Is mediclaim and health insurance the same?

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Mediclaim and health insurance are among the most common terms in the health industry. However, these two words are not the same.

In this guide, let’s understand the difference between both with their common features, which may help you select the correct one for yourself and your loved ones.

What is health insurance?

Health insurance is a must these days. Comprehensive health insurance provides financial coverage for individuals against unexpected medical costs. It covers the expenses of pre and post-hospitalisation, doctor consultations, room rent, nurse fees, daycare treatments, ambulance fees, surgeries and more. However, these services are provided to the policyholder only if he pays the premium regularly to the insurance company. With adequate health insurance, you can stay relieved that you and your loved ones are financially secure for both planned and urgent medical situations.

What is mediclaim?

A mediclaim policy is an affordable option that can help you cover healthcare expenses. However, the coverage offered by a mediclaim policy is limited to hospitalisation costs or other treatment expenses for a specific illness.

Now, let’s understand the difference between mediclaim and health insurance.

Feature	Mediclaim	Health Insurance
Coverage	It offers coverage for hospitalisation due to illness and accidents	It provides coverage for pre-hospitalisation expenses, doctor fees, daycare treatments, etc.
Premium	It comes with an affordable premium, as the coverage provided is limited	The premium for health insurance is usually higher than mediclaim
Add-on Coverage	Add-on Coverage is not provided	Here you get different add-on options from which you can select. Some of them are critical illness, maternity coverage, etc.
Hospitalisation	It is mandatory	It is mandatory (except for approved daycare procedures)
Coverage Flexibility	No flexibility is offered	flexible
Affordability	Cheaper than health insurance	Premium amounts for health insurance can be high
Critical Illness Coverage	It does not provide coverage	Available as an add‑on
Insured Sum	Low limit	High limit

Final Thoughts

By understanding the difference between health insurance and mediclam. It can be easy for you to select the type of insurance that aligns well with your healthcare needs and budget.