Times, December 2020