OPD covers the everyday, high-frequency healthcare that happens without hospital admission: GP and specialist consultations, medicines, lab tests, physiotherapy, dental and vision. Traditional GMC covers IPD (hospitalisation) but not OPD - yet OPD is where 80–90% of an employee's actual health interactions happen. OPD benefits (cashless or reimbursed, with an annual wallet) are now one of the most valued, most-used parts of a modern benefits stack.
In India
OPD spend is largely out-of-pocket in India, so a cashless OPD benefit is high-visibility and high-usage - employees feel it every month, unlike hospitalisation cover they may never claim.
In practice
An employee has a ₹15,000 annual OPD wallet. Across the year they use it for a paediatric consult, a teleconsultation at 11 pm, a lab package and a month of medicines - all cashless via an app, no admission required.