–       Launches industry-first Vi Hospicare on Recharge of Rs. 51 and Rs. 301, to offer in-built health insurance benefits to a large base of Indian users who remain uncovered

–       Aditya Birla Health Insurance to offer Rs. 1,000 worth of hospitalization expenses per day on medical exigencies incl Covid, and Rs. 2,000/Day on ICU expenses, to Vi users who subscribe to these plans

The current pandemic has drawn the focus on the impact of unexpected illnesses on the socio economic fabric of countries. According to a National Survey Report (published in July 2020), only 14 percent of India’s rural population and 19 percent of urban India had health insurance coverage. Low awareness on health insurance combined with high medical expenses, places a significant burden on the out-of-pocket expenses of our population.

With this insight, Vi, India’s leading telecom operator in association with Aditya Birla Health Insurance (ABHI), has launched a first-of-its-kind product offering – ‘Vi Hospicare’. This unique offering of ‘Vi Hospicare’ provides hospitalization cover for Vi prepaid customers. Vi customers get a fixed cover of up to Rs. 1,000 for a period of 24 hours of hospitalization, and Rs. 2,000 of cover for ICU expenses, from ABHI. The offer covers hospitalization for ailments including Covid 19 or any pre-existing disease. Vi Hospicare’s bundled health insurance proposition can be availed by a large number of pre-paid customers with two affordable recharges at different price points of Rs. 51 and Rs. 301.

Recharge Price	Health Benefit	Telco Benefit	Validity
Rs. 51	Rs. 1000/day	500 SMS free	28 days
Rs. 301	Rs. 1000/day	Unlimited Calls   + 1.5 GB data/day+ 2GB extra + 100 SMS / day	28 days

In case of ICU treatment, the customers will get double payout of Rs. 2,000/day

Vi Hospicare Features:

Particulars	Details
Daily Cash Benefit	Rs. 1000 per day
ICU Treatment	Rs 2000 per day for ICU treatment
Coverage Period	Insurance cover extends by 28 days on every continuous recharge of 51/301
Age Group	18 to 55 years
Limit per Hospitalisation	10 days per event
Limit per Policy year	30 days per year
Deductible	1 day
First 30 Days Waiting Period	Applicable
Waiting Period for Accident Cases	Not Applicable
Two Year Waiting Period for specific ailments	Not Applicable
Pre- Existing Diseases Waiting Period	Not Applicable

Commenting on the initiative of Hospicare, Avneesh Khosla, CMO, Vi said “At Vi, we strive to empower our consumers to thrive. We are focused on bringing innovative, affordable solutions for a better tomorrow for over 1 billion Indian mobile phone users. Vi Hospicare offering, in association with Aditya Birla Health Insurance, is another endeavor under our collaborative program to provide beneficial, value adding solutions to our customers. Health and Wellness is a prime focus area at Vi, and with this partnership, we have taken a significant step ahead that will help ease the financial burden of unexpected hospitalization for our users. I am sure this simplistic offering, with no hidden costs, and powerful benefits, will be immensely beneficial for our prepaid customers across different social strata.”

Commenting on the partnership, Mayank Bathwal, CEO, Aditya Birla Health Insurance, said, “The country is witness to issue of unplanned medical expenses where people pay for medical emergencies from their savings. These expenses can lead to a heavy financial burden and impoverishment for some. At Aditya Birla Health Insurance, we believe that healthcare protection should be universal and strive to offer need-based health insurance for all at an affordable cost. Vi Hospicare will serve as an easily accessible simplified health insurance cover that offers hospitalization benefit for necessary treatment with hassle-free claims. The partnership with Vi will provide the necessary reach and penetration to reinforce our commitment towards extending prudent health insurance solutions to customers across diverse economic backgrounds.”

ABHI Health coverage is applicable for all hospitals incl registered government hospitals, allopathy / AYUSH hospitals. Making the claims process hassle free, Vi customers can claim the benefit by just showing a scanned copy of the discharge certificate and basic verification.