Is LIC's Jeevan Arogya plan good?

How does LICs Jeevan Arogya compare with standard mediclaim? Is it worth having it?
-Dr Manojkumar Agarwal

Jeevan Arogya scores over a standard health plan in two ways - a) it extends coverage to parents-in-law, and b) it pays out a lump sum benefit in case of a surgical process, irrespective of the actual medical cost.

Despite these benefits, we won't recommend it to you because of the several drawbacks that come along:
1. It is expensive compared to other health insurance policies.
2. It does not offer the cashless facility, which is a pretty standard feature in most health policies these days. You can get a 50% cash advance in case of major surgeries but no complete cashless facility.
3. It does not cover pre or post hospitalization expenses.
On balance, we believe that these drawbacks outweigh the benefits for most individuals.

This article was originally published on April 27, 2017.