What is Domiciliary Hospitalisation?

Upon hearing the term domiciliary hospitalisation, questions such as 'What is Domiciliary Hospitalisation' and 'What is the meaning of Domiciliary Hospitalisation' are likely to cross your mind, and quite naturally so. Domiciliary means something that happens at or is related to a person's home; as its name implies, domiciliary hospitalisation is a situation wherein an individual who is receiving medical treatment at their home is considered to be hospitalised.

There are two scenarios wherein a domiciliary hospitalisation may be required, namely:

• The medical condition of an individual preventing them from being moved to a hospital;
• The lack of availability of the requisite infrastructure at the selected hospital, that is, the non-availability of hospital beds and/or the required medical equipment.

There are certain circumstances wherein the continuous hospitalisation of a person may not be possible or preferable. For instance, if you are the parent of a minor requiring constant medical treatment and hospitalisation, you may not be comfortable with them staying at a hospital for an extended period, unsupervised.

Similarly, if your parents are in need of hospitalisation owing to a medical condition or accidental injury that can be treated at home, you may prefer having them cared for at home rather than in the cold, isolated confines of a hospital room. That's where the feature of domiciliary hospitalisation in health insurance comes in handy.

However, most health insurance policies do not cover voluntary domiciliary hospitalisation wherein the patient can be admitted to a hospital, and there is a hospital bed and other necessary facilities available. Therefore, it is crucial to read the wordings of a health insurance plan before selecting it.

If your medical insurance plan has the feature of domiciliary hospitalisation, your insurance provider is required to reimburse the cost of domiciliary treatment just like they would for a regular hospitalisation. In order to receive the aforementioned reimbursement of domiciliary expenses, meaning the expenses incurred for domiciliary hospitalisation, you would have to file a domiciliary claim with your health insurance provider.

It is important to note that domiciliary hospitalisation is not included by default in all health insurance plans. Therefore, while selecting a medical insurance plan, you must check and ensure that it has this feature. Furthermore, the feature of domiciliary hospitalisation carries an additional cost, particularly if it is added as an add-on cover in a health insurance plan. Hence you must opt for it only if you deem it necessary for yourself or your family.

There is usually a time lag in the filing of a domiciliary hospitalisation claim and the receipt of the reimbursement of domiciliary expenses. Therefore, you must peruse the terms of a health insurance plan thoroughly before selecting it and make a note of important elements such as:

• The sum insured for domiciliary hospitalisation as part of the sum assured in your health insurance policy;
• The specific conditions to be fulfilled for your to qualify to avail of the benefit of domiciliary hospitalisation;
• The waiting period pertaining to domiciliary hospitalisation for specific medical conditions and diseases;
• The inclusions and exclusions in your health insurance plan, in general, and concerning domiciliary hospitalisation, in particular;
• The treatments permissible as grounds for domiciliary hospitalisation, for instance, any one or more of allopathic, homoeopathic, and ayurvedic treatments;
• The added cost and the validity of the domiciliary hospitalisation feature of your health insurance plan;
• The specific requirements of documents and information by your medical insurance provider, including your medical history and doctor's prescriptions, as necessary;
• The process of a domiciliary hospitalisation claim, including its timeline and the required documents.

Not all health insurance plans cover domiciliary hospitalisation, pre-hospitalisation expenses, and post-hospitalisation expenses. However, with the Tata AIG Medicare line of products you get a host of health insurance benefits, including:

• Domiciliary hospitalisation;
• The medical expenses preceding and succeeding hospitalisation;
• A cover for ambulance expenses;
• Health check-ups;
• Coverage for daycare procedures;
• Compassionate travel for your family members;
• A 50 per cent increase in the cumulative bonus for each claim-free year, up to a maximum of 100 per cent.

Domiciliary hospitalisation is a beneficial feature you must consider while selecting a health insurance plan. Since the future is uncertain and medical emergencies are often unannounced and unpredictable, having such coverage may prove to be valuable in case of an emergency.

However, it is important to assess your health insurance requirements and conduct a substantial amount of research before selecting an adequate medical insurance plan for yourself. Choosing a plan that has the benefit of domiciliary hospitalisation or an add-on cover providing the said benefit is the right choice to future-proof your health-related expenses. Remember that with the selection of a comprehensive health insurance plan, all your medical insurance needs can be covered without you having to worry about financing sudden medical expenses. Stay healthy and choose well!