Best Health Insurance Plans In India
Keeping in mind the rising medical costs and a spurt of lifestyle diseases amongst Indians, health insurance is necessary for every individual. A medical emergency is something that impacts not only physically, emotionally but financially as well. In fact, I will say that the physical impact of medical emergency can only be dealt with being financially secure. So, it is financially advised worldwide that it is prudent if you to buy a health plan early in life. Here are the top reasons to convince you to make the purchase a health before turning 30.
The early, the best:
Buying a premium as early as possible is the best thing which results in a good deal along with the lowest possible premium. For example, a plan with Rs 5 lakh coverage will cost nearly 8,000 at the age of 45, Rs 6,000 at the age of 35 and Rs 5,000 at the age of 25.
Because every company doesn’t have employee cover, and even if it is, it’s just not sufficient:
he need of health insurance cannot be overstated if we talk about an exponential increase in health costs. For being sure on it you can look at the cost of a week’s hospitalisation for any regular illness and compare it with the coverage your company gives on it. Now think about the time when you’ll get older and might need more frequent medical attention.
The lifestyle these days comes with an increase in the incidence of illness:
The lifestyle of today’s youth carry comes with heart, cancer, lungs, and stroke issues. You have to agree that you don’t need to be 60 to get caught with these diseases. The fact is the unhealthy lifestyle we are going with, results in early age diseases.
Free annual health checkup:
The best insurance policies come with annual health checkups, screenings, vaccination as well as counselling. These benefits cut your expenditure on regular checkups.
Health insurance is more than just hospitalization:
The best plan covers your daycare procedure, not only serious hospitalization. Amazingly, vector-borne diseases are also covered by it. And the most beneficial thing is the plans include maternity benefits too, which is important at this stage of your life. Additionally, your newborn will also be covered from the moment is/she is born…an additional premium.
How To Choose The Best Health Insurance Plans in India
A successful person is always the one who is well planned for his future, health insurance gives a strengthening hand to your financial management.
Health insurance is the most complicated insurance product as it comes with so many variations because of offering all additional benefits. The market of insurance sector is challenging as well as competitive. Comparing is the best policy when you talk about insurance sector. You should compare the best policies in India, so that you can buy the best one for you and your loved ones, the ones who are dependent on you.
We have to agree that as health insurance policy is most important to buy, it is even more important to buy the best available policy in the market. It not only provides the most expensive health care cost but also promises a healthy future without worrying about hospital expenses and medical bills to the policy holder and his family.
Giving you a healthy relief from the confusion happens because of so many existing health insurance policies in the market, PolicyX.com have picked up in details about the best health insurance policies of India, which stand superior on parameters such as eligibility, features, coverage, affordability, limits and exclusions.
In order for you to pick out the best health insurance policy in India, we have chosen 10 policies since they stand superior on certain parameters, such as eligibility, uniqueness of features, coverage, affordability, limits and exclusions. Here we have a list of plans with their respective benefits according to IRDA rankings:
- Apollo Munich Optima Restore
- Religare NCB Super Premium
- Star Family Health Optima
- Max Bupa Health Companion Individual
- Cigna TTK Prohealth Plus
- HDFC ERGO Health Suraksha Gold Regain
- Royal Sundaram Lifeline Supreme
- Aditya Birla Active Assure Diamond
- Senior Citizen Red Carpet Health Insurance Policy
- Universal Sompo Health Insurance
Top 10 Health Insurance Plans in India
| Plan Name |
Entry age |
