Dental Insurance in India
Dental insurance refers to the cover provided for dental procedures (not including cosmetic dentistry) that are deemed necessary by a medical professional. Procedures would be classified under either preventive or diagnostic. A few of the procedures that are covered under dental insurance include filling of caries, tooth extractions, dentures, root canal procedures, etc.
Dental Insurance Coverage in India:
In India, there are very few insurance providers who cover dental procedures, with none of the major insurance companies offering dental insurance as an exclusive cover. More often than not, dental treatments are covered in the event of an accident and would be limited to repairing the damage caused by such. An example of such coverage is the Bharti AXA Smart Health Insurance Plan, which covers dental treatment up to a maximum of Rs.5,000.
OCare, an insurance Process as a Service (PAAS) platform has recently launched India’s first dental insurance plan. The plan provides insurance up to Rs.25,000 a year per person and covers pre-existing dental conditions as well. Additionally, the plan provides two dental check-ups a year as well as a loyalty card that is redeemable on dental services. With a view to making dental treatment accessible and affordable for all, OCare’s dental insurance plan is being launched in villages through the respective Gram Panchayats. In this way, it is hoped that individuals across India will have access to quality dental care with having to worry about the cost.
Another way insurers cover dental treatment is through out-patient department (OPD) treatments. Insurance companies that offer dental insurance will provide coverage for dental procedures up to a maximum limit as specified in the policy document only, irrespective of the dental procedure opted for. Additional terms govern this kind of coverage, however, further limiting their scope. This includes claims pay-outs for dental procedures after the second policy year only, among others.
In the case of OPD treatment policies, policyholders will have to pay an additional premium, which is often very high. Thus, while some inroads are being made in providing dental insurance, comprehensive dental coverage is still not a reality in India.
