Star Health rolls out the red carpet for senior citizens, diabetics

Venkatachari Jagannath
07 July 2007

Chennai: Even as most other non-life insurers shun providing health insurance cover to senior citizens either by outright rejection of their insurance proposals or charging sky high premium, the Chennai-based standalone health insurer Star Health and Allied Insurance Co Ltd, has rolled out the red carpet for the elderly.

The company has launched a new policy called Senior Citizens Red Carpet health insurance to insure people in the age bracket of 60-69 and guarantees policy renewals throughout the insured''s lifetime.

The policy comes with two sum insured options of Rs1 lakh and Rs2 lakh at a flat premium of Rs5,000 and Rs10,000 respectively. The policy also covers pre-existing ailments or ailments at the time of taking out a policy at no extra cost.

A discount of 10 per cent on the premium is allowed on the production of the following documents: (a) stress thallium report (b) blood pressure, sugar (blood and urine) blood urea and creatinine and (c) self declaration or certification that the proposed policy holder has not undergone heart, brain, cancer surgeries in the past. The tests should have been conducted within 45 days from the date of insurance proposal.

But there are catches. The policy is subject to co-payment or sharing of hospitalisation expenses by the insured to the extent of 50 per cent in the case of pre-existing ailments and 30 per cent for all other claims. The maximum claim payable in the case of treatment of (a) cardiovascular diseases, cancer, fractures is Rs75,000 (b) cataract (both eyes included) Rs15,000 (c) renal complications Rs75,000 and (d) all other major surgeries Rs60,000.

Further the claims are subject to various ceilings such as: (a) 1 per cent of the sum insured room rent and boarding (b) 2 per cent of the sum insured for intensive care unit expenses per day (c) 25 per cent of the sum insured for doctor fees and (d) 50 per cent of the sum insured for medicines.