Sum Assured |
Policy Renewability |
Feature |
| Apollo Munich Optima Restore |
Min-91day
Max-65 years |
Rs 3 L – Rs 50 L |
Lifelong |
- Restore Benefit
- Stay Active Benefit
- Multiplier Benefit
- E-opinion
- Additional Cover for Critical Illness
|
| Religare NCB Super Premium |
Min- 91 days
Max- No age bar |
|
Lifelong |
- Automatic Recharge of Sum Insured
- Lifelong Renewability
- No Claim Bonus Super
- Everyday Care Benefit
- Domestic Air
|
| Star Family Health Optima |
Min 16 days |
Rs 2 L, Rs 3 L, Rs 4 L, Rs 5 L, Rs 10 L, and Rs 15 |
|
- Auto Recharge Benefit
- Compassionate Travel
- Repatriation of Mortal Remains
- Road Traffic Accident Cover
- Restoration of amount assured
|
| Max Bupa Health Companion Individual |
Min - 90 days
Max - Age no bar |
For Variant 1 - Rs 1 L, Rs 2 L, Rs 3 L, Rs 4 L, Rs 5 L and Rs 10 L
For Variant 2 - Rs 5 L Rs 7.5 L, Rs 10 L and Rs 12.5 L
For Variant 3- Rs 15 L, Rs 20 L, Rs 30 L, Rs 50 L and Rs 1 Cr |
Lifetime |
- Refill Benefit
- Animal Bite Vaccination
- Direct Claim Settlement
- Long-Term Policy Benefit
- Hospital Cash Benefit
|
| Cigna TTK Prohealth Plus |
Min- 91 days
Max- No limit |
Rs 4.5 L, Rs 5.5 L, Rs 7.5 L and Rs 10 L |
Lifetime |
- Enhanced Sum Insured
- Restoration Benefit
- Health Maintenance Benefit
- Critical Illness Expert Opinion
- Maternity Expenses
|
| HDFC ERGO Health Suraksha Gold Regain |
No limit |
R. 3 L, Rs 4 L, Rs 5 L, Rs 7.5 L and Rs 10 L |
Lifetime |
- Zero Sub-limits
- Maternity Benefit
- Regain Benefit
- Cumulative Bonus
- Coverage Basis
|
| Royal Sundaram Lifeline Supreme |
For Children
Min- 90 days
Max- 25 Years
For Adults
Min- 18 Years
Maximum- No bar |
Rs 5 L, Rs 10 L, Rs 15 L, Rs 20 L and Rs 50 L |
Lifetime |
- Sum Insured Re-Load
- Second Opinion Benefit
- Emergency Domestic Evacuation Expenses
- Pre-Hospitalization and Post-Hospitalization Charges
- Organ Transplant Cover
|
| Aditya Birla Diamond |
|
|
|
- Cancer Hospitalization Booster
- Any room upgrade
- Sum Insured Reload Benefit
- Pre-Hospitalization and Post-Hospitalization Coverage
- Unlimited sum Insured Reload
|
| Star Senior Citizen Red Carpet |
Min-60
Max-75 |
Rs 7.5 L and Rs 10 L |
Lifetime |
- No Medical Screening
- Pre-existing Illness Cover
- Medical Consultation Cover
- Sub-limits
- Hassle-free Claim Settlement
|
| Universal Sompo Privilege |
Min- 90 days
Max-55 years |
Basic Plan –Rs 1 L – Rs 2 L
Essential Plan- Rs 3 L to Rs 5 L
Privilege Plan-Rs 6 L to Rs 10 L |
Lifetime |
- No Medical Screening
- Specialist Consultation
- Convalescence Benefit
- Mother & Child Care Benefit
- Restore Benefit
|
1. Apollo Munich Optima Restore
ApolloMunich brings you an innovative health insurance to cover your loved ones under one plan. Optima Restore family floater plan is designed specially to cover your family which includes your spouse and dependent children, parents, parents-in-law.
The plan includes unique benefits such as Restore, Multiplier and Stay Active.
With Restore benefit even if anyone in your family uses the sum insured partially or fully we will instantly add 100% of the sum insured to your policy, which would be available to everyone covered under the plan.
Restore benefit features:-
- It is applicable only once during a policy year and is not carried forward to the next year.
- Single claim size cannot exceed the sum of base sum insured & multiplier benefit(if any)
In addition the policy also comes with a Multiplier benefit, which rewards you with 100% increase in your sum insured after 2 claim free years.
The Stay Active benefit rewards customers who lead an active lifestyle, the benefit allows a customer to enjoy premium discounts simply by walking.
Buy our best-selling Optima Restore health insurance plan online to secure the future of your family right away.
Exclusions:
- 30 days waiting period
- Pre-existing illnesses for 3 year waiting period.
- Disease-specific waiting period for 2 year waiting period..
- HIV/AIDS
- Drugs induced illnesses or injuries
- War
- Incurred expense during pregnancy
- Dental treatment expenses
- External aids
- Personal comfort goods
- Unauthorized treatment
2. Religare NCB Super Premium
NCB Super Premium by offers an enhanced sum insured along with the comprehensive insurance coverage. The plan offers NCB benefits too. Here are the details of this plan.
