Health insurance is crucial for managing the financial impact of illness or injury, while term life insurance ensures your loved ones are financially supported if you’re no longer around.
In the UAE, both term life insurance and medical insurance are essential for securing financial well-being. However, these two types serve different purposes.
Term life insurance provides financial protection for the policyholder’s family in case of the former’s death, offering a lump sum payment to cover various expenses like debts, education, and daily living costs. It’s a simple and affordable plan with coverage for a set period.
Health insurance, on the other hand, focuses on covering medical expenses, ensuring that you can access quality healthcare without worrying about high costs. It covers the costs related to doctor visits, hospital stays, surgeries, and treatments (as per your policy).
Here are the major types of term policies —
1. Level Term Insurance - This is the most common type of term insurance in the UAE. Here, the premium is fixed and stays the same throughout the policy term, making it the most affordable option.
2. Increasing Term Insurance - In this plan, the sum assured increases yearly at a pre-defined rate, helping counter inflation. It is ideal for those with evolving financial needs.
1. Decreasing Term Insurance - The sum assured decreases annually, often aligning with reducing liabilities like loans or mortgages. It suits those managing debts or similar decreasing liabilities.
2. Convertible Term Insurance - This plan allows you to convert your term policy into whole life, endowment, or money-back plans. However, keep in mind that conversion may require extra documentation or medical check-ups.
Here are the key benefits of term policies —
Having explored each type, let’s understand the basic differences between term insurance and medical insurance —
Basis | Term Insurance | Health Insurance |
---|---|---|
Objective | Provides a lump sum death benefit to your loved ones if you pass away in the policy period The sum can be used to pay off debts or meet other financial needs | Covers your hospital bills and medical expenses based on your health condition and treatments |
Maturity Benefit | No maturity benefits offered | None You may get a no-claim bonus, which reduces your premium if you have not claimed in the previous year |
Benefits | Offers life coverage and additional rider benefits like critical illness and permanent and total disability benefits You can also customise the plan based on your financial needs | Seamless coverage of your treatment costs based on the bills from your doctor and hospital |
Policy Tenure | You can choose a longer policy tenure | The policy tenure is up to 1 year only – you need to renew the plan after that |