Income Tax Slabs / Rates for Individuals for Financial Year 2018-19 (AY 2019-20)

The income tax is calculated differently for individuals based on various factors such as the type of income, amount of income, age, etc. In order to calculate the income tax from salary, an individual will require declaring the total amount of earning and the total amount of deductions. The government allows the individual to draw exemption on particular types of investment.

For salaried individuals, no changes have been made to the income tax rates proposed in 2017. However, the 3% Education Cess from the previous year has been replaced with a 4% “Health and Education Cess”. 

Furthermore, a standard deduction of Rs 40,000 has been introduced for all salaried individuals for transportation or medical reimbursement purposes.

For Income Tax slabs/rates for the Individuals for Financial Year 2017-18(AY 2018-19) Click the Link:https://svsaibaba.blogspot.in/2017/05/income-tax-for-individuals-for-annual.html

Income Tax slabs/rates for the Individuals for Financial Year 2018-19(AY 2019-20) are given below:

Individual resident aged below 60 years (i.e. born on or after 1st April 1959)

Income Slabs		Tax Rates
i.	Where the taxable income does not exceed ₹ 2,50,000/-.	NIL
ii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 2,50,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 5,00,000/-.	5% of amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 2,50,000/-. Tax Relief u/s 87A - In case of tax payers, having total income not increasing ₹ 3,50,000/-, income tax chargeable on the income or ₹ 2,500/-, whichever is less.
iii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 10,00,000/-.	₹ 12,500/- + 20% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/-.
iv.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-.	₹ 112,500/- + 30% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-.

Surcharge :

• 10% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 50 lacs and upto ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 50 lacs by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.
• 15% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 1 crore by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.

Health & Education Cess : 4% of the total of Income Tax and Surcharge.

Senior Citizen (Individual resident who is of the age of 60 years or more but below the age of 80 years i.e. born on or after 1st April 1939 but before 1st April 1959)

Income Slabs		Tax Rates
i.	Where the taxable income does not exceed ₹ 3,00,000/-	NIL
ii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 3,00,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 5,00,000/-	5% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 3,00,000/-. Tax Relief u/s 87A - In case of tax payers, having total income not increasing ₹ 3,50,000/-, income tax chargeable on the income or ₹ 2,500/-, whichever is less.
iii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 10,00,000/-	₹ 10,000/- + 20% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/-.
iv.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-	₹ 110,000/- + 30% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-.

Surcharge :

• 10% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 50 lacs and upto ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 50 lacs by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.
• 15% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 1 crore by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.

Health & Education Cess : 4% of the total of Income Tax and Surcharge.

Very Senior Citizen (Individual resident who is of the age of 80 years or more i.e. born before 1st April 1939)

Income Slabs		Tax Rates
i.	Where the taxable income does not exceed ₹ 5,00,000/-.	NIL
ii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 10,00,000/-	20% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/-.
iii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-	₹ 100,000/- + 30% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-.

Surcharge :

• 10% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 50 lacs and upto ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 50 lacs by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.
• 15% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 1 crore by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.

Health & Education Cess : 4% of the total of Income Tax and Surcharge.

Any NRI or HUF or AOP or BOI or AJP

Income Slabs		Tax Rates
i.	Where the taxable income does not exceed ₹ 2,50,000/-.	NIL
ii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 2,50,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 5,00,000/-.	5% of amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 2,50,000/-.
iii.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/- but does not exceed ₹ 10,00,000/-.	₹ 12,500/- + 20% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 5,00,000/-.
iv.	Where the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-.	₹ 112,500/- + 30% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds ₹ 10,00,000/-.

Surcharge :

• 10% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 50 lacs and upto ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 50 lacs by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.
• 15% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than ₹ 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of ₹ 1 crore by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.

Health & Education Cess : 4% of the total of Income Tax and Surcharge.

* Abbreviations used :
   NRI - Non Resident Individual; HUF - Hindu Undivided Family; AOP - Association of Persons; BOI - Body of Individuals; AJP - Artificial Judicial Person

Source: https://finotax.com/income-tax/slabs-1920

Income Tax-Saving Options Beyond Section 80C Limit

Income tax deductions on life insurance premium, an employee's contribution towards EPF (Employee Provident Fund), PPF (Public Provident Fund), children's tuition fees, pension plans, principal repayment on home loans and a host of other investment options are covered under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.

