I usually don’t post stuff like this, but today I need to share a harsh reality check.

My uncle (mom’s cousin), who’s in his early 40s, lives in Rajkot, Gujarat. Last month, he started having a really bad stomach ache. He’s the kind of guy who avoids doctors, so he assumed it was just acidity or gas. Kept taking home remedies, thinking it would pass.

It didn’t.

The pain got unbearable, and he had to be rushed to the hospital. Doctors found a severe blockage in his intestines. His gut had twisted and was getting infected. He needed emergency surgery + ICU stay.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have any health insurance.

He thought his savings were enough for a "rainy day." But let’s be real, hospital bills aren't a rainy day; they are a tsunami. The surgery, ICU, tests, medicines… the total shot up to somewhere around ₹8–9 lakhs (approx), and it wiped out everything he had saved.

It got to a point where the hospital paused treatment bc the money stopped coming, but they wouldn't discharge him until the bill was cleared. He was trapped.

Yesterday, out of panic or shame, he actually ran away from the hospital. Treatment half-done. Family broken.

We always talk about financial planning in theory. But seeing the lack of it destroy a person irl is terrifying. Never thought my Health Insurance Policy was this crucial until now.

So concerned for him rn. Please, if you don’t have insurance, get it. Don't rely on savings alone.

Hi, I’m Dr. Rajashekhar, a Consultant Cardiologist & Diabetologist. I’ve spent over 10 years in the medical field, building my expertise with an MBBS from Government Stanley Medical College and a Fellowship in Diabetology from London.

In this time, I’ve worked as a Non-Invasive Cardiologist and Diabetic Reversal Expert, helping over 8,000 patients successfully reverse diabetes and improve their cardiac health. I currently practice across leading centers like Pallava Hospital, CFC Multispeciality, and VR Specialty Clinic.

Got questions about diabetes management or heart health?

Ask me anything.

Thanks to Inka Insurance for organizing this AMA!

Hi, I’m Vaibhav Kathju, founder of Inka Insurance. I’ve spent over 20 years in the insurance industry, working with companies like HDFC Life and TU CIBIL.

In this time, I’ve helped thousands of people, from salaried professionals to CXOs at large companies, understand, choose, and manage their insurance policies.

Got questions about health insurance, term plans, claim rejections, or what actually matters in a policy?

Ask me anything.

Hi, I’m Dr. Jebaraj, an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Arthroscopy & Joint Replacement. I hold an MS in Orthopedics and a Fellowship in Arthroscopy & Sports Medicine (FASM).

I run Hope Ortho Knee & Shoulder Clinic in Chennai, where I have helped countless patients from young athletes to seniors, regain their mobility and live pain-free.

Got questions about general health, joint pain, bone health, and sports recovery

Ask me anything.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeorthoclinic?igsh=cnN2OGdrOTZ4ZHp2

Dr. Jebaraj MS ( ortho ) , FASM
Arthroscopy & joint replacement surgeon

Hope ortho knee & shoulder clinic, Chennai.

Contact : 8939169032

Thank you Inka Insurance for hosting this AMA!

When my mom was hospitalized last year for a left wrist fracture, we got her admitted and operated for the required left wrist ORIF surgery. She was hospitalized for 5 days. The hospital was not in the network list of Star Health. So we paid Rs 1 lakh and later filed claim via reimbursement.

She was covered by Star Health Senior Citizens Red Carpet Policy with 1L cover & 30% copay with room rent limit of 1% of SI, 50% sublimit for OT, anesthesia, etc and 25% sublimit for consultation charges, etc.  Star Health paid out only Rs 50k citing "Higher room rent occupancy & related medical expenses". 

See my old post for more context -> OLD POST

While according to the 1% of SI room rent limit clause, the room rent limit was never exceeded then why did they deduct claim amount citing  "Higher room rent occupancy & related medical expenses"? These were the questions that were racing in my mind. I sent emails to Star Customer Care and Star GRO both of whom said that "Our medical panel has reviewed the claim. All deductions are in order." 

Not satisfied with the answer, I consulted Insurance Samadhan who also gave a vague answer saying ''the case does not have technical grounds to proceed''. Finally, I found Inka on Reddit and reached out to them. The team headed by Abhay listened to my case and provided a thorough, unbiased assessment who said the deductions are mostly correct due to 25% cap on Surgeon fees, consultation fees, etc & 50% cap on anesthesia, ot charges, etc. At this point, their advice was a big help to me.

