Types of Insurance

No one’s life is perfect! Whatever may be our background, monetary-wise, health-wise, family-wise et al. And none of us can ever predict the unexpected surprises life has in store, some positive and some negative. And in such situations, insurance prepares you to handle those unpleasant surprises that could arise during our entire lifetime!

What is Insurance?

Insurance is a protective net that you take to secure yourself against unpredictable situations, or against unforeseen emergencies.
By and large insurance can be classified into two types- General Insurance and Life Insurance! Lest we say, both are equally important.

Different types of Insurance Policies

1. Life Insurance

2. Health Insurance

3. Car Insurance

4. Two Wheeler Insurance

5. Travel Insurance

6. Home Protection Insurance

7. Mobile Insurance

8. Cycle Insurance

9. Jewelry Insurance

1. Life Insurance

As the name suggests, this insurance covers your life. Literally! It ensures that you and your family are financially stable in the unfortunate case of you becoming disabled due to a mishap, or worse.

While taking a Life Insurance policy you either make a lump-sum payment while purchasing a life insurance policy or make periodic payments to the insurer. These are known as premiums. In exchange, your insurer promises to pay an assured sum to your family in the event of death, disability or at a set time.

So, Life insurance can also help you support your family even after retirement.

Life insurance not only ensures the well-being of your family, it also brings tax benefits:

• The amount you pay as premium can be deducted from your total taxable income.
• However, this is subject to a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh, under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.
• The premium amount used for tax deduction should not exceed 10% of the sum assured.

Types of Life Insurance

Term Plan - These plans are for pure protection where if the insured survives there is no money back, but only on the death of the insured the family gets a lump sum amount.

Endowment Plan - These plans offer a lump sum after a certain period, even if the insured survives the policy term. In case of death of the insured, the insured’s family gets a lump sum amount.

Money Back Plan - These plans offer a lump sum amounts at regular intervals within the policy term and the left-over amount is offered as a lump sum once the policy term is over, even if the insured survives.

Pension Plan - These are retirement or annuity plans, that offers annuity or money at regular intervals. These plans start immediately from the very next day of the start of the policy.

General insurance offers you Insurance or financial compensation for everything else in life, except life itself!

General insurance compensates with monetary benefits for any mishaps related to your house, car, bike, health, travel et al. The insurance company will pay you an assured sum to cover damages to your vehicle, medical treatments to cure health problems, losses due to theft or fire, or even financial problems during travel and much, much more!

Simply put, general insurance offers financial protection for all your assets against loss, damage, theft, and other liabilities.

Types of General Insurance

Health Insurance - This insurance covers all the medical expenses related to treatment of ailments. It covers hospitalization, medication for illnesses ranging from a viral flu to much more severe ailments!

Car Insurance - During any accident or mishap, this insurance covers damage to your car, personal injury, damage to the vehicle and property of the third party and any injury to the third party. 

Two Wheeler Insurance - During any accident or mishap, this insurance covers damage to your two wheeler insurance, personal injury, damage to the vehicle and property of the third party and any injury to the third party. Apart from this it covers plenty more too!

Travel Insurance - This insurance covers your entire travel, which includes loss of belongings, delayed flights, cancelled hotel bookings, cancelled travel plans due to health and other personal reasons and much more!

Mobile Insurance - This policy covers your mobile in case of screen damage, water damage, display damage, and other mishaps that your expensive mobile is prone to!

Home Insurance - This insurance covers your home and the belongings inside for any damages from accidents or burglary. It covers your appliances, gadgets, furniture and some policies also cover a part of the jewellery damage expenses.

Bicycle Insurance - New age insurers also offer cycle insurance for expensive bikes and their accessories and covers bike accidents for the driver as well.

Jewelry Insurance - Jewelry insurance covers damage and theft of jewelry and the expenses incurred due to it.

2. Health Insurance

As the name suggests, this insurance covers your life. Literally! It ensures that you and your family are financially stable in the unfortunate case of you becoming disabled due to a mishap, or worse. You can choose a health insurance policy as per your requirement. 

• You can opt for family health insurance if you are looking for a health plan for your spouse and kids.
• You can opt for a senior citizen health insurance policy if you have senior citizen parents to take care.
• You can opt for Individual health insurance if you are a young individual who cares about his health.

