Medical Card
Medical cards and medical insurances are necessary because all services
cannot be offered by a government hospital. Government hospitals can offer
emergency and essential medical care but usually there is a long waiting
list. Possession of a medical card will be able to give you more choices.
A medical card can help you prepare
for these costly expenses and ensures comprehensive coverage in medical,
surgical and hospital costs, ambulance fees and other related medical charges.
Things to Look Out For When Buying
Medical Cards
Exclusions
Many medical cards do not pay for
many chronic diseases in the first year and many cards do not pay for pre-existing
medical conditions. Most cards only provide in-patient services and exclude
outpatient services.
Guaranteed Renewal
Some medical cards are yearly renewable,
while others normally offer guaranteed renewal up to a lifetime limit.
Co-Insurance
Some medical cards also practise
co-insurance, meaning that you'll have to pay a certain amount of the medical
fees, normally at 10% - 20% of the total medical fees incurred, while the
balance will be paid by the insurance company.
Cashless
There are also some medical cards
which are cashless medical cards. As a policyholder of this kind of cashless
medical cards, just present the card at any participating hospital to facilitate
your hospital admission. You do not need to worry about preparing and submitting
claims as all expenses under the medical card will be paid directly to
the hospitals. However, this kind of medical cards are becoming less available
due to misuse and very high claim rate.
Participating Hospitals
Depending on the insurance companies,
the number of participating hospitals varies. Choosing a medical card with
more participating hospitals benefits you better, as you will have more
choices in time of emergency. |
