New Delhi, Aug. 16 -- Insurance companies publish hundreds of pages of detailed information every year. While these disclosures are valuable for investors and other stakeholders, they can be difficult for an ordinary customer to navigate when trying to decide which health insurance policy to buy.

Before purchasing health cover, there are several straightforward questions you should ask. What does the policy cover and how much does it cost? How many claims does the insurer pay? Do customers frequently complain about the product? Is the buying process simple for first-time customers? And how many policyholders continue renewing their policies?

A significant portion of this information can be found in Schedule NL-47 of insurers' annual pub...