The General Insurance Plans are Flooded with Coronavirus Claims

Till July 2020 end, the non-life insurance companies has received approximately 80, 000 claims for coronavirus amounting Rs.1, 300 Crore.

The claims are constantly increasing the arising of coronavirus. According to the reports of Financial Express, the non-life insurance providers have received 9, 700 claims with the amount of Rs. 150 Crore till the first week of 2020 June. Later, in the second week of June 2020, these claims have touched the trolling of 18, 100 amounting Rs. 281 Crore. In continuation of this, the claims have surpassed Rs.500 Crore.

As per the figures compiled by the Council of General Insurance, the highest claims came from Maharashtra in July end. Delhi and Tamil Nadu have reported approximately 9, 300 and 9, 500 respectively by end of July 2020. As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in India, there were 5.86 active cases as of 4^th August 2020. Approximately 12.30 lakh cases were discharged and around 38, 938 were died because of this ongoing pandemic.

A senior officer of a non-life insurance company said that the claims are rising at a rapid rate since June 2020 and if the situation continues in this way, then it can be a matter of concern for all non-life insurance providers. With the increasing sale of policies related to COVID-19, they are expecting the claims to go up in the coming days as per this officer. Out of 35, 000 claims in Maharashtra, Mumbai has recorded 12, 000 whereas Thane and Pune have reported 5, 000, and 7, 600 respectively.

The IRDAI (Insurance Industry and Development Authority of India) has asked the general insurance organizations to launch Corona Kavach policy that can provide sum insured from Rs.50, 000 to Rs.2lakh. However, the participants of the market are saying that the two-three days of the month August have shown a slowdown in the registration of claims.

The Head of Health Claims of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company, Bhaskar Nerurkar, has said that the claim registration of coronavirus was doubling every 16 days in mid-July. But now the trend is changing, the claim is doubling every 21 days at the start of August.   

He further adds that the number of COVID – 19 positive cases is still increasing in India but the growth rate concerning the number of claims is slowing down slightly. He said they have seen that people who are detected positive for coronavirus and are showing mild symptoms are managing themselves at home and this can be a reason for a slow down in claim growth rate in the last few days of August 2020.

The average size of the ticket of COVID – 19 claim is approximately Ra.1 lakh 50 thousand in urban areas and semi-urban places it is between Rs.50, 000 and Rs.75, 000. The places where the patient's condition is serious and requires admission in the Intensive Care Unit, the claims there are between Rs.6 lakh and Rs.8 lakh.

In addition to this, the life insurance companies as well are getting coronavirus claims. The leading life insurance company of India, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has as well settled the death claims of COVID – 19 in 561 policies that are amounting to Rs.26.74 Crore.

However, if you have not purchased an insurance plan that covers COVID – 19, then you must buy one. Many insurance providers are offering cover for coronavirus and some of these are:

• Corona Kavach Policy: It is a limited period and single premium plan that does not provide any lifelong renewability option. You can also opt for its family floater plan wherein you can get coverage for your parents, spouse, parents-in-law, dependent children who are under the age of 25 years. Anyone who is between the age group of 18 years and 65 years can purchase this plan. The sum insured ranges from Rs.50, 000 to Rs.5 lakh.
• Corona Rakshak Policy: This is also a single premium plan that will pay 100% of the sum insured (in lump sum amount) when the policyholder is hospitalized for at least three days after testing positive for the coronavirus. The eligibility to purchase this plan is 18 years to 65 years and it offers coverage from Rs50, 000 to Rs.2.5 lakhs.
• ICICI Lombard COVID-19 Insurance Plan: This insurance policy is specially designed for the people who are diagnosed positive for the novel coronavirus which guarantees to provide a lump sum advantage to the policyholder. The policy has a waiting period of 14 days and the eligibility to purchase it is 18 years to 75 years. The sum insured offered by this plan is Rs.25, 000.
• Star Novel Coronavirus (COVID – 19) (nCoV) Insurance Plan (Pilot Product): This policy provides a lump sum benefit to the investors of the insurance who have tested positive for the coronavirus and have to be hospitalized for the treatment. The applicants are not needed to go through any pre-acceptance medical test or screening for claiming the sum insured. The free-look period of this policy is 15 days for its buyers. With a waiting period of 15 days, you can purchase this plan if you are between 18 years to 65 years. The sum insured in this plan has two options – Rs. 21, 000, and Rs. 42, 000.
• Go Digit General Insurance Limited also offers an insurance plan especially for those who are tested positive for COVID – 19. Upon claim filing, the insured will become eligible to get 100% of the claim if he/she is tested positive for the coronavirus. The insured can get 50% of the sum insured even when the result of the test is negative. The eligibility to buy this product is up to 75 years and the waiting period is 15 days. The sum insured that you get with this plan is Rs.25, 000 to Rs. 2 Lakh.

Summing it up:

In this way, with a flood of claims, more and more people are purchasing an insurance plan to get coverage for this virus.