The Covid-19 pandemic has currently claimed lakhs of human lives in India – the recorded quantity is close to 4 lakh and is nonetheless growing by thousands each and every day. Apart from losing their livelihood, a lot of households have lost their earning members as effectively.
Despite the reality that fatalities amongst children are low, the pandemic has played havoc in the lives of a lot of small ones, with thousands of children losing one or each parents.
According to an affidavit filed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in the Supreme Court on June 1, 2021, as a lot of as 9,346 children have either lost at least one parent or been abandoned amongst March 2020 and May 2021.
According to the report, the recorded figures of children, who have got orphaned immediately after losing each the parents, are 1,742, though some worry that the actual quantity may possibly be a lot larger.
As insurance coverage businesses provide overall health cover to a dependent kid only if at least one of the parents applies for the cover along with the kid, the insurance coverage cover for a kid will continue immediately after losing one of the parents.
Children are permitted to continue below the family cover till they are financially dependent on the parents or they attain the age of 21 years.
However, the huge query is what will occur to the overall health insurance coverage cover of the children who have lost each their parents?
Health Insurance: What takes place to a policy immediately after death of an insured member?
The continuation of overall health cover is crucial for orphaned children as the legal guardians or relatives may possibly take care of them, but may possibly not be in position to bear the burden of hospitalisation expense.
When asked about the fate of overall health insurance coverage cover of orphaned children in absence of each the parents, T A Ramalingam, Chief Technical Officer, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance stated, “The policy will continue for the children with the legal guardian as proposer.”
As dependent children include things like unmarried children, step children or legally adopted children, orphans may possibly not shed their overall health insurance coverage cover immediately after losing each of their parents, offered their legal guardians continue to spend the premium.
However, to make points uncomplicated, clear reduce suggestions relating to eligibility and scope of legal guardians are important from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to make certain continuation of overall health insurance coverage cover of currently insured children even immediately after losing each the parents.
This is simply because, out of affection, grand parents or other relatives of orphaned children may possibly take care of the kids with out legally adopting them, resulting in disqualification at the time of renewal of the overall health insurance coverage policies of such children.