Features and Benefits
- Pre-hospitalization and post-hospitalization coverage
- Ambulance cover
- In-patient hospitalization: In case of in-patient hospitalization for a minimum time period of 24 hours, the plan covers incurred room rent, nursing expenses, intensive care unit expenses, doctor's fee, surgeon's fee, anaesthesia charges, blood charges, oxygen charges, operation theatre expenses, etc.
- Daycare treatment: The plan covers incurred medical expenses for 540 plus covered day-care procedures if the insured undergoes a covered day-care treatment that doesn’t need hospitalization for a time period more than 24 hours.
- Room rent
- ICU charges
- Health check-up
- Organ donor cover: The plan covers reimbursement for incurred medical expenses for harvesting an organ for an organ transplant of the insured.
- Reassurance of a Second Opinion: The plan offers a second opinion in case the insured has any doubts regarding the diagnosis.
- Lifelong renewability
- Unlimited automatic recharge: This add-on optional cover offers automatic recharge of the sum assured in case it is exhausted.
- Domestic Air-Ambulance Cover
- Personal Accident Coverage
- International Second Opinion
Exclusions
- Waiting period of 30 days of policy commencement.
- Self-inflicted injury (suicide, attempted suicide)
- Usage of intoxicant
- AIDS
- Pregnancy(abortion, miscarriage, and related consequences)
- Congenital disease
- IVF Treatment
- War
3. Star Family Health Optima
Family Health Optima by Star offers insurance plans on a family floater base. It offers numerous insurance benefits along with affordable premium.
FAMILY HEALTH OPTIMA INSURANCE PLAN
- Single policy, wider coverage for the whole family along with affordable premium.
- Get extra sum insured at no extra cost,
- Health Checkup benefit for every claim free year
- 3 times Automatic restoration of Sum insured by 100% each time upon complete exhaustion
- Cover for Assisted Reproductive Treatment
- New-born baby cover from 16th day
- Donor expenses for organ transplantation
- Domiciliary Hospitalization Expenses for treatment exceeding 3 days
- Cover for all day care procedures
- A grace period of 120 days from the date of expiry of the policy is available for renewal
- Hospitalization expenses
- Emergency ambulance charges
- Air ambulance expenses
- Pre-hospitalization and post-hospitalization charges
- Domiciliary hospitalization exceeding 3 consecutive days
- Organ donor expenses
- Health check-up
- New born baby cover
- Compassionate travel expenses up to Rs.5, 000
- AYUSH treatment (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, & Homeopathy treatment)
- Second medical opinion
4. Max Bupa Health Companion Individual
Health Companion by Max Bupa is one of the most preferable and affordable health insurance plan formulated especially for individuals and nuclear families. Here are the details:
This plan comes in three variants
Variant- 1
It offers 2 sum insured options: Rs. 3 Lakh and Rs. 4 Lakh. In order to enhance the insurance coverage, it comes with a top up with an Annual Aggregate Deductible (AAG) option of Rs. 1 Lakh, Rs. 2 Lakh, Rs. 3 Lakh, Rs. 4 Lakh, Rs. 5 Lakh and Rs. 10 Lakhs.
Variant- 2
It offers 4 sum insured options: Rs. 5 Lakh, Rs. 7.5 Lakh, Rs. 10 Lakh, and Rs. 12.5 Lakh. In order to enhance the insurance coverage, it can be loaded with a top up with Annual Aggregate Deductible (AAG) option of Rs. 1 Lakh, Rs. 2 Lakh, Rs. 3 Lakh, Rs. 4 Lakh, Rs. 5 Lakh, and Rs. 10 Lakh.
Variant- 3
It offers 5 sum insured options: Rs. 15 Lakh, Rs. 20 Lakh, Rs. 30 Lakh, Rs. 50 Lakh, and Rs. 1 Crore. In order to enhance insurance coverage, it comes with a top up with Annual Aggregate Deductible (AAG) option of Rs. 1 Lakh, Rs. 2 Lakh, Rs. 3 Lakh, Rs. 4 Lakh, Rs. 5 Lakh and Rs. 10 Lakh.
Features and Benefits
- In-patient hospitalization
- Pre- hospitalization and post-hospitalization charges
- Day care treatments: While this plan covers all the day-care treatment expenses, such procedures shouldn’t have been undertaken in the outpatient department.
- Refill benefit: This benefit offers an amount equal to the base sum insured as an additional amount for a subsequent claim against any different and unrelated illness.
