Pays your hospital bill directly to the hospital, so you do not fund a medical emergency from savings. The number that matters is not the premium — it is the room-rent cap, the pre-existing waiting period and the co-pay, because those three decide how much of the bill actually gets paid.

Premiums and claim-settlement ratios are illustrative until sourced from the insurer of record.

Read this before you buy.

• Pre-existing conditions during the waiting period, usually 24 to 48 months
• Non-medical consumables — gloves, syringes, administrative charges
• Cosmetic surgery, unless reconstructive after an accident
• Treatment abroad, and experimental or unproven treatment
• The first 30 days of the policy, except accidents

Health is the only line with two completely different claim paths. Cashless is decided in under an hour; reimbursement takes days and is where most disputes happen.

1. 01

   Show the e-card at the desk

   · at admission

   The hospital raises a pre-authorisation with the TPA. This is cashless — you sign, you do not pay. Planned surgery? Tell us 48 hours ahead and it is approved before you arrive.

2. 02

   TPA pre-authorises

   · 42 min median

   The insurer approves an amount, not the whole bill. Anything above it is yours unless it is revised during treatment, which we handle.

3. 03

   Bill is queried, not just paid

   · during stay

   Room rent above your cap reduces every linked charge proportionately — surgeon, ICU, nursing. This is where a policy quietly pays 40% less than you expected.

4. 04

   You pay only the gaps

   · at discharge

   Co-pay, non-medical consumables and any room-rent excess. Ask for the itemised bill; gloves and syringes are routinely charged and routinely not covered.

5. 05

   Or reimbursement, if non-network

   · 11 days

   You pay first and claim back with originals. Keep every document, including the discharge summary and pharmacy bills — one missing paper restarts the clock.