Under Section 80C, the maximum tax exemption limit is Rs 1.5 Lakhs per annum. The various investments that can be claimed as tax deductions under section 80C are listed below;

• PPF (Public Provident Fund)
• EPF (Employees’ Provident Fund)
• 5 years Bank or Post office Tax saving Deposits
• National Savings Certificates (NSC)
• ELSS Mutual Funds (Equity Linked Saving Schemes)
• Children’s Tuition Fees
• Life Insurance Premium
• Sukanya Samriddhi Account Deposit Scheme
• SCSS (Post office Senior Citizen Savings Scheme)
• Repayment of Home Loan (Principal only)
• National Pension System
• NABARD rural Bonds
• Stamp duty charges for purchase of a new house

Many taxpayers exhaust the Rs 1.5 lakh tax deduction limit under Section 80C. Additional investment in the various options will not provide further tax benefits. Here are some of the sections under income tax laws, apart from Section 80C, that help in cutting down the income tax burden.

1) NPS ( National Pension Scheme )

Additional income tax deduction of Rs 50,000 is allowed for contribution to the National Pension Scheme (NPS) under Section 80CCD. This extra deduction of Rs. 50,000 on NPS increases the total deduction allowed under Section 80C and 80CCD to Rs. 2 lakh.

2) NPS Contribution Routed Through Employer.

Under the NPS corporate model, an employee can deposit the contribution directly or route the contribution through the employer he or she is working with. Employer's contribution to NPS up to 10 per cent of basic salary (plus DA) is allowed deduction under Section 80CCD (2). There is no cap for this deduction but the total deduction claimed for contribution by the employer should not exceed 10 per cent of the salary. 

3) Deduction of interest on housing loan.

Under Section 24B of the Income Tax Act, interest paid up to Rs. 2 lakh on housing loan is allowed as deduction from taxable income. On rented properties, the borrower can only claim deduction of up to Rs. 2 lakh per year after adjusting for the rental income. And the amount above Rs. 2 lakh can be carried forward for eight assessment years.

4) Deduction under Section 80EE

Under Section 80EE, an additional deduction of Rs. 50,000 is available over and above the limit of Section 24B on interest paid on home loans if the person is buying a house for the first time (the person must not own any other residential property on the date of sanction of loan).

5) Deduction under Section 80D

An individual can claim deduction of up to Rs. 25,000, if he or she is below 60 years of age, and Rs. 30,000 if above 60 years of age, towards medical insurance premium paid for self, spouse and children. Additional deduction of Rs. 25,000 is available if one has bought medical insurance for his parents. This deduction can go up to Rs. 30,000 if parents are above the age of 60.

6) Deduction under Section 80E

A taxpayer can claim deduction for interest paid on education loan for him, spouse or children. There is no upper limit on the amount of deduction.

7) Deduction under Section 80DD

If an individual has dependants who are differently-abled, he or she can claim deductions up to Rs. 75,000 for expenses on their maintenance and medical treatment under this section. This deduction can increase to Rs. 1.25 lakh in case of severe disability.

8) Deduction under Section 80DDB

An individual can claim deduction of up to Rs. 40,000 for treatment of certain diseases for self and dependants. The deduction can go up to Rs. 60,000 if the taxpayer is above 60 years and up to Rs 80,000 if above 80 years.

9) Section 80GG

If you don't receive HRA from employer and make payments towards rent, you can claim deduction under section 80GG towards rent that you pay. The deduction is lowest of the following:

(a) Rs 5,000 per month

or

(b) 25% of total income

or

(c) Rent paid less 10% of income

10) Section 80G Donations To Charity

Donations to charitable organisations are entitled to up to either 50 per cent or 100 per cent deduction but the highest deduction allowed is capped at 10 per cent of the donor's total income.

How to file IT return online in India and Ten facts to know about filing income tax return this year

 

How to file IT return online in India? 

Filing of Income tax return online is very easy now a days and most of the IT payers in India adopt the method  of filing the IT returns online.

The first criteria for filing IT returns online is to create a Profile in the Website for filing Income Tax return online. PAN number of the IT payer is the User ID.User has to create a Password and remember it.

