Family floater policies only cover legally recognized relationships
1 min read . Updated: 07 Jun 2019, 12:47 PM ISTExcept for spouse, children and parents, any other member of the family are only considered as custodian of the insurance proceeds
I am 26 years old. I am in a live-in relationship and we want to buy a health cover for both of us. Will we be eligible for a family floater plan? If yes, please suggest a suitable cover. Is there anything specific one must look for while purchasing a floater policy?
—Mukund Singh
Family floater policies cover legally recognized relationships. Most policies cover the individual, spouse and children. A few policies cover extended relatives as well but even these do not cover partners in live-in relationships. It would make sense for both you and your partner to take separate individual covers.
You should first shortlist insurers to select a plan. Prefer insurers with a claim settlement ratio of over 90%. Thereafter, filter plans that offer no room rent capping, no co-pay, and no disease-wise restrictions. From such plans, choose the one with high no-claim bonus and low premium. You can refer to the Mint SecureNow Mediclaim rating to select a suitable plan.
My brother and his wife died in an accident. I am the nominee in their insurance policy. When I lodged a claim, the insurer asked for a legal heir certificate but I don’t have one. Please advise how I can go about getting the claim?
—Sumitra Nanda
Spouse, children and parents are considered as beneficial nominee in insurance. All others are only considered as custodian of the insurance proceeds. The proceeds will need to be finally passed onto the legal heir by the nominee. That’s why an insurer may ask for a legal heir certificate to avoid a future dispute with legal heirs. However, insurers are obliged to discharge the insurance proceeds to the named nominee, irrespective of whether you have a legal heir certificate. You should escalate your case to a senior executive with the insurer. If it is still unresolved, you can approach the grievance cell or the insurance ombudsman.
Abhishek Bondia is principal officer and MD, SecureNow.in. Queries and views at mintmoney@livemint.com