What's covered?

• Hospitalisation expenses for accidents and illnesses
• Treatment charges for critical illnesses
• Diagnostics and test expenses
• Medical bills prior to or post hospitalisation
  
• Day care procedures
• Expenses for alternative medicine or treatment
• Maternity and new born benefit
• Road ambulance charges
• Dental treatment
• Add-ons if opted (OPD benefits, Home hospitalisation, Daily hospital cash,Cancer benefit)

What's not covered?

• Hospitalisation due to war or related activities
• Medical condition due to abuse of alcohol or drugs
• Any medical condition due to pre-existing disease during the waiting period
• Diagnostic charges if the reports do not confirm the existence of the covered disease
• Self-inflicted injuries

Health Insurance tax benefits:

• Health Insurance offers income tax benefit under Section 80D of Income Tax Act.
• For Self, you can get a benefit upto Rs. 25,000 or Rs. 30,000 if you are a senior citizen.
• For Parents who are senior citizens, you can get a benefit up to Rs.50,000

Know more about Health Insurance tax benefits.

3. Car Insurance

Car insurance is your protective net for your vehicle against any unforeseen event like accidents, theft, fire among some. Car insurance covers your car both in case of your own damages as well as if you cause damage to a third party. There are two types of car insurance policies available - Comprehensive car insurance & Third party car insurance.

Comprehensive Policy

• Accidents: Common damages to your own car like accidents & collisions
• Theft: If unfortunately, your car gets stolen
• Fire: Common damages due to Fire
• Natural Disasters: Damages due to any natural calamities
• Personal Accident: If there is a car accident and unfortunately it leads to death or disability of the owner
• Third Party Losses: Damage your car causes to someone else's car or any other property

Add-on (Available only with Comprehensive Car Policy)

• Zero Depreciation Cover
• Return to Invoice
• Engine and Gearbox Protection
• Tyre Protect
• Breakdown Assistance
• Consumable Cover

Know more about Add-on Covers in Car Insurance.

What's not covered?

• You were driving drunk or without a valid driving license.
• You hold a learner’s license and were driving without a valid driving license-holder in the front passenger seat.
• Any consequential damage or which is not a direct result of the accident (e.g. after an accident, if the damaged car is driven incorrectly and the engine gets damaged, it will not be covered)
• Any contributory negligence (e.g. damage due to driving a car in a flood, which is not recommended as per the manufacturer’s driving manual, will not be covered)
• Some situations are covered in add-ons. If you haven’t bought those add-ons, the corresponding situations will not be covered.

Know more about Car Insurance Calculator and how you can use this to calculate the premium for your car insurance policy.

4. Two wheeler Insurance

Two wheeler Insurance covers your two-wheeler against any mishaps like accidents, theft, natural disasters etc. It covers you for any damages as well as the third party, if you meet with an accident. There are two types of two wheeler insurance policies available - Comprehensive Two wheeler Insurance & Third Party Two wheeler insurance.

What's Covered in Comprehensive Policy

• Accidents: Common damages to your own two-wheeler like accidents & collisions
• Theft: If unfortunately, your two-wheeler gets stolen
• Fire: Common damages due to fire
• Natural Disasters: Damages due to any natural calamities
• Personal Accident: If there is a bike accident and unfortunately it leads to death or disability of the owner
• Third Party Losses: Damage your two-wheeler causes to someone else's vehicle or any other property

Add-on (Available only with Comprehensive Policy)

• Zero Depreciation
• Return to Invoice
• Engine and Gearbox Protection
• Consumable Cover
• Breakdown Assistance

Know more about Add-on Cover in Two Wheeler Insurance

Third-Party Two Wheeler Insurance

• Damage to someone else's property or vehicle
• Injury or death of third party
• Option of unlimited personal damage cover for owner driver, if you don't have one already.

What's not covered?

• You were driving drunk or without a valid driving license.
• You hold a learner’s license and were driving without a valid driving license-holder in the passenger seat.
• Any consequential damage or which is not a direct result of the accident (e.g. after an accident, if the damaged car is driven incorrectly and the engine gets damaged, it will not be covered)
• Any contributory negligence (e.g. damage due to driving a car in a flood, which is not recommended as per the manufacturer’s driving manual, will not be covered)
• Some situations are covered in add-ons. If you haven’t bought those add-ons, the corresponding situations will not be covered.

