How to Help Your Maid, Driver or Cook Get Health Insurance in India

A basic health insurance cover of Rs. 5,00,000 today costs Rs. 7,600 per year. This might not seem like a huge amount for anyone with a steady 5–6 digit salary. But what about those who belong to low-income groups, like your maid, driver, etc.? They obviously won’t be able to afford such a high premium.

You might give your maid and driver festive bonuses, pay for their visits to their hometown, buy books and stationery for their children, and so on. But, have you ever considered helping them get health insurance - something that will not just be another perk on the list but will give them access to health care that would otherwise be unaffordable for them?

There are several government schemes and low-cost health insurance plans available in the market today. You can make your maid, driver, and others aware of these plans and even help them get insured under these plans. How? Let’s see!
 

How Can You Help Your Maid Or Driver To Get Health Insurance?

• Make Them Aware Of The Importance Of Health Insurance

  Even today, a majority of people in India avoid buying health insurance mainly because either they do not understand its importance or believe it is an unnecessary expense.

  Hence, before you help your maid or driver in getting a health insurance policy, make them understand its importance. Explain to them the benefits they will get if they purchase health insurance - how the policy will help cover the hospitalisation expenses they may incur in the future. You can then recommend affordable health insurance plans for them to consider.

• Recommend Affordable Health Insurance Options

  You should keep in mind that your maid or driver might not be able to afford high premium policies like the one you have insured yourself with. You must, therefore, recommend a policy that would offer them adequate coverage while yet being within their budget. Yes, you might be willing to pay their premiums, but remember that health insurance is a lifetime cover. So, in the long run, say, after they stop working for you, it must be viable for them to renew the policy on their own income.

  You could look into affordable plans offered through government schemes, or you could look into low-cost plans offered by insurance companies in the open market. In this article, we discuss both these options and learn how you can insure your maid or driver.
   

Health Insurance Cover Offered Under PM-JAY

The Central Government introduced the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) to cover those who are unable to afford health insurance due to its high cost. The goal of RSBY is to protect below-poverty-line households from financial liabilities resulting from health issues that necessitate hospitalisation.

The scheme was originally started under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, but it is now administered by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. RSBY is currently available as Ayushman Bharat Yojana and is the world’s largest and fully state-sponsored health assurance program.

Step 1: Check PM-JAY Eligibility First (Free Rs.5 Lakh Cover)

1. Visit mera.pmjay.gov.in

2. Enter your maid or driver's mobile number or ration card number

3. If their name appears, they are eligible to enroll

To get the health e-card, they must visit the nearest Ayushman Bharat Seva Kendra or Common Service Centre (CSC) with their Aadhaar card, ration card, and income/caste certificate.

Step 2: If PM-JAY is Not an Option — Buy a Private Plan
If your domestic help is not eligible for PM-JAY (not in SECC list or ration card category), you can buy an individual health insurance plan from a private insurer. Plans for a 30-year-old individual start at approximately Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 6,000 per year for a Rs. 3 lakh sum insured. These can be purchased directly on the insurer's website or through a licensed broker like SMC Insurance.
 

Alternative Option: Buy A Private Policy With Low Premiums

If you are unable to get information about the above government scheme, you could sponsor their coverage by purchasing one of the many private health insurance plans available in the market today. Private policies may include several limitations and conditions. So, to ensure they are not hassled at the time of a claim, make them understand the basic terms and conditions, financial limitations, exclusions, etc. - both short and long-term.

Here are some private health insurance plans that cost less than Rs. 500 per month that you might want to look into. These policies can be purchased directly from the insurance company’s website, or through a broker or aggregator’s website or through an agent.

Please note - The premiums in the above table are taken for a 30-year-old individual and for a sum insured of Rs. 3,00,000.
 

How Can You Make Sure That Your Maid Or Driver Is Insured?

To make sure they are insured you can help them to get the policies online. You can either get them enrolled in the above government scheme or you can buy a policy from the insurance company’s website for them. Let’s look at the steps involved in both the processes.

Steps involved in enrolling your maid or driver under the government scheme

• Check Eligibility
  First and foremost, you will need to check whether or not they are eligible for the schemes. To check their eligibility - Visit the government website pmjay.gov.in Select the “Am I eligible” option. Enter their mobile number, ration card number, or HHD number (Household ID). If their name is on the eligible list, they can enrol in the schemes.

• Getting The Health E-Card
  Next, your maid or driver will need to visit the government kiosks that are set up at government hospitals, district collector offices, etc. The staff there will verify their details and provide them with the health e-card. Ensure that you inform them that the health card they receive must be kept safely and properly as it will be required for any future claims.

• Documents Required For Enrolment
  When your maid or driver visits the government kiosks, they will be asked to submit several documents in order to be enrolled, like - Aadhaar card for identity and age proof Ration card for residential proof Caste and income certificate.

Steps involved in buying a policy from the insurer’s website -

• Visiting The Website & Filling Details
  You’ll have to visit the insurers website and select the policy you want to buy for them. Then, you will be asked to enter their basic details and choose the sum insured.

• Policy Verification & Issuance
  After you fill in all the required details, the insurer will verify them and issue the policy.
  When your maid or driver receives the policy document, ask them to keep it safe. Inform them that they will have to show the document to the hospital in case a claim arises in the future. You can also provide them with a list of all the documents they will need to submit when filing a claim, such as -
  

1. Policy copy or cashless card
2. Claim form
3. Past medical records leading to the hospitalisation
4. KYC for the patient
5. Police FIR (in case of accidents)

Wrapping Up!

So, that is all from our side today. It is important that you educate your maid, driver, etc. about the importance of health insurance as well as help them get an affordable health plan. You can enrol your maid, driver, etc. under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), a government scheme that helps those who cannot afford health insurance due to its high cost. Or you can help them invest in low-cost health insurance policies sold by insurance companies.

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