After login to the site, the user has to follow the steps given in the following link for filing IT return online by anyone  of the two methods mentioned therein.

http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/Pages/tax-services/file-income-tax-return.aspx

Ten facts to know about filing income tax return this year

Here we are taking a look at ten facts which you need to know about filing income tax return this year for the last financial year:

1.Due date for filing return
The due date for filing your income tax return is 31st July 2017. If you need to get a tax audit done, the due date is 30th September 2017. Filing before the due date is important if you want to carry forward any loss incurred by you during the year.

2.Mandatory return filing
It is mandatory to file income tax return if your taxable income before any deduction exceeds Rs 2.5 lakh. “The limits are 3 lakh and 5 lakh for senior citizen and super-senior citizen, respectively. Also, filing of ITR has been made mandatory if one has Long Term Capital Gains from sale of shares or mutual funds of more than Rs 2.5 lakh in a year,” says Archit Gupta, Founder & CEO, ClearTax.in.

3.Change in law w.r.t. revised return
Till last year, a revised return could be filed only if the original return was filed within the due date. Starting from this year, a return can be revised even if filed after due date, i.e even if a belated return is filed.

4.Linking of Aadhaar card with PAN
Based on a Supreme Court ruling and the rules announced during Budget 2017, it is now mandatory to link your Aadhaar Card with your PAN if you own both PAN and Aadhaar. 

An interim relief has been provided by the SC only to those who may have PAN but not Aadhaar. However, your Aadhaar number or the Aadhaar Enrolment ID number will now be mandatorily required for filing of income tax returns as well as for applications for PAN from July 1 this year.

5.Dividend Tax
There has been a new rule regarding dividends. “Any person who receives dividend above Rs 10 lakh has to pay an additional income tax of 10% (on amount in excess of Rs 10 lakh). Dividend here includes dividend on equity shares or mutual fund units,” says Gupta.

6.Return filing mandatory even if TDS deducted
There is a misconception that a return has to be filed only when any tax is due. Return filing is now mandatory irrespective of TDS deducted on your income if your income exceeds Rs 2.5 lakh.

7.TDS and Form 26AS
Form 26AS is a Tax Credit Statement that contains details of all TDS deducted against your income. It is a good practice to check the TDS figures in Form 26AS before filing the income tax return.

8.Savings Bank Interest Income
Interest earned on savings bank account balance should be declared in the income tax return. Also, “a deduction of Rs 10,000 is available u/s 80TTA for income from interest. This means that savings interest income up to Rs 10,000 is indirectly exempt in the form of a deduction. This income can be calculated from the bank statement. The interest is usually paid quarterly or half-yearly,” says Gupta.

9.Schedule AL
A statement of assets and liabilities has to be provided by every assessee whose income is more than Rs 50 lakh, This statement also includes the cost of acquisition of movable properties held such as jewellery, vehicle or cash.

10.E-Verification of Income Tax Returns
It is now possible to E-verify your income tax return instead of sending ITR-V by post. This makes the verification process easier. This is an important step that is required to complete the process of online income tax return filing.

Income tax for Individuals for the Annual Year 2018-19(Financial year 2017-18) and Eligible deductions

How Income Tax is charged in India?

Income tax in India is charged based on one’s income, more the income more the tax. India has four  income slabs or groups.Tax slabs keep on changing from year to year. Over and above tax, surcharge and education cess is also charged.  These are announced in budget by the Finance Minister every year.

Income tax for Individuals for the Annual Year 2018-19(Financial year 2017-18)

New Income Tax Slabs for FY 2017-18 (AY 2018-19) have been provided based on the Finance Budget introduced by the Hon’ble Finance Minister on February 01, 2017. 

While the income tax slabs have been kept unchanged, some interesting changes have been made which will have an impact on the tax liability of Individuals.
Individuals Below 60 Yrs – Income Tax Slab 2017-18 (AY 2018-19)

Income Tax Slab	Income Tax Rate
Income upto Rs. 2,50,000	Nil
Income between Rs. 2,50,001 – Rs. 500,000	5% of Income exceeding Rs. 2,50,000
Income between Rs. 500,001 – Rs. 10,00,000	Rs. 12,500 + 20% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds Rs. 5,00,000
Income above Rs. 10,00,000	Rs. 1,12,500 + 30% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds Rs. 10,00,000

Surcharge :

• 10% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than Rs. 50 lacs and upto Rs. 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of Rs. 50 lacs by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.
• 15% of the Income Tax, where taxable income is more than Rs. 1 crore. However, the amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of income tax payable on a taxable income of Rs. 1 crore by more than the amount of increase in taxable income.