- Emergency ambulance expenses: This plan covers emergency ambulance expenses up to Rs 3,000.
- Organ transplant cover
- Animal bite vaccination
- Hospital cash benefit: Optionally, this plan offers a lump-sum payout of Rs. 4,000 (or as per the variant opted) on a daily basis as daily cash benefit if an insured is hospitalized for a minimum duration of 2 days. The benefit can be availed up to 30 days.
- Tax benefit
- Lifetime renewal benefits
- Cashless facility: The plans offer cashless facility at the network-listed hospitals.
5. Cigna TTK Prohealth Plus
Prohealth Plus by Cigna TTK offers comprehensive insurance coverage at an affordable premium. The plan fulfils various insurance needs of different health insurance buyers. Here are the details of the plan:
Features and Benefits
- Enhanced sum insured
- Hospitalization expenses
- Renewal benefit: The plan offers lifetime renewal option.
- Long-term policy period
- Pre–hospitalization and post–hospitalization charges
- Day-care cover
- Domiciliary treatment
- Emergency ambulance cover
- Donor expenses
- Worldwide emergency coverage
- Health maintenance cover
- Maternity expenses
- First year vaccinations: The plan covers first-year vaccinations expenses of the newborn baby (if applicable).
- Medical check-up
- Critical illness expert opinion
- Waiver of senior citizen mandatory co-payment: The plan comes with an alternative to eradicate mandatory co-payment applicable to an insured person aged 65 years and above by paying additional premium.
- Tax benefit
- Easy cancellation
- Additional discounts
Exclusions
- Maternity coverage
- First year vaccination of the newborn
- Waiting period or 30 days
- Survival Period- During the first 90 days from the commencement of policy, no critical illness-related claims can be filed.
- 2 Years waiting period-
- HIV/AIDS
- Genetic disorders
- Mental disorders
- Drug abuse or suicide
- Child birth/ pregnancy
- Pre-existing illnesses
- Tax benefit
6. HDFC ERGO Health Suraksha Gold Regain
Health Suraksha Gold is the latest plan by HDFC ERGO that offers comprehensive health insurance coverage. Additionally, the plan offers enhanced cumulative bonus for every claim-free year from a minimum of 10 percent up to 100 percent of the amount insured upon renewal.
Features and Benefits
- Comprehensive coverage
- Wide hospital network
- No entry age restriction
- Tax benefits
- Minimal paperwork and hassle-free claims
- In-patient treatment expenses
- Pre-hospitalization and post-hospitalization charges
- AYUSH treatments: this plan offers treatment coverage for ayurveda, unani, siddha, & homeopathy as per the sum insured.
- Maternity benefit
- Domiciliary treatment expenses
- Organ donation expenses: this plan covers incurred medical expenses for organ harvesting for transplant.
- Additional discounts
Exclusions
- 30 days waiting period
- Specific diseases- Surgical procedures for specific diseases such as tonsils, sinuses, internal tumour, and cysts will be covered only after a 2-year waiting period.
- Pre-existing illnesses
- HIV/AIDS treatment
- Specific diseases
- Drugs abuse
- War
7. Royal Sundaram Lifeline Supreme
Lifeline Supreme, by Royal Sundaram, offers comprehensive health insurance coverage, which includes annual health check-up, health and wellness benefits, a second opinion in case of critical illness etc. This plan is offered on an individual basis as well as a family floater plan for self, spouse and dependent children to anyone above 18 years of age.
Features and Benefits
- In-patient hospitalization charges:
- Pre-hospitalization & post-hospitalization charges
- Day-care procedures
- Ambulance expenses up to rs. 5,000.
- Organ transplant cover
- Domiciliary treatment
- No claim bonus
- AYUSH treatments: This plan offers in-patient coverage for alternative treatment for Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, & Homeopathy up to Rs. 30,000.
- Animal Bite Vaccination
- Yearly health check-up benefit
- Second opinion benefit
- Emergency domestic evacuation expenses across India up to Rs 1 lakh
Exclusions
- Treatment expenses due to participation in adventure or hazardous Sports activities.
- Alternative treatment expenses excluding AYUSH.
- Treatment expenses due to congenital conditions, HIV AIDS, cosmetic surgery, convalescence and rehabilitation, dental and oral treatment, drugs, hereditary conditions, conflicts & disasters, etc.
- Expenses related to hospitalization for investigative or observational purpose.
- Treatment expenses related to self-inflicted Injuries.
