Is there any health cover which covers medical tests as well, or is it only for hospitalisation? I need to do medical tests on a regular basis as I am diabetic.

Arjun Singh, Dehradun

A typical health insurance plan does not cover for outpatient incidents. However, these days there are health insurance policies that provide outpatient (OPD) cover. Under OPD extension, medical expenses not linked to hospitalisation are payable. This includes diagnostic expenses, doctor consultations and cost of medicines. If you want to get similar expenses covered, you should look for a plan with OPD cover. Medical equipment such as portable dialysis machines or test strips may not be covered by most plans. The cost of such a policy is high as you land up paying a higher premium. Typically, insurers charge an extra premium equal to the extent of OPD cover provided. The underlying assumption is that the insured will claim his full OPD limit every year. If you consider the extra administrative task of submitting bills and getting reimbursements, it is not much of a benefit. The major advantage of an OPD cover is that the increased premium can be claimed as a deduction under Section 80D of the Income-tax Act, 1961.

olmdesk@outlookindia.com