Star Health Medi Classic vs Star Health Red Carpet Senior Citizens
Introduction
Before we start comparing these two policies we have to set out some ground rules.
For starters, both policies, Medi Classic and Red Carpet Senior Citizens are marketed by the same insurance company. So in some ways, a lot of the differences within the product will be limited to the features themselves.
Second, we know that both products have massive differences in their core structure. Medi Classic is quite basic. It offers little protection and it’s a generic policy that anybody could pick off the shelf. However, Red Carpet Senior Citizens is specifically designed for senior citizens. So in many ways, you’re comparing apples and oranges here.
And finally, any comparison is ultimately futile without considering the use case. Who are you buying this policy for? You, your family, your parents?
That’s something you’ll need to answer before using this guide. So with that introduction out of the way, we can get to comparing the actual policies themselves.
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Compare Insurances Insurance Parameters Recommended Not Recommended | ||
---|---|---|
Network hospitals | 14,000+ | 14,000+ |
Claim settlement ratio (avg. of last 3 years) | 83% | 83% |
Co-payment | 10% (if purchased after turning 61) | 30% |
Room rent | Any Room (max ₹5,000) | Any Room (up to 1% of sum insured) |
Disease sub-limit | Yes | Yes |
Pre existing diseases waiting | 3 years | 1 years |
Pre/Post hospitalization | 30/60 days | 30/ days |
No claim bonus | 5% per year (up to 25%) | |
Domiciliary | ||
Ayush treatments | ||
Restoration benefit | 200% restoration (once for different illness) | |
Health check-up | Once every 4 years | Once every year |
Maternity | ||
Out Patient Department | Up to ₹1,000 (cap of ₹200 on each consultation) | |
Day care |
Feature Comparison
Co payment
With a co-payment clause, the insurer will mandate that you pay a part of the bill. So if the bill adds up to Rs. 2,00,000 and the co-payment is set at 20% then you could be asked to pay Rs. 40,000 from the bill. In this case, both policies impose a co-payment clause if you’re hospitalized. Medi Classic requires you to co-pay a part of the bill 10% if you purchase after turning 61 whereas Red Carpet Senior Citizens imposes a co-payment clause of 30%
Sub limits
Some policies will tell you that they will cover all medical expenses up until the sum insured, but then impose caps on the total costs you can incur while dealing with a very specific list of diseases. We call these caps “Disease Wise Sub Limits.” In this case, Medi Classic imposes disease-wise sub-limits on Cataracts, Modern Treatments whereas Red Carpet Senior Citizens imposes sub-limits on Cataracts, Cerebro vascular accident, Cardio vascular diseases, cancer, breakage of bones
Waiting periods for pre-existing diseases
If you’re suffering from a lifestyle condition or if you’ve had surgery in the past, or if you’re dealing with an acute or chronic illness at the time of buying the policy, then the insurer may classify this as a pre-existing disease. And they may tell you that they will only cover these illnesses after some time. In this case, Medi Classic imposes a waiting period of 3 years on pre-existing diseases while Red Carpet Senior Citizens extends a waiting period of 1 years on existing conditions.
Pre and post Hospitalization expenses
Most people aren’t hospitalized right off the bat. Instead, they’ll have to go through a whole series of diagnostic tests before hospitalization and take medication post-discharge. These costs are outlined as pre-hospitalization expenses and post-hospitalization expenses respectively. In this case, Medi Classic covers expenses incurred 30 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred 60 days post-hospitalization. Meanwhile, Red Carpet Senior Citizens covers expenses incurred 30 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred null after hospitalization, although there may be different sub-limits
No claim bonus
Some policies will tell you that they will incentivize you for not making a claim in any given year. And they offer such incentives by offering extra cover on top of the existing sum insured. This extra cover is categorized as a no-claim bonus. In this case, however, Medi Classic offers a no-claim bonus whereas Red Carpet Senior Citizens doesn’t offer a no-claim bonus.
Domiciliary
Imagine you are forced to treat yourself at home because you don’t find a hospital bed, or you have a chronic condition that prevents you from visiting one, then, insurers may choose to cover your treatment even if you’re hospitalized at home. And such costs are collectively categorized as domiciliary treatment costs. In this case, however, neither Medi Classic offers domiciliary cover nor does Red Carpet Senior Citizens
Ayush treatments
Most policies only cover treatments administered in a registered medical facility. However, on some occasions, you may want to pursue alternative treatments including homoeopathy, Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. These treatments are collectively categorized as Ayush treatments. And in this case, Medi Classic covers Ayush procedures and Red Carpet Senior Citizens also extends coverage for Ayush treatments.
Maternity benefits
If you’re hospitalized during childbirth, then you may have to incur significant costs during delivery of your newborn, child care and other related matters during the course of the hospitalization. These costs are collectively termed maternity costs. And in this case, neither Medi Classic offers maternity cover nor does Red Carpet Senior Citizens.
Out Patient Department (OPD)
Doctor visits and regular consultations aren’t usually covered by health insurance policies. They are categorized as Outpatient consultations (or OPD treatments) and patients have to bear the cost on their own. In this case, however, Medi Classic doesn’t offer OPD protection whereas Red Carpet Senior Citizens offers OPD cover.
Final Conclusion
Since this isn’t a fair comparison, to begin with, we will only tell you this much. If you want something that’s affordable, you could go for Medi Classic. However, if you are specifically looking to buy a policy for senior citizens, then it’s a no brainer, Red Carpet Senior Citizens is your go-to option.
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