Education Cess : 3% of the total of Income Tax and Surcharge.

Income Tax Rebate Reduced

The income tax rebate continues but it is reduced now. The income tax rebate came down to 2,500. Last year it was ₹5000. Not only the reduction, the threshold for this rebate also came down. Now, the income upto 3.5 lacs is eligible for this rebate. Earlier, income upto ₹5 lac was eligible for the income tax rebate.

Because of this provision, those who earns up to Rs 3 lacs are not required to pay any tax. Rather, if a person uses the all available deductions, the income up to Rs 5 lacs can become tax-free.

Senior Citizens (60-80 yrs) : Income Tax Slab 2017-18 (AY 2018-19)

To avail the benefit of senior citizen’s income  tax slab of 2017-18, one should be born on or after 1st April 1937 but before 1st April 1957. These dates are applicable for the income tax slab rate of the financial year 2017-18.

Income Tax Slab	Income Tax Rate
Income upto Rs. 3,00,000	Nil
Income between Rs. 3,00,001 – Rs. 500,000	5% of Income exceeding Rs. 3,00,000
Income between Rs. 500,001 – Rs. 10,00,000	Rs. 20,000 + 20% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds Rs. 5,00,000
Income above Rs. 10,00,000	Rs. 1,20,000 + 30% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds Rs. 10,00,000

Education Cess

Senior citizens are also required to pay education cess similar to other individuals. The 3% cess is charged on the income tax of senior citizens. Due to this the effective income tax slab rate increases.

Super Senior Citizens ( above 80 yrs) : Income Tax Slab 2017-18 (AY 2018-19)

The senior citizens of above the age of 80 gets maximum tax concession from the government. They get this concession considering increased medical and healthcare expenses.

To get the benefit of this income tax slab rate, one should be born before 1st April 1937.

Income Tax Slab	Income Tax Rate
Income upto Rs. 5,00,000	Nil
Income between Rs. 500,001 – Rs. 10,00,000	20% of Income exceeding Rs. 5,00,000
Income above Rs. 10,00,000	Rs. 100,000/- + 30% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds Rs. 10,00,000/-.

Any NRI or HUF or AOP or BOI or AJP

Income Tax :

Income Slabs		Tax Rates
i.	Where the taxable income does not exceed Rs. 2,50,000/-.	NIL
ii.	Where the taxable income exceeds Rs. 2,50,000/- but does not exceed Rs. 5,00,000/-.	5% of amount by which the taxable income exceeds Rs. 2,50,000/-.
iii.	Where the taxable income exceeds Rs. 5,00,000/- but does not exceed Rs. 10,00,000/-.	Rs. 12,500/- + 20% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds Rs. 5,00,000/-.
iv.	Where the taxable income exceeds Rs. 10,00,000/-.	Rs. 112,500/- + 30% of the amount by which the taxable income exceeds Rs. 10,00,000/-.

  

List of Income Tax Exemptions FY 2017-18 / AY 2018-19 (Chapter VI-A deductions list)

For full details of Income Tax exemptions click the following link:

https://www.relakhs.com/income-tax-exemptions-fy-2017-18-list/

Sources:

https://www.planmoneytax.com/income-tax-slab-rate-2017-2018/

http://finotax.com/income-tax/slabs-1819

https://finapp.co.in/tax-slab-rate/

https://www.relakhs.com/income-tax-exemptions-fy-2017-18-list/

To know about Income tax for Individuals for the Annual Year 2017-18(Financial year 2016-17) and Eligible deductions click the link given below

https://svsaibaba.blogspot.in/2017/02/income-tax-slabs-for-fy2016-17-ay2017.html

Guidelines for taking Health Insurance Policy in India

Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care and health system expenses, among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is available to pay for the health care benefits specified in the insurance agreement. 

