INCOME TAX20 Sept 2026
Should you buy health insurance riders or increase your sum insured? Experts explain what to prioritise | Mint
Health experts say add-ons, called riders, can fill specific gaps, but your base sum insured should be adequate first. Riders like OPD (outpatient) cover, hospital cash or consumables raise your premium. A low base cover plus many riders may still leave you exposed. So fix your base cover first, then compare each rider's premium with the benefit, exclusions and waiting periods.
Key Statutory Highlights
- Experts say an adequate base sum insured should come first, because it protects you against the overall cost of hospitalisation.
- Add-ons can cover specific gaps such as restoration of the sum insured, OPD cover, hospital cash, consumables cover and inflation protection, but each extra benefit pushes up the premium.
- A policy with a low sum insured but several add-ons may still leave you exposed if the main hospitalisation bill exceeds the available cover.
Actionable Advice for Taxpayers / Founders:Before paying extra for any rider, check whether your current base sum insured is enough for you and your family, and compare each rider's extra premium against its actual benefit, exclusions, waiting periods and costs.
Statutory Disclaimer: TaxQue Shorts are AI-assisted editorial briefs for compliance awareness. This brief has not passed every source check; confirm the original notification before acting. This does not constitute formal legal or CA counsel.
TaxQue News Desk
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