Health insurance pays for hospitalisation. What separates a good policy from a cheap one is not the headline sum insured but the room-rent limits, sub-limits, co-payments, waiting periods and the insurer’s behaviour at claim time.
Choosing a structure
An individual policy gives each person a dedicated sum insured. A family floater shares one pool at a lower combined premium. A super top-up adds a large layer above a deductible for very little money. Most families are best served by a floater plus a super top-up rather than a single large policy.
Waiting periods
Expect an initial waiting period of around 30 days for everything except accidents, specific waiting periods of one to two years for listed conditions, and a longer period for pre-existing conditions. These start again if you switch insurers without porting credit — which is why porting properly matters.
Cashless versus reimbursement
At a network hospital, the hospital raises a pre-authorisation and the insurer settles directly. Elsewhere, you pay and claim back with original bills, discharge summary and reports. Keep everything; missing originals are the most common reason a valid claim stalls.