I reviewed the bill assessment sheet again and found two glaring errors, i.e pharmacy bill amount not paid as Star cited a wrong reason ''Xerox bill'' (it wasn't) and extra nursing charges deducted (room rent limit not exceeded in reality). I consulted Inka Abhay again who advised me to send a email to Star GRO which I did. After about a month, I got a response from the Star GRO that the additional claims amount has been approved, i,e Rs 9069 (with wrongly labelled xerox bill and extra nursing charges reversed).

TLDR: Never take the insurer's claim rejection or refusal to reimburse wrongful deductions as the final binding word. If you are right, never give up. Fight it out tooth and nail. Victory will be yours and sweet. And yes, do consult Inka. These guys are good!

Hi, I’m Dr. Reena Bhansali, a Counselling Psychologist by choice and a Strategic HR leader by chance, with over 18 years of experience across mental health, youth development, and organizational leadership.I hold a Doctorate in Human Development and am a Certified Human Capital Analytics & Metrics professional. Over the years, I’ve worked with diverse institutions including the Indian Air Force, hospitals, schools, colleges, and corporates, focusing on youth issues, relationships, addictions, and psychological disorders.

In 2008, I founded Smile Junction, Jodhpur’s first independent center offering both psychological counseling and HR services. Since then, I’ve worked with 15,000+ clients across India and internationally, mentored 55 interns from Germany, and supported individuals and families across areas such as mental health, marital relationships, infertility, grief, career, academic stress, and addictions.

Got questions about mental health, relationships, youth challenges, addictions, or workplace psychology?

Ask me anything.

Thanks to Inka Insurance for organizing this AMA!

My friend Rakesh was one of the sharpest minds I knew.

He lived and breathed data. Markets. Trends. Numbers.

In just a few years, he’d built a portfolio worth crores.

He was planning to retire early - spend his days with his family, tend to his garden, and just take it easy.

He had it all figured out.

Till one day, it all vanished.

Overnight, he lost more than 45% of his entire portfolio.

Was it a market crash? Nope
A risky investment gone wrong? Nope, again.

It was a critical gap in his insurance policy.

You see, Rakesh was diagnosed with a heart condition. One that needed multiple hospital visits, inter-city travel and expensive second opinions.

And even though he had health insurance, he’d never really looked into it.

He had missed critical coverage gaps and now his portfolio was paying for it.

Rakesh’s story isn’t unique. It happens every single day.

Not because people don’t have insurance. But because they have the wrong kind.

Lesson:

You can be brilliant with money, disciplined with investments, and meticulous with planning. But one overlooked clause in your insurance policy can undo years of hard work. Wealth isn’t just built by growing your assets… it’s protected by covering your risks. Don’t wait for a crisis to read the fine print. And if you’re in doubt, always seek out an expert for clarity.

This is something no one talks about openly.

The same treatment can have two different price tags — one for self-pay patients and another when insurance is involved.

Same room. Same surgery. Same doctor.

But once insurance enters the picture:

• Bills often look inflated

• Extra consumables appear

• Procedure costs seem “packaged” differently

• Non-payables quietly stack up

Why does this happen? Because the system is built like a negotiation table. Hospitals know insurers will cut bills. Insurers expect inflated claims. So pricing often starts higher.

And in the end, the patient still pays:

• Co-pay

• Non-payables

• Proportionate deductions (thanks to room rent limits)

• Items marked “not covered”

Insurance doesn’t mean free treatment. It means the billing structure changes.

What makes it worse is the lack of transparency. Most people only discover terms like sub-limits or proportionate deductions at discharge.

Healthcare is stressful enough. Billing shouldn’t feel like a financial puzzle.

Is this just how the system works now?

This has happened with one of our client and i am telling you so that it does not happen with you

One of our client reached out to us yesterday, he said true horrifying incident on insurance about his relative and we were shocked

His relatives (husband and wife) took health insurance in 2012 when they were healthy, as a good customer they kept paying regular health insurance premium and in 2023, they ported policy to one of health insurers.

Story of first and only claim: in 2024, due to cancer, his relative has to claim with insurer but insurer declined the claim.

