What is the difference between rider and add-on cover?

Riders are incorporated into the same policy, while add-ons might be a separate policy with their own terms.

Can I add multiple riders to my health insurance policy?

Yes, you can add as many riders as you want if provided by the policy.

Can I add a rider after buying the policy?

You can add a rider during the renewal of the policy.

Can I remove the riders later?

Yes, you can remove the rider during the policy renewal process.

Can I purchase as a rider separately from the base policy?

No, riders come along with your base policy. So, to buy a rider, you need to get a base health insurance policy first.

Written by Simran saxena

Published: 27 Aug 2024

Updated: 26 May 2026

4 min read

Expert Verified

IRDAI Licensed

What is a Health Insurance Rider?

A health insurance rider is an add-on to your basic health insurance policy. It enhances your health insurance policy by providing extra coverage for specific medical expenses or situations that might not be covered by the main policy.

Below, we will explore its types, features, benefits, and how to purchase them.

Customized Coverage

You can tailor your health insurance policy as per your healthcare requirements. For example, if you are working in a hazardous place or have a traveling job with a high risk of an accident, a disability rider or personal accident rider can give you additional protection over your base health insurance.
Expanded Coverage for Specific Needs

If, according to your family history, you are prone to some critical illness, you can expand your coverage with a critical illness rider.
Additional Benefits

Riders like room rent waiver, hospital daily cash, and maternity, alongside your basic health plan, will give you additional benefits.
Reduced Waiting Periods

With riders like Day 1 PED coverage and reduction in PED waiting period, you can reduce the applied waiting period on specific diseases.
Cost-Effective Enhancement

Instead of buying a whole new policy for your specific needs, you can get specific rider(s) to fulfill that need. In a way, riders offer a more affordable way to enhance your basic coverage.

Top Health Insurance Companies with Riders

Health Insurance Companies	Available Riders
Star Health Insurance Company	Star Buy Back Pre-existing Diseases, Star Hospital Cash, Star Deductible, Star Lump Sum for Cancer
Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company	Niva Bupa Safeguard, Niva Bupa Personal Accident Cover, Niva Bupa Hospital Cash, Niva Bupa Critical Illness, Niva Bupa E-consultation
ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company	ManipalCigna Health 360 (variants available)
Reliance Health Insurance	Reliance Smart Protector, Reliance Double Cover, Reliance change in pre-existing waiting period, Reliance Mother and Child Care Cover

Types of Health Insurance Riders

Critical Illness Rider
Provides a lump sum benefit to the policyholder equal to the sum insured amount if diagnosed with a critical illness.
OPD Rider
Covers treatments requiring less than 24 hours, such as doctor consultations, diagnostic tests, and medicines.
Maternity Rider
Covers all expenses related to pregnancy and, at times, even for the newborn baby, including vaccination coverage for the first year.
Unlimited Restoration of the Sum Insured
This rider restores the sum insured amount an unlimited number of times in a year after you have exhausted your total sum insured amount.
Room Rent Waiver
This rider allows you to remove the coverage limit on hospital room rent, enabling you to opt for a room with higher rent without paying anything extra.
Reduction in the PED Waiting Period
Normally, most base health plans have a waiting period for pre-existing diseases. This rider automatically reduces the waiting period to cover pre-existing diseases.
Day 1 PED Coverage Rider
This rider is highly necessary if you are dealing with diseases like hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and hyperlipidemia. It waives off all PED waiting periods and provides coverage from day 1.
Hospital Daily Cash
Having this rider allows your insurer to provide daily cash during hospitalization for extra expenses like food and medicines that are not covered by your regular health plan.
Personal Accident Cover
In case of an accident resulting in total or partial disability or death, the insured and their family members will receive benefits like nominee payout, child education grant, funeral expenses cover, and payout cover in case of unemployment due to accidental consequences.

How Riders Can Affect Your Premiums?

While riders enhance coverage, they can slightly affect your premiums. This depends on several factors, such as:

The type of rider you choose
Age of the policyholder
Pre-existing disease’s health status
Policy tenure
Sum insured you chose

How to get a health insurance rider?

You can visit PolicyX to compare policies and the riders they offer. Understand their terms and conditions before purchasing. Inform your insurer about the rider you want, and they will calculate the premiums for you.

Always read your policy documents carefully before paying the premiums.

End Note

We hope this article has clarified your understanding of health insurance riders. For more such articles, please visit the article section of PolicyX.com.