India, July 7 -- A significant share of health insurance policyholders in India may be underprotected without realising it, according to insurance advisors who work directly with policyholders on claims. The gap is not in whether people are buying insurance. It is in whether the policy they bought actually covers what they assume it does.

Why So Many Policies Fall Short When It Matters Most

A policy can look complete on the brochure and still leave a large portion of a hospital bill unpaid. This usually comes down to four things buyers rarely check at the time of purchase.

The first is sub-limits on specific procedures. Many policies place a hard cap on what they will pay for surgeries like cataract removal or knee replacement, regardl...