- Treatment expenses related to sexual problems, dysfunctions, and gender-related problems.
8. Aditya Birla Active Assure Diamond
Active Assure Diamond by Aditya Birla offers comprehensive health insurance coverage. The plan offers comprehensive health insurance coverage.
Features and Benefits
- Sum insured reload benefit: The plan offers sum insured reload in case the sum insured and No Claim Bonus / Super No Claim Bonus (if applicable) is exhausted/ insufficient due to claims filed earlier. As per this cover, an insured gets up to 150 percent additional sum insured (50 Lakhs at highest) for hospitalization due to an unrelated illness.
- Daily cash benefit
- Vaccination benefit
- Annual medical check-up program
- Donor organ transplant expenses
- Day care procedures: the plan covers 586 day-care procedures such as dialysis.
- Hospitalization expenses
- Emergency ambulance expenses:
- Pre-hospitalization and post-hospitalization coverage up to 180 days.
- AYUSH treatment
- Second opinion for critical illness
- Domestic and international emergency medical evacuation
- Health coach benefit: the plan provides covers personalized coaching by a health professional who will guide the insured person in case he/she is suffering from hypertension, hyperlipidemia, asthma, diabetes mellitus etc.
- Decrease in pre-existing diseases waiting period
- Accidental hospitalization booster: optionally, in case of hospitalization due to a road mishap, this cover provides additional amount insured equal to the amount insured for in-patient hospitalization.
- Cancer hospitalization booster
- Any room upgrade
9. Senior Citizens Red Carpet Health Insurance Policy
Senior citizens visit hospitals more frequently due to age-related diseases. Red Carpet health insurance plan is especially for the needs of senior citizens in mind. The plan offers comprehensive insurance coverage.
Features and Benefits
- Coverage: The plan caters to the senior citizens aged between 60 – 75 years.
- No medical screening.
- Pre-existing illness cover
- Medical consultation cover
- Enhanced sum insured
- Lifelong renewals
- Discounts
- Hospitalization coverage
- Emergency ambulance cover
- Post-hospitalization expenses
- Day care procedures
- Hassle-free claim settlement
- Wide network
10. Universal Sompo Health Insurance
This health insurance plan offers a range of sum insured options. For individual health plans, it offers sum assured ranging from Rs. 1 Lakh to 10 Lakh. In a family floater plan, it offers sum assured of Rs. 1 Lakh to 10 Lakh.
Plan Options
- Basic plan- It offers sum insured from Rs. 1 Lakh to Rs. 2 Lakh.
- Essential plan- It offers sum insured from Rs. 3 Lakh to Rs. 5 Lakh.
- Privilege plan- It offers sum insured from Rs. 6 Lakh to Rs. 10 Lakh.
Features and Benefits
- Speedy policy issuance
- No medical screening
- Entry age: the plan offers insurance coverage for 3-month-old babies to 55 years old adults.
- Cashless facility
- Fast and hassle-free claims process
- Daycare procedures expenses up to 141 procedures
- Pre-hospitalization and post-hospitalization expenses up to 90 days.
- Domiciliary treatment
- Organ donor expenses
- Ambulance expenses
- Dental treatment in case of accident
- AYUSH benefit
- Daily cash benefit.
- Vaccination benefit
- Mother and child care benefit for 2 deliveries
- Pregnancy cover
- Pre & post-natal expenses
- Newborn care
- HIV/ AIDS cover
- Dial-a-doctor: this plan covers expenses incurred in availing medical advice from a doctor over the telephone or online.
- Health educational library for people (help): this plan provides access to universal sompo’s library for people and online medical experts for availing various features such as live chat, ask-an-expert, & online health videos and guides.
- Second opinion once a year
- Wellness package: this plan offers vouchers for availing certain health services/ products.
Exclusions
- 365 days waiting period
- Specific Waiting Period- Diseases listed below will be covered after one year of waiting period
Diseases
- Non-infective Arthritis
- Cataract
- Calculus diseases related to a urogenital system and gallbladder
- Fissure/fistula in the anus
- Pilonidal Sinus
- Haemorrhoids
- Gout and rheumatism
- Gastric & duodenal ulcers
- Internal tumours
- Nodules
- Cysts
- Polyps
- Breast lumps
- Age-related osteoarthritis and osteoporosis
- Sinusitis and related diseases
- Polycystic ovarian diseases
- Skin tumours
