Co-pay in health insurance is a clause, wherein the insured agrees to bear a specific portion of the incurred medical expenses. It is usually a fixed percentage of the claim amount, which the policyholder pays at the time of a claim.
Opting for co-pay health insurance helps the policyholders to reduce their premium outgo for the policy. Even though they might have to bear a portion of the claim amount themselves, co-pay in health insurance can prove beneficial in the long run by significantly lowering the premium amount.
To know your co-payment liability at the time of claim settlement, you can refer to your policy document. It contains all the details regarding the policy's co-payment clause, including the percentage at which it is levied, whether you're required to pay it or not, etc.
Policyholders are generally not required to pay anything upfront while availing treatment at a network hospital. At the time of discharge, the policyholder has to pay for his/her share of the expenses as specified in the co-pay clause, along with the non-payables' cost.
Yes. The health insurance policies with co-pay clauses are cheaper as it reduces the financial liability of the insurer. Also, the claim amount is divided between the insurance company and the policyholder, which results in reduced premiums.
Before opting for a co-payment health insurance policy, you must consider various factors such as your current financial situation and health conditions. You must ensure that you have adequate finances to pay your share of healthcare expenses before buying the policy.
Also, if you're healthy and maintain an active lifestyle, opting for a health insurance policy with a co-pay clause could turn out to be beneficial for you. On the other hand, if you're susceptible to illnesses, we recommend going for a health plan without the co-pay clause.