Insurance
Cover for your health, life and the things that go wrong.
Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY: 5 lakh health cover, eligibility and Ayushman card
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) gives eligible families free hospital cover of up to 5 lakh rupees a year, used cashless at empanelled hospitals. Since October 2024 it also covers everyone aged 70 and above, whatever their income. Here is who is eligible, how to check and get the Ayushman card, and what is covered.
Read the lesson → InsuranceFamily floater vs individual health insurance: which suits you
A family floater health policy puts everyone under one sum insured that any member can use. It is often cheaper for a young family, but it can fall short when two people need hospital care in the same year, or when older parents share it. Here is how it works, with a rupee example.
Read the lesson → InsuranceHealth insurance claim rejected? Reasons, your rights and what to do
If your health insurance claim is rejected or only partly paid, the insurer must tell you why, citing the exact policy clause. Here are the common reasons, IRDAI's claim rules, and the grievance ladder: the insurer's grievance officer, the Bima Bharosa portal, and the free Insurance Ombudsman, which can award up to 50 lakh rupees.
Read the lesson → InsuranceHealth insurance for parents: waiting periods, co-pay and tax
Buying health insurance for your parents got easier in 2024. IRDAI's rules now ask insurers to offer cover for all age groups, cap the pre-existing disease wait at 36 months and stop disputes over old non-disclosure after 60 months. Here is what to check, why a separate policy often beats adding them to your floater, and how the premium can lower your tax.
Read the lesson → InsuranceHealth insurance portability: how to port your policy and keep credits
Health insurance portability lets you switch insurers at renewal and keep the credits you have built, such as waiting periods served and the 60-month clock. Here are IRDAI's rules: when to apply, the 72-hour and 5-day timelines, what carries over, what doesn't, and how porting differs from migrating within the same insurer.
Read the lesson → InsuranceHow a family claims life insurance after a death
When a policyholder dies, the nominee informs the insurer, submits a claim form and a few documents, and the insurer must pay within set deadlines: 15 days for most death claims, 45 days if it investigates. Here is the step-by-step, the documents, and what to do if the insurer is late.
Read the lesson → InsurancePersonal accident insurance: what it pays for death and disability
Personal accident insurance pays a fixed sum if an accident kills you or leaves you disabled, and can pay a weekly amount while an injury keeps you off work. Here is what each part pays under IRDAI's standard policy, Saral Suraksha Bima, how it differs from term and health cover, and where the government's 20 rupee PMSBY fits.
Read the lesson → InsurancePMJJBY explained: 436 rupee premium, age limit, benefits and claim
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) pays 2 lakh rupees to your nominee if you die from any cause, for a premium of 436 rupees a year auto-debited from your bank or post office account. Here are the age limits, the June to May cover year, the 30-day waiting rule for new joiners, how to enrol and how a claim works.
Read the lesson → InsurancePMSBY explained: the 20 rupee accident cover, benefits and claim
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) pays up to 2 lakh rupees for accidental death or disability, for a premium of 20 rupees a year auto-debited from your bank or post office account. Here is what it pays, who can join, what it leaves out, and how to enrol and claim.
Read the lesson → InsuranceSurrendering a life insurance policy: what you get back
Surrendering means ending a life insurance policy early for a cash payout. Since 2024, IRDAI's rules make savings policies pay something back after the first full year's premium, but usually far less than you paid, and your cover ends. Here is how surrender value works, and the options to look at first.
Read the lesson → InsuranceTerm insurance for homemakers: why it matters and how much cover
A homemaker earns no salary, but if she died, the family would have to pay for the cooking, care and running of the home she now does. Here is why that work has economic value, how insurers usually decide a homemaker's term cover, a worked way to size it, and the alternatives.
Read the lesson → InsuranceTerm insurance riders: types, IRDAI limits and when to skip them
A rider adds an extra benefit to a term plan, such as more money on accidental death, a lump sum on a critical illness, or premiums waived after a disability. Here are the common types, the limits IRDAI's 2024 master circular puts on rider premiums and payouts, and when a separate policy may serve you better.
Read the lesson → InsuranceCritical illness insurance: a lump sum on diagnosis, not a hospital bill
Critical illness insurance pays a fixed lump sum when you are diagnosed with a serious illness on its list, whatever your bills come to. Here is how it differs from health cover, what the survival and waiting periods mean, and a rupee example.
Read the lesson → InsuranceHealth insurance guide: how it works and the rules on your side
Health insurance pays big hospital bills so one illness doesn't wipe out your savings. This guide maps the whole topic: the basics, how claims work, top-ups, critical illness cover, how much cover to think about, and the regulator's rules every buyer gets.
Read the lesson → InsuranceHow much health insurance cover? A way to think it through
There's no single right amount of health cover. Here is a four-question way to think it through: what one serious hospital stay costs near you, who the policy covers, how much your employer cover really counts, and how to layer a base policy with a super top-up.
Read the lesson → InsuranceHow much term insurance cover? Two ways to work it out
Term insurance pays your family a fixed amount if you die during the policy term. How much? Two simple methods help: income replacement, and needs based (expenses plus loans plus goals, minus assets). Here are both, with one rupee example.
Read the lesson → InsuranceSuper top-up health insurance: top-up vs super top-up, with a rupee example
A top-up or super top-up adds health cover above a deductible, so it usually costs far less than raising your base cover. The difference is how the deductible is counted: per bill, or across the whole year. Here is how each works, with one rupee example.
Read the lesson → InsuranceHealth insurance claims: cashless vs reimbursement
When you are hospitalised with health insurance, the money reaches you in one of two ways: the insurer pays the hospital directly, or you pay first and claim it back. Here is how each works, and what to keep ready.
Read the lesson → InsuranceTerm vs endowment insurance: the real cost of mixing the two
An endowment policy promises money back, so it feels better than term insurance that pays only if you die. But mixing cover with savings usually buys far less protection and earns a low return. Here is the real cost, with a rupee example.
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