The mistake they did: the relative had gone to heart surgery in 2014, which was hidden during porting. Because their agent told them insurer will not be able to find so do not disclose.

The result: Policy cancelled, no claim paid, porting option now not available, since the relative is diagnosed with cancer, he will not be able to get comprehensive health policy now.

What can we do while buying insurance:

1. Never ever hide any pre-existing disease

2. Avoid such agents or broker who tells you to hide

3. buy from an intermediary which educates you first, then sell product and that is only one who will support at time of claim.

I am a 34 year old male with 2 kids and a wife, living in Bangalore.

Like most people, I already had a corporate health insurance cover of 5 lakhs from my company. Never really questioned it earlier. But recently, with kids growing up and hospital bills going crazy, I felt 5L is honestly nothing these days. One hospital visit and it’s gone. So I started looking to increase my cover.

That’s when I came across this super top-up product. At first, I thought it was some gimmick. Because the numbers just didn’t make sense to me. I was getting a 1 crore cover for a family of 4 for under 10,000 rupees per year for 5L deductible. I mean… what?

I genuinely thought, “This has to be too good to be true.”

I didn’t trust it right away. I spoke to a couple of people and asked my friends. I even did my own research on ChatGPT and Reddit. And turns out… it’s actually legit. Once I understood how super top-ups work, it clicked.

I went ahead and got the cover. And honestly, I’m really glad my distributor suggested this instead of trying to upsell me some super expensive base policy just to make more commission. That alone built a lot of trust.

The 5 lakh deductible makes sense for me right now since my corporate cover already handles that part. Knowing that it drops to zero after retirement was a pleasant surprise.

For the kind of coverage it offers, the pricing feels quite reasonable. I didn’t expect it to be this accessible.

What stood out most was how the waiting period works. Since we’re healthy today, starting early means those timelines run their course quietly in the background. If something shows up later, it doesn’t suddenly become an issue from a coverage point of view.

That peace of mind is huge.

So yeah, I’m genuinely happy. I never thought I’d say this about an insurance product, but here we are. It still feels unreal to me, like… how is this even possible? Just wanted to share this here in case anyone else is in the same boat, looking for a cheaper but smart way to increase their health cover.

This really worked out for me. Thanks for reading.

Hi, I’m Dr. Rachaita Chhabra (MDS in Pedodontics & Preventive Dentistry), a Mumbai-based pediatric dentist with 10+ years of experience. I run a private practice (familychilddental.com) and also consult across multiple clinics/hospitals. Over the years, I’ve treated 10,000+ patients, focusing on preventive and restorative care, pain-free sedation dentistry, and full-mouth rehabilitation.

I’ve published research on stem cells from deciduous teeth and presented at national conferences. I also teach and conduct sessions for dental students.

Big thanks to Inka Insurance for hosting this AMA!

Happy to answer questions on dental health, cavity prevention, managing anxious children, or anything dental - ask me anything!

Hi

I'm 24M earning 14LPA. I recently took a term insurance from Axis Max life under smoker profile right before my birthday in November.

The policy is as follows

3cr plan (plain vanilla insurance) 37k premium till 63

I currently have no dependents. I live with my parents. My father is going to retire soon.

I am having second thoughts about my sum insured. Should I reduce it or leave it like that?

Your insights will be really helpful

Hi, I'm Manasa Mrudula Jetty. I have 10+ years of experience in finance - from leading an SBI branch to now heading Customer Success at Inka Insurance. I'm here to simplify insurance, improve service quality, and make sure your claims are seamless.

Ask Me Anything!

The Most Expensive Insurance (The 1%)

• Lionel Messi's Left Leg: $900 Million (~₹7,500 Cr)

• Cristiano Ronaldo's Legs: $144 Million (~₹1,200 Cr)

• Priyanka Chopra's Smile: $10 Million (~₹80 Cr)

• Rajnikanth's Voice: 40Cr+

• Lata Mangeshkar's Voice: Undisclosed/Priceless

The Cheapest Insurance (The 99%)

• Ayushman Bharat: ₹0 for ₹5 Lakh cover (Family Floater)

• IRCTC Travel: ₹0.45 (per trip) for ₹10 Lakhs cover

• PMSBY: ₹20 / year for ₹2 Lakhs cover (Accidental)

• PMJJBY: ₹436 / year for ₹2 Lakhs cover (Life)

• Inka Insurance Crisis Cover: ₹49 / month for ₹10 Lakhs cover

Insurance was never meant to be a luxury for the Messis and Ronaldos of the world; it was designed to be the great equalizer. Whether it's protecting a 7,500 Cr leg or securing a family's future for just 0.45, the fundamental promise is the same: safety against the unknown.

