Health insurance cover is meant to cover any medical conditions, injuries or accidents that may occur while the cover is in force.
At least six Indian-Australian families have learnt the importance of purchasing a health insurance from an Australian company. But they learnt this the hard way after they had to either bear the costs of the medical treatment or their claims were rejected by the insurance companies in India.
Sixty-year-old Rupinder Kaur was visiting her son in Melbourne when she suffered a massive heart attack on 5th May 2018.
Rupinder’s son Amandeep Singh said his parents had been in Australia for around six months and were due to go back to India in August 2018.
“We were frightened to see this happen. My mother never had any health issues prior to this complication. She was here to celebrate the arrival of our newborn and it turned out to be so tragic,” he told SBS Punjabi.
“I wasn’t at the home when she’d a heart attack. My wife called the ambulance and paramedics rushed her to the nearby hospital in Sunshine. We’re so thankful that they saved her life.”
“The hospital treatment for ten days cost us more than $50,000. It’s a huge amount but we are very thankful that they saved her life.”
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Mr Singh says not getting an Australian insurance policy was a costly mistake.
“We’d this policy from a company in India which is not giving us satisfactory answers while we intend to get our payout.
“The hospital is very co-operative. They’ve provided me all the necessary paperwork to lodge a claim.
“The surgeons have clearly mentioned in their reports that the heart attack had a sudden impact with no prior history of any pre-existing complications,” he added.
Still struggling to get a payout from the Indian insurance provider, Mr Singh is forced to explore legal options.
Prabhdeep Bhalla has been working in the insurance sector for the last seven years. She strongly advises people travelling to Australia to have a health cover.
Prabhdeep Bhalla is working in the insurance sector from last seven years. Source: SBS
“You shouldn’t take it lightly. It could be one of the most important decisions of your life,” she says.
“The insurance becomes even more important when the visitors are in old age. They tend to be more prone to having health issues.
“It is always advisable to have travel insurance or any health insurance with a company that looks after you when you need it the most.”
The two most important parameters that families consider before buying insurance are the cost and the benefits, which may further include the level of the customer care and the fast claim process.
When looking for visitor health insurance another question that comes to mind is if the service provider should be from the country of origin or Australia.
MS Bhalla says that people buying visitor insurance policies from India often struggle to receive their financials claims or any other payouts.
“One must make a careful decision while buying an insurance policy. It is important that you read and understand the policy terms and conditions.
“I know families who had some ugly experiences after they purchased insurance policies from some Indian travel agents.
“If you compare it with Australia, the policies from India are often complex and they also tend to be capped in terms of maximum costs that could be covered.
“There are a wide variety of policies starting from basic to premium in nature. Buying a cheap policy can save you money in shorter terms…. But in case of a tragedy, the financial loss could be unbearable.
“An additional benefit with Australian company is that you can suspend it and continue once you return from India. In this way, you can finish your compulsory one year or any other period to make claims for preexisting health conditions,” Ms Bhalla.
At least six families have told SBS Punjabi how the insurance companies from India rejected their payout claims based on various reasons including the preexisting health complications.
Insurance claim can be a tedious work Source: Supplied
All these visitors claim to be legitimate heart-attack victims who had to face physical and financial challenges for life.
“This is often the case. Most of the heart attack victims fall into this category. At the time of buying a policy, you must do a proper disclosure about your previous or existing health conditions,” says Ms Bhalla.
“Check all the terms and conditions very carefully. If you don’t understand ask again. It is important that you understand its consequences.”
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