The benefit is administered by a central organization such as a government agency, private business, or not-for-profit entity. According to the Health Insurance Association of America, health insurance is defined as "coverage that provides for the payments of benefits as a result of sickness or injury. Includes insurance for losses from accident, medical expense, disability, or accidental death and dismemberment" 
Source and for more details on Health Insurance policy :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance

Coverage of Health Insurance Policies in India:

What a Health Insurance policy would normally cover A Health Insurance Policy would normally cover expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred under the following heads in respect of each insured person subject to overall ceiling of sum insured (for all claims during one policy period). 
a) Room, Boarding expenses 
b) Nursing expenses 
c) Fe e s  o f  s u r g e o n , a n e s t h e t i s t , p h y s i c i a n , consultants, specialists 
d) Anesthesia, blood, oxygen, operation theatre charges, surgical appliances, medicines, drugs, diagnostic materials, X-ray, Dialysis, chemotherapy, Radio therapy, cost of pace maker, Artificial limbs, cost or organs and similar expenses. 

Sum Insured 
The Sum Insured offered may be on an individual basis or on floater basis for the family as a whole. 

Cumulative Bonus ( CB) 

If you have a special condition, such as cancer or diabetes, add the third layer of a special cover, such as a cancer plan or diabetes cover. Health Insurance policies may offer Cumulative Bonus wherein for every claim free year, the Sum Insured is increased by a certain percentage at the time of renewal subject to a maximum percentage (generally 50%). In case of a claim, CB will be reduced by 10% at the next renewal. • Cost of Health Check-up Health policies may also contain a provision for reimbursement of cost of health check up. Read your policy carefully to understand what is allowed. 

Cashless Facility 

Insurance companies have tie-up arrangements with a network of hospitals in the country. If the policyholder takes treatment in any of the net work hospitals, there is no need for the insured person to pay hospital bills. The Insurance Company, through its Third Party Administrator (TPA) will arrange direct payment to the Hospital. Expenses beyond sub limits prescribed by the policy or items not covered under the policy have to be settled by the insured direct to the Hospital. The insured can take treatment in a non-listed hospital in which case he has to pay the bills first and then seek reimbursement from Insurance Co. There will be no cashless facility applicable here. 

Exclusions 
The following are generally excluded under health policies: 
a) A l l  p r e - e x i s t i n g d i s e a s e s ( t h e p r e - e x i s t i n g disease exclusion is uniformly defined by all non life and health insurance companies).  
b) Under first year policy, any claim during the first 30 days from date of cover, for sickness / disease. This is not applicable for accidental injury claims. 
c) During first year of cover – cataract, Benign prostatic hypertrophy, Hysterectomy for Menorrhagia or Fibromyoma, Hernia, Hydrocele, Congenital Internal diseases, Fistula in anus, piles, sinusitis and related disorders. 
d) Circumcision unless for treatment of a disease
 e) Cost of specs, contact lenses, hearing aids 
f) Dental treatment / surgery unless requiring hospitalization 
g) Convalescence, general debility, congenital external defects, V.D., intentional self-injury, use of intoxicating drugs / alcohol, AIDS, Expenses for Diagnosis, X-ray or lab tests not c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h e d i s e a s e r e q u i r i n g hospitalization. 
h) Treatment relating to pregnancy or child birth including cesarean section 
i) Naturopathy treatment. 

The actual exclusions may vary from product to product and company to company. In group policies, it may possible to waive / delete the exclusions on payment of extra premium.

Source and for more details:Handbook on Health Insurance issued by IRDA

LIC(LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION) of India:

Life Insurance Corporation (India) (LIC) is an Indian state-owned insurance group and investment company headquartered in Mumbai. LIC offers a variety of insurance products to its customers such as insurance plans, pension plans, unit-linked plans, special plans and group schemes.

Some of the  Health Insurance Policy providers in India in addition to Life Insurance Corporation of India:

In Policy Bazaar.com brief details of 28 Health Insurance Policy providers and their website links are provided which the readers can refer to get full details.

Link for :Policy Bazaar.com

Now we come to the Guidelines for taking a Health Insurance policy and precautions  for claims:

The timing of the Policy: 

Buy a cover as early on in life as possible and definitely before you turn 45. If you procrastinate, diseases could surface and get excluded from your cover under the 'pre-existing disease' clause.