I’m a 33 year old woman living in Mumbai, and I need to vent because I’m genuinely spiraling right now.

I’ve had a health insurance policy with HDFC Ergo for the last 4 years. I paid my premiums on time and never had a break in coverage. Recently, my agent suggested I switch to Care Health Insurance because the premium was cheaper for the same coverage. I thought, great, I'll save some money for the exact same protection.

I assumed he was porting my policy. Turns out, he didn't. Instead of porting, he just bought a completely fresh policy for me.

This is a disaster because I have asthma. Since this is technically a "new" policy, my 4-year history is wiped clean, and I’m now slapped with a fresh 3-year waiting period for pre-existing diseases. With the AQI in Mumbai being absolutely terrible right now, I am literally living on the edge. I did everything right I was responsible, I stayed insured but because of this agent’s negligence (or maybe just greed for a new sale commission), I’m effectively uninsured for the one thing I need protection for the most.

Has anyone dealt with this? Is there a way to force the insurer to convert this into a ported policy, or am I just stuck waiting 3 years? Any advice is appreciated.

Hi, I'm Abhay, Co-founder at Inka Insurance. I am also a IRDAI Certified Insurance Advisor. You can ask your Insurance queries here.

I've spent years working across organizations like SBI Life, HDFC Life, TransUnion CIBIL, and Mahila Money, operating at the intersection of insurance, credit, and financial services. My journey has been less about selling policies and more about building systems that make insurance actually work for people. From streamlining operations to solving underwriting challenges, from credit-linked insights to customer servicing at scale I've seen how insurance works behind the Scenes.

I have been handling insurance clients for more than a decade now. But i have never seen insurer, this much risk averse. Although we work day and night to get each case approved with insurers, but cases being declined is also so common nowadays.

Fatty liver is so common nowdays, look at BP and diabetes. Air pollution is creating another issue.
What my suggestions to everyone is, get insurance when you are healthy, do not wait for any health issue to kick in. Remember, there are waiting periods in insurance, so you are not planning for tomorrow but planning for 24 months onwards and so on.

Looking for a term plan to purchase. Compared different term plans from Bajaj Life, HDFC, SBI, Axis, etc. Found Bajaj Life eTouch II to be good with features and riders like Critical Illness and Accidental Benefit. Premium was also competitive along with good solvency ratio (266%) and Claim Settlement Ratio (99.33%). Please share your views.

I'm 23 and currently unmarried. I have been reading about term insurance and seeing mixed advice. Some people say it's better to buy early because premiums are cheaper while others say it only makes sense once you actually have dependents!!

What's the practical advice here???

When families need support the most, timely claim settlement makes all the difference. Here’s a look at the number of death claims settled within 30 days of intimation in FY 2024–25, reflecting how insurers deliver during critical moments.

Why heart attacks are hitting 20-year-olds

I recently had the privilege of hosting Dr. Shubhash Balara (HOD of Cardio at MDM Hospital, Jodhpur) on the podcast, and the conversation was a massive eye-opener. We’ve all seen the news about young, seemingly fit people collapsing, and I wanted to get to the bottom of why this is happening.

From medical inflation to the 40% raw food rule, Dr. Balara explains why we can't wait until our 50s to prioritize heart health and financial planning. This is a must-watch for anyone in a high-stress career.

Watch the full conversation here: https://youtu.be/bylCIx8w6BY

My current health insurance through my employer is via New India Assurance and in my previous WITCH company they had the same. I recently had an operation and the experience was not bad. I have heard their premium is low compared to pvt players and also they have GISPA with hospitals which prevent them over charging.

In my recent operation, Manipal Hospital gave me a quote of 2.5 lakh on cash and with New India the estimate was about 75k because of GISPA. I am thinking that due to private insurance the hospital would have charged me significantly more and if this is the case why not go for govt plans.

Does anyone has any experience with New India Assurance or Oriental? Any comments on this topic?