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Key Highlights
- Inpatient care is when you are hospitalised for 24 hours or more.
- Outpatient care is when you are not hospitalised and visit a doctor just for a regular health check-up.
- There are glaring differences between inpatient care and outpatient care in terms of treatments, costs, and insurance coverage.
- Your illness or injury determines whether you need inpatient care or outpatient one.
Understanding medical jargon can be quite taxing for the layman. When dealing with a medical emergency, you might overlook the complicated terms and look for quick assistance.'Inpatient' and 'outpatient' are two medical terms which come into play every time you seek medical attention for an injury or illness. Do you know what they mean and how they differ? Let's decode.
What is Inpatient Care?
Inpatient care services are offered to you by hospitals when you need in-depth observation, monitoring and treatment. In this case, you are kept in the hospital or the medical health facility for 24 hours or more, depending upon your health issue and its treatment procedure.Usually, health conditions such as pregnancy and childbirth, long-term life-threatening diseases, fatal injuries, substance abuse or mental issues are treated through inpatient care. Treatments requiring surgeries, full-fledged medication, professional monitoring and guidance are undertaken through inpatient care.Inpatient care is usually costly, and it is advised to have health insurance to help you bear the hospitalisation costs. Health insurance covers inpatient treatment costs if you are hospitalised and the treatment is covered under the scope of the policy. Also Read - Know about pre and post-hospitalisation in health insurance Link
What is Outpatient Care?
Outpatient care services are offered to you by hospitals when you do not need in-depth observation, monitoring and treatment. This treatment procedure does not require you to stay in the hospital for a longer period for treatment. All you need to do is walk into the specified clinic and get your treatment done.Random body check-ups or blood tests, doctor consultations, X-rays, CT scans, pathological tests and such services are offered in outpatient care. In short, services which do not require full-time medical attention or complex medications are taken care of by the outpatient department of a hospital.Outpatient treatments are usually not very costly. Not all health insurance plans cover outpatient costs. Even, if they do, they might cover such costs only up to specified limits. Also Read - Understand the importance of health insurance in India
Inpatient vs Outpatient Care - Which Is Costlier?
Inpatient treatment costs are usually higher because of the following reasons:
Health Professional Involved
Inpatient treatments involve a group of professionals, health experts and nursing staff who monitor you throughout the hospitalisation period. On the contrary, in outpatient treatment, a dedicated group of staff is not required. Tests and regular check-ups are usually handled single-handedly by one person.
Extra Costs
Inpatient costs, generally, spike up due to additional costs such as administrative costs, lab tests, pharmacy costs, staff costs as well as equipment costs and you have no control over them.On the other hand, outpatient costs (diagnostics, blood scans, CT scans) costs vary among different diagnostic centres. So, you can research and get your tests done from centres which offer you services at low cost and save your hard-earned money.
Insurance Costs
Inpatient treatments require more intense care and hence cost higher than usual outpatient treatment. Hence, the insurance costs are also slightly higher in the case of Inpatient care in comparison to outpatient care.Inpatient insurance plans cover all medical expenses unless otherwise specified, while an OPD cover is offered as an add-on cover or as a part of your base cover.
Impatient vs. Outpatient Care: Major Differences
The table below shows the primary differences between inpatient and outpatient care.
| Parameters | Inpatient care | Outpatient care |
| Meaning | Keeps you hospitalised for 24 hours or more | Does not keep you hospitalised |
| Duration of care | Long-term care | Short-term care |
| Treatment/services offered | Complex surgeries for illnesses or traumatic injuries |
|
| Cost | Comparatively expensive | Depends upon the treatment being sought, Usually not very expensive |
| Level of Healthcare Professionals | A group of health professionals including doctors, surgeons, physicians, nurses, medical practitioners and pharmacists | Primary care physicians, specialists including assistants and physical therapists. |
| Insurance Coverage | Usually, all kinds of inpatient hospitalisation costs are covered by your health insurance plan | Coverage for outpatient care is not available across all health insurance plans. Some plans might offer the coverage while others might not. |
| Coverage level | Coverage is allowed up to the sum insured in most cases | Coverage is usually allowed for up to a specified limit |
Inpatient vs Outpatient Care: Which is Better For You?
The type of treatment you need is not decided by you. You don’t get to choose whether you want to get an inpatient treatment or an outpatient treatment. Depending upon your health condition, severity of the illness, medication and supervision requirements, it is your doctor/physician who decides the required course of treatment.All you can do here is decide which health insurance plan you should opt for to save yourself from incurring medical expenses. It is always advisable to go for a comprehensive health insurance plan which provides maximum coverage at low costs.When planning to buy a health insurance plan read through the policy wording carefully. Get a fair knowledge of all the treatments covered under the inpatient vs outpatient care, to save you from paying extra in time of need.
FAQS - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is inpatient care?
Inpatient care services are offered to you by hospitals when you need in-depth observation, monitoring and treatment. In this case, you are kept in the hospital or the medical health facility for 24 hours or more, depending upon your health issue and its treatment procedure.
What is outpatient care?
Outpatient care services are offered to you by hospitals when you do not need in-depth observation, monitoring and treatment. This treatment procedure does not require you to stay in the hospital for a longer period for treatment.
Which is a better course of treatment among inpatient vs outpatient care?
Both treatment procedures have their relevance. The course of treatment that will suit you the most depends solely on your health condition and its seriousness.
Which treatment procedure is costly?
Inpatient care is usually costlier than outpatient treatment.
Can I get insurance coverage for all the expenses incurred under an inpatient treatment?
Generally, insurance policies cover all the expenses incurred during inpatient care. However, there might be some exclusions. You must read the policy documents carefully before purchasing the health insurance plan to understand the exclusions.
How to decide whether to get an IPD or an OPD?
This is not a choice. You don’t get to choose whether you need an IPD or OPD. This decision is made by your doctor/physician depending upon the severity of your illness.
What are some types of outpatient care?
Some types of outpatient care are:
Blood tests and health check-ups
X-rays and CT-scans
Urinalysis
Dialysis and chemotherapy sessions
Minor surgeries
Who takes care of the patient when under inpatient care?
A group of medical professionals, nurses, radiologists and health experts take care of the patient when under inpatient care.
Who handles outpatient treatments?
Designated medical professional specialising in the treatment you need handles your OPD treatments.
Which is costlier between inpatient and outpatient treatment?
Since inpatient treatments are more complex and require more medical attention, they are costlier.
The information contained herein is generic in nature and is meant for educational purposes only. Nothing here is to be construed as an investment or financial or taxation advice nor to be considered as an invitation or solicitation or advertisement for any financial product. Readers are advised to exercise discretion and should seek independent professional advice prior to making any investment decision in relation to any financial product. Aditya Birla Capital Group is not liable for any decision arising out of the use of this information.