Of course, lately there have been products where pre-existing diseases are being covered, but that is subject to specific conditions. As you are likely to make no or few claims in earlier stages of life, you can get the benefit of no-claims bonus for every claim-free year. Do not rest assured in the fact that your employer covers your medical expenses. What if you fall ill between jobs? And buying a health cover without exclusions after you retire at, say, 60, will be much tougher.

The maximum renewal age. 

One of the most important things that one needs to look at the time of buying a health plan is the maximum age up to which the the insurer would allow renewals. The higher this is, the better, since your medical expenses are likely to increase with age. Changing insurer at a higher age has a high probability of being looked at as a fresh policy with no prior coverage.

Common oversights - 

Maybe because the maximum number of claims are made on health policies, possibly apart from motor insurance, the number of rejections, rendering a policy worthless, arising here is also quite large. Many of these arise because of the policyholder's lapses.

Things such as missing documents or late renewals can lead to rejection and, consequently, substantial medical debt. Here are the common oversights to avoid:

Pre-existing diseases. 
This is a common problem area since there was no standard definition of pre-existing illness earlier. In June 2008, the General Insurance Council said "the benefits (of health insurance) would not be available for any condition, ailment or injury or related condition for which the insured had signs or symptoms, and/or was diagnosed and/or received medical advice/treatment, prior to inception of the first policy, until 48 consecutive months of coverage have elapsed, after the date of inception of the first policy.

Four years is the maximum period prescribed by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority, but companies may offer products that could have a shorter waiting period under the 'pre-existing' clause.

When buying a policy, you should know:

From when claims on which pre-existing diseases will be allowed. The waiting period is not the same for all of them;

That the definition excludes all diseases arising out of earlier complications, such as obesity and hypertension;

That the period of four years does not include the track record from another insurer;

That the buyer should disclose the known pre-existing diseases at the time of application.

Claim problems. 

An insurance company cannot pay a claim unless it is in line with the agreed terms and conditions. If you provide incorrect information at the time of applying, your claims could be rejected.

To prevent that:

Keep the company informed. Limited information including illness and policy number is sufficient.

Give the correct papers when making a claim in a proper file. Keep in order the following:

(i) covering letter, original claim form and copy of the policy,

(ii) note from the concerned doctor describing the illness and the recommended treatment,

(iii) original prescriptions from the doctor for medical tests (investigation) and medicines and original medical test (investigation) reports,

(iv) sheet listing down bills and the amounts,

(v) doctor's and medical test bills,

(vi) hospital or nursing home bills,

(vii) medicine bills,

(viii) hospital bills, and

(ix) Original discharge card.

Get an acknowledgement of receipt of the claim before submitting the file and retain a photocopy of the complete set of documents submitted to the insurance company.

Keep the number of the third-party administrator and your insurer ready if you have a cashless policy. Try to inform them around 48 hours before the admission in general and 24 hours if it is an emergency.

Spell the name correctly. The patient's and his or her doctor's name should be spelled correctly, wherever required.

So you must:

• Be careful in deciding the sum insured you need;
• Be aware of the sub-limits under the policy for specified illnesses or expense heads, the waiting period, permanent exclusions, and so on.
• Coverage. A family floater can be bought by an individual, who becomes the proposer, along with spouse, dependent children up to 25 years, or unmarried, divorced or widowed daughter, and dependent parents. Even parents-in-law can be covered.

A discount of 10 per cent is allowed on renewal premium by most insurers if there is no claim in the year immediately preceding the year of policy renewal. Similarly, in group health plans of your employers, you should know who are the ones it covers and the limit to which they are covered.

So you need to be aware of:

•  Who are included in a family floater health policy and till what age;
•  What the inclusions and exclusions are (and for how long) for each of the insured as enumerated in the 'inclusions' section of the policy document; and
•  The age till which the policy can be renewed.
•  Gap in renewals. Renewal of the policy on time is very important for health covers. Apart from no-claim bonus, after a certain period it could start covering your pre-existing ailments. For every no-claim year, most plans add up to 5 per cent of the sum insured as cumulative bonus. So you need to:
•  Renew your policy a month before the due date to to prevent a lapse so that waiting periods do not start afresh; and
•  Read policy wordings every time it is renewed so that you do not miss out on new inclusions or exclusions.