Health insurance is a basic necessity that everyone should have access to. The benefits of health insurance outweigh the cost. If you are looking to buy health insurance, you need complete transparency and a detailed description of what you are signing up for. It includes the terms and conditions, hidden costs, facts, optional and chargeable add-ons, and so on.
If you are looking to buy insurance offline, then your only source of information would be the agent you are dealing with. He may present information that is in his favour and choose to omit the rest. However, if you opt for insurance online, you have access to all the information you need and can ask all the questions you can think of.
Also Read – Why You should Buy Health Insurance and Benefits of Comparing Policies
Why do you need health insurance?
To understand and point out the pros and cons of health insurance, it is essential to understand the reason behind buying health insurance. The ultimate goal of buying a health insurance policy is to protect yourself against financial burdens during medical expenses. A health insurance policy provides a chance for you to protect your family by tailoring the policy according to their needs. If you feel the coverage is not enough, you can buy add-ons and make it better. A health insurance policy is beneficial for any family member who has critical illnesses or undergoing medical treatment. The policy covers the cost of any treatment and alternate treatments as well. These are just a few of the benefits of buying a health insurance policy.
Also Read – Understanding the Importance of Health Insurance
Health insurance online vs offline
| Things to consider | Buying health insurance online | Buying health insurance offline |
| Policy premium | The policy premium is lower if you buy health insurance online. You may also get additional discounts on account of lower operational costs for the insurance company. | The policy premium is higher if you buy health insurance offline. You can rarely get to know about discounts, offers, or any such opportunities to save money. |
| Accessibility & Paperwork | Buying health insurance online is more accessible as it involves less paperwork and takes less time to process claims as well. | Buying health insurance offline is a lengthy process involving multiple parties and many forms, the same for getting reimbursement or placing claims is harder for offline insurance as well. |
| Availability of information | If you are looking to buy a policy online, you get access to all aspects of the policy by going to the document available on the company website, and you don’t have to worry about misinformation, misrepresentation, or omission of facts. | While buying a health insurance policy offline, you are dependent entirely on the agent and whatever information he gives you. |
| Choose by comparing | While buying health insurance online, you have the option to compare policies from multiple companies and multiple policies as well. You can also take help of a health insurance premium calculator to get an approximate premium estimate online. | While buying health insurance offline, you have the options presented to you. You rarely have the freedom to choose from a wide variety. |
| Factor of convenience | Buying a health insurance policy online is extremely convenient. You don’t have to visit anyone or any offices as well. | While buying health insurance, your documents need to be provided physically, and copies of the same need to be submitted. |
| Service | Processing your policy is easier, and it is much faster. | Since the evaluation of documents needs to be done physically, it is a lengthy process. The first step of getting a quote for your premium itself is a long process. Once the premium is determined, you can then decide whether to take the policy or move on. |
| Learning from others | When you are looking for testimonials or for a glimpse of the insurance company’s user experience, you can look for reviews online. You are sure to find the positive as well as the negative comments. | While buying insurance offline, you have to depend on the agent you are dealing with. Even if you are presented with a policy that fits your needs, it is almost impossible to find reviews left by users. The only way to know the experience is to talk to family and friends who have used the insurance company, and the sample size is much lesser. |
Also Read – How to Make Health Insurance Part of Your Retirement?
Which one is better?
If you compare both aspects of buying insurance, it is quite clear that buying health insurance online is much more beneficial and easier. If you are looking to buy health insurance and are still confused then look at the points above to decide. The time and effort saved while buying insurance online is an indication of how convenient it is. When you are buying health insurance online, don’t forget to look at settlement ratio, customer service support, reviews, reputation, and other factors that will ensure you get the best value for money. At the same time, it is essential to choose an insurance company that makes it easier to handle chaotic times like medical emergencies.
