How to Get Free Medical Checkups Under your Health Insurance Policy?

As the total number of cases of covid 19 rises to above 10 million, highlighting clear chinks in the armour of the country’s healthcare system, the need for health insurance and a financial cover against illnesses is highlighted now more than ever. With a wave of bird flu on the rise, this need is further amplified.

 

Health insurance policies, from individual to family health insurance are a holistic approach to all your medical needs. In exchange for routine premium payments (monthly, quarterly, depending on the specific terms of your policy of choice), customers are provided with a ‘cover’, a sum of money set aside for them to avail of in the event that they require medical attention or hospitalization. Often considered a long term investment, health insurance policies offer critical returns, in the long run, allowing individuals to save substantial amounts on medical bills.

 

However, your individual or family health insurance policy features are not limited to just financial support in the time of need. Customers are also offered a number of provisions/services that they can avail of that require no extra payments. One of these is a free health checkup. Health insurance with medical checkups can aid customers in keeping track of their health and medical history, often allowing them to identify an infection/disease early, resulting in reduced medical costs that would have been incurred if the illness were to be left untreated. Chances are that if you have a medical insurance policy, you also have health insurance with medical checkup facilities.

 

This article will take a look at how a free health checkup works, how you can check to see if you currently have health insurance with medical checkup options, and how to avail of these services.

 

How to Avail Free Health Checkup?

 

1. Determining if you have Free Health Checkup Facilities

A good rule of thumb while purchasing health insurance, Travel insurance and Group health insurance is to check if the policies you are considering are health insurance with a medical checkup. If however, you have not verified this, the best way to do so is to contact the helpline number of your insurance company and get in touch with them. You can request to know whether you have a free health checkup option available.

 

2. Determine Costs

While the free health checkups offered for individual or family health insurance plans are technically ‘free’, there might be clauses that might require you to first pay the amount for the checkup and receive a refund for it from your insurance company. While this reimbursement process might result in you netting no amount spent after the fact, you might need to have the funds available to pay for the checkup on the spot. It is important to ensure that you know exactly how much you have to pay, and when you have to pay it.

 

3. Term Expiry

While you might have mediclaim policy with medical checkup facilities, they might be available for a limited period of time. Meaning, while you might have your health insurance for 10 years, for instance, you might only be able to avail of your free health checkup for the first 5. It is important to check for this fine print to ensure that you avail of your free health checkup as part of your individual or family health insurance plan before its validity expires.

 

4. Scope of your Free Health Checkup

A free health checkup usually covers the essentials to ensure you are keeping up with your health and to rule out any illnesses. However, one must also know the specific tests you can avail of under the free health checkup. Some common tests of standard free health checkup plans include Blood count, urine test, fasting blood sugar, chest x rays and lipid profile, among some others.

 

Applying for Medical Health Checkups

 

Here is a guide on how to apply for a medical health checkup so you can avail all the necessary medical services that your insurance company provides. 

 

• Starting off by contacting the insurance company or visiting the nearest branch and inquiring about the facility for regular health checkups.
• urther, you can call or contact your insurer if you want to schedule a health checkup. They will do so according to your preference of time and date.
• Many insurance companies provide an authorisation letter that you will be required to carry to the hospital to the diagnostic centre with your health card.
• If the health checkup or tests are done at a hospital that is on the networking list of your insurance company, then the charges will be covered. ( a cashless payment is insured)

However, if it is a hospital of your choice, then you can file for reimbursement from your insurer.

 

Conclusion:

While a free medical checkup may seem like a freebie, the test actually serves a vital purpose. Health checkups are essential to ensure that you are up to date with the state of your health and in order to routinely ensure that if there are any illnesses/infections/problems arising, that they are dealt with early on. The medical health checkup is an equally essential part of individual or family health insurance plans, and you can avail of your free health check-up to keep your health up to date.