Know more about Two Wheeler Insurance Premium Calculator and how you can use this to calculate the premium for your Two Wheeler insurance policy.

5. Travel Insurance

Who would like it if an international vacation gets ruined due to an illness or a lost passport? No one! And that’s exactly why you should get an international travel insurance that covers you against any unforeseen event that can spoil your trip.

What's covered?

• Emergency Accidental Treatment & Evacuation
• Emergency Medical Treatment & Evacuation
• Personal Accident
• Daily Cash Allowance
• Accidental Death & Disability
• Emergency Dental Treatment
• Trip Cancellation
• Common Carrier Delay
• Delay of Checked-in Baggage
• Total loss of Checked-in Baggage
• Missed Connection
• Loss of Passport
• Emergency Cash
• Emergency Trip Extension
• Trip Abandonment
• Personal Liability & Bail Bond

What's not covered?

• Any event that happens after the policy is over.
• Any situation for which the relevant cover has not been bought
• Any delays which is lesser than the time excess mentioned in the policy
• Travelling against the advice of the physician
• Psychological illness or self-inflicted injuries during your trip
• War or civil unrest in international locations

6. Home Protection Insurance

Heart is where the home is! And that’s exactly why it is important to protect your home in your absence. Home Protection Insurance covers the contents of your home when you are not there against any unforeseen event.

What's covered?

• Burglary: Your home is full of expensive stuff like TV, Gadgets, Furniture. So, if someone forcibly enters and steals something from inside your home, we cover the loss.
• Loss/Damage of Jewellery: If you’ve left your precious jewels at home and they are burgled or damaged due to fire or natural disasters, we cover the loss up to 20% of total sum insured.
• Fire: If for any reason your home contents are damaged due to fire like due to the explosion of a gas cylinder, we cover the damage.
• Natural Disasters: If due to any natural disaster your belongings get damaged, we cover the loss.

7. Mobile Insurance

We can’t stay even a second without our smartphones! And that’s why if anything at all happens to it, the pain we through is unbearable! Mobile Insurance saves you exactly from that. It covers your mobile screen against any accidental damages.

What's covered?

• Covers damage to the mobile phone screen.
• Damage due to accidents
• Damage due to Fire
• Damage due to liquids

8. Cycle Insurance

Bicycle these days are quite expensive and hence in case of a mishap, repairing it can burn a hole in your pocket. Hence, taking a bicycle insurance for such cases can come handy. It covers your bicycle against damages against accidents, thefts as well as third party losses.

What's covered?

• Damage due to Accidents
• Theft
• Third Party Losses
• Injury to owner driver

What's not covered?

• Damage due to wear and tear
• Any case of contributory negligence
• Accident due to the use of alcohol or drugs

9. Jewelry Insurance

The moment when that exquisite necklace is not there in your locker any more. We know the trauma! Jewellery insurance protects you exactly against this. It covers damages to the jewellery against accidents and theft.

What's covered?

• Damage due to Accidents
• Theft

Service benefits - You should look at Service Benefits like 24*7 Customer Support, Convenient Pick-up & Drop for your vehicle and a Wide Network of Cashless Garages.

Choose the right Sum Insured - The Right sum insured helps in ensuring that you are completely covered in case of an emergency

Speed of claims of the insurer - Claims is the reason you buy an insurance. So check how long your insurance company takes to settle claims.

Best value - If you are satisfied with the service and the Sum Insured, check the premium and the discount you are getting.

Claims are the moment of truth. And so, the process has to be very simple and convenient. At Digit, it’s just a 3-step process

Step 1 - Just call on 1800-258-5956. No forms to be filled.

Step 2 - Get a link for Self-Inspection on your registered mobile number. Or just shoot your damages from your smartphone.

Step 3 - Choose the mode of repair you wish to opt for i.e. Reimbursement or Cashless through our network workshops/garages/hospitals.

Both life and general insurance covers you and your family against any harm that might disrupt your daily flow of life and pose a financial threat or exhaust your savings! Insurance helps you to be prepared for any emergency way before they occur!