Written By: Simran Kaur Vij

Simran Kaur Vij

Health and Term Insurance

Simran is an insurance expert with more than 4 years of experience in the industry. An expert with previous experience in BFSI, Ed-tech, and insurance, she proactively helps her readers stay on par with all the latest Insurance industry developments.

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Reviewed By: Anchita Bhattacharyya

Anchita Bhattacharyya

Health, Term & Life Insurance

Anchita has over 6 years of experience in content marketing, insurance, and healthcare sectors. Her motto to make health and term insurance simple for our readers has proven to make insurance lingos simple and easy to understand by our readers.

Updated on Jun 30, 2025 5 min read

Health Insurance Portability

Health insurance portability is a unique advantage provided to policyholders. IRDAI’s health policy portability feature empowers you to switch health plans and insurance companies without losing your policy benefits. Health insurance plans offer lifetime renewability, meaning you can enjoy your health coverage for as long as you live. However, you do not have to stick to one health insurance provider.

The article below explores how this feature works and why it’s crucial for modern health insurance policyholders.

traordinary Facts

Recognizing the need for health insurance for consumers, the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI) introduced the concept of health insurance portability in 2011. A key development occurred between 2011 and 2020 wherein the IRDAI directive eliminated the need for uninterrupted coverage, now allowing policyholders to transfer pre-existing condition benefits and time-bound exclusions to a new insurer.

What’s Portable In Your Health Policy?

When opting for health policy portability, here are the features you can port:

1. Sum Insured

   When opting for insurance portability, your health insurance providers let you transfer your current sum insured. Some insurers even let you opt for a larger coverage amount during health insurance portability.

2. No-claim Bonus

   All the accumulated no-claim bonus from your previous health policy will be transferred to the new health plan in case you opt to port your insurance policy.

3. Reduced Waiting Periods

   Health insurance portability often includes a reduction in waiting periods, meaning your new insurer will acknowledge the time you’ve already spent as a waiting period with your former health insurance company.

Health Insurance Portability Rules

Let us look at some health insurance portability rules mandated by IRDAI to be followed by policyholders and insurance providers alike:

• Rule 1: Health insurance portability is only possible during the time of renewal of the health policy, not during the ongoing policy term.
• Rule 2: You must inform your previous and new insurance providers about the insurance portability 45 days before the existing policy’s renewal date.
• Rule 3: Health insurance portability does not come with additional charges. However, your premiums might change according to the terms and conditions of the new insurance provider.
• Rule 4: Porting of health insurance can be done for similar health plans. For example, you can port to another indemnity health plan from your previous indemnity health plan.
• Rule 5: Health insurance portability allows policyholders to port between general and specialized insurance companies.

Policyholder Rights During Health Insurance Portability

A policyholder has the following rights during health insurance portability:

• Change your health insurance provider with each renewal.
• You have the freedom to switch your health plan as many times as you wish to.
• All family members will be covered under the new health plan you chose during health insurance portability.
• During insurance portability, your new health insurance provider will reduce your waiting period for the time you have already served with your previous insurer.
• Your new health insurance provider will offer you the same minimum sum insured as your last policy, but you can increase your SI during health insurance portability.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Health Insurance Portability

Below are some advantages and disadvantages of health insurance portability:

Some Common Health Insurance Portability Reasons

You might want to think about porting your existing health insurance policy for the reasons mentioned below:

• Unhappy or unsatisfied with your current health policy or insurance provider are significant reasons for health insurance portability.
• Inadequate coverage or sum insured is offered under your current health insurance policy.
• Delayed claim settlement process by a health insurance provider is a major reason for health insurance portability.
• Disagreements with hidden charges or co-payment clauses can prompt policyholders to port their health insurance policy.
• Better features and benefits offered by another health policy or health insurance provider may lead to porting the current health insurance policy.

How To Port Health Insurance?

The process to apply for health policy portability is easy and hassle-free. Let’s check it out together.

• Step 1: Send a portability request to your desired health insurer 45 days before your current health policy renewal date. Also, inform your current health insurer about the same within the same period.
• Step 2: After receiving the request, the health insurer will offer you portability forms and all the necessary documents to be filled out.
• Step 3: Select the new health policy you want to port to, fill out the necessary portability forms, and send them to your new insurer.
• Step 4: When the new insurer receives health insurance portability forms, they will cross-check your details like medical history, claim history, etc., with your previous insurer.
• Step 5: After receiving all the details, your new insurer will accept or reject the health policy portability request.

Documents Required For Health Insurance Portability

Here are the documents required for health insurance portability:

• Identity proof
• Address proof
• Previous health policy details
• Latest renewal details showcasing continued coverage
• In case of no claim, the declaration has to be submitted by the previous insurer
• Portability form duly filled
• Proposal form

Why Do Health Policy Portability Requests Get Denied?

Usually, health insurance portability requests are not denied. However, rejections of health insurance portability are mentioned below:

• In case of inadequate information being provided
• In case of delay in submitting the portability application, and your existing health policy has been renewed
• In case of multiple claims made on your existing health policy
• In case you do not provide your existing policy details to the new insurer for health insurance portability
• In case you are over the eligibility age under the new health policy
• In case your pre-existing disease is not covered by the new health policy or insurer
• In case your health policy has already expired

Preparing to Port Your Health Insurance: A Checklist

Here is a checklist to consider before porting your health policy:

• Analyze all the features and benefits offered under your new health policy, such as waiting periods, exclusions, co-payments, pre-existing diseases, etc.
• Review the new insurer’s CSR(Claim settlement ratio) and ICR (Incurred claims ratio) before porting your health policy. Check out Data Labs for more details.
• Start looking for a new health policy well in advance of the renewal date of your existing health policy to make an informed health insurance portability decision.
• If your current health insurance provider has a consistently poor CSR or poor claim settlement service, it is advised to port your health insurance policy.
• Check the new health insurer’s network hospital list before porting your health insurance.

Wrapping It Up

Health insurance portability is a feature you can avail of when not satisfied with your current health insurance. However, keep in mind all the details mentioned above. For further consultation on the process of how to port your health policy, connect with our health insurance experts.

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