Religare Health Insurance explores the Bancassurance channel

The bancassurance channel has always been a promising distribution channel for the insurance companies. Through it the insurance companies can use the bank's network to reach out to the different areas of the country. All major insurance companies are tied up with banks to increase penetration to the different parts of India. 

The newest in the line exploring this idea is Religare Health Insurance Company Limited (RHICL). The standalone health insurer which began operations in the year 2012 is planning tie -ups with several banks to expand its bancassurance channel. According to CEO Anuj Gulati, the company would break even by 2017-18. 

Till now banks have been following a corporate agency model where a bank can represent one life insurer, one general insurer and one standalone health insurer. The recent relaxation of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) to banks allows them to act as brokers as well. This gives the bank the option to pitch different insurance companies products to the same customer. This option is however still to be approved by the Reserve Bank of India, the regulator for Indian banks. Religare's CEO is open to tie up with banks functioning as brokers

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General Insurance gets two more Companies in India

The general insurance sector of the Insurance industry grew more competitive as two new players have formally launched their operations. These new players are Religare Health, an initiative of Religare Enterprises Limited, Union Bank of India and Corporation bank, and Magma HDI General Insurance, a joint venture between non-banking financial company Magma Fincorp and HDI Gerling, a leading German Insurer. 

Religare Health had launched their operations in July 2012. In the last 3 months, it has an impressive performance of collecting around 14 crore premium, operating in 134 centers and servicing more than 34,000 customers. Although currently they have only one insurance product named “Care”, they have ambitious plans on board to launch products for critical illness, overseas student travel medical insurance and also policies for HIV patients.  Currently their health insurance product “Care” comes with certain salient features outlined below

•           It offers a sum assured upto 60 lakhs to suit the customized requirements of every consumer.
•       It has the option of availing specialized treatment anywhere in the world of sum assured over 50 lakhs
•      It offers annual health check up facility, automatic recharge of sum insured in case the claims exhaust and no claim-based loading on premiums.
•      It offers lifelong renewability and daily allowance to cover incidental expenses during hospitalization
•       It has tie up with around 1800 hospitals across India.

Magma HDI General Insurance (MHDI) would target offering a comprehensive end to end solution to customers by financing vehicles and offering insurance to the assets purchased. Magma Fincorp (one of the partners in the JV) are mostly present in semi urban and rural areas which are relatively unpenetrated markets for insurance products. Thus they aim to explore these markets and chalk out a strategy to survive in the already competitive market of insurance. They plan to launch operations in 39 locations with work strength of around 500 people.

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