Optima Lite Health Insurance Plan
HDFC ERGO Optima Lite Health Insurance Plan is an affordable health insurance policy that provides necessary health insurance coverage to i…
- Affordable premiums
- Unlimited restore benefit
- No disease-wise sub-limits
Trusted by 1M+ Indians since 2014 · IRDAI-licensed
Health Insurance Plans in India
Compare 30+ health insurers and 100+ plans across India. Save tax under Section 80D, enjoy cashless treatment at 10,000+ network hospitals, and get a free expert advisor — all in one place.
- Tax saving up to ₹30000 under 80D
- Cashless at 10,000+ network hospitals
- No-Claim Bonus
- Automatic Restoration
30+
Insurers compared
₹1 Cr
Maximum sum insured
98%
Claim settlement
1M+
Indians insured
What is health insurance
A plain-English read on what health insurance covers and why it matters.
Health insurance is a contract between you and an insurer: you pay an annual premium, and the insurer pays your medical bills up to a defined sum insured if you fall ill or are hospitalised. In India, regulated insurers offer policies covering hospitalisation, day-care procedures, pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses, ambulance charges and a growing list of modern treatments such as robotic surgery and AYUSH.
The right policy protects your savings from a single medical emergency wiping them out — a ₹10-lakh hospital bill is no longer rare in urban India. It also gives you access to cashless treatment at thousands of partner hospitals, so you don't pay anything at admission. Buying online lets you compare quotes side-by-side, lock in your premium at today's age, and get your policy delivered to your inbox in minutes.
Why invest in health insurance
Six numbers that explain why waiting is the most expensive option.
Protect your savings
One hospitalisation can cost ₹3–10 lakh. Insurance moves that risk off your balance sheet for a few hundred rupees a month.
Rising medical inflation
Healthcare costs in India rise 12–15% every year — far faster than salaries. A policy bought today locks in coverage at tomorrow's prices.
Wider cashless access
Network hospitals settle bills directly with the insurer, so you walk in for treatment without paying upfront or chasing reimbursements.
Tax savings under 80D
Premiums qualify for deduction up to ₹1,00,000 a year under Section 80D — for yourself, your spouse, children and parents.
Family financial security
A family floater extends one sum insured across spouse, children and parents, so a single emergency doesn't derail multiple budgets.
Peace of mind
Knowing a hospital admission is covered turns a medical crisis into a logistics problem instead of a financial one.
Types of health insurance
Four core shapes of policy in India — pick the one that fits your situation.
Individual
One person, one sum insured — best for young, single buyers who want maximum cover at the lowest premium. Compare individual plans
Compare plans →Family floater
One policy, one sum insured, multiple lives. Spouse, children and parents share a single cover — usually cheaper than buying separate individual policies. Compare family plans
Compare plans →Senior citizen
Tailored for 60+ buyers — higher entry-age limits, simpler underwriting and pre-existing-disease covers from year one or two. Compare senior plans
Compare plans →Critical illness
Pays a lump sum on diagnosis of a listed illness (cancer, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure). Stacks on top of a regular Mediclaim policy. Compare critical illness plans
Compare plans →Specialized health insurance
Two categories worth surfacing separately from the standard four.
Women-specific cover
Maternity, infertility treatment, breast-cancer cover and reconstructive surgery — features designed around women's healthcare needs. Often comes with shorter waiting periods than standard plans.
Special needs and disability cover
Policies that cover children and adults with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy or hearing/vision impairment — including therapy, devices and home care.
Top health insurers in India
Rated by 24,723+ verified PolicyX customers.
Featured plans
A starting point — compare side-by-side or talk to an advisor.
Galaxy Twin 360
Galaxy Twin 360 combines in-patient hospitalisation (IPD) cover with out-patient (OPD) and wellness benefits, aiming to make health insuran…
- OPD benefits along with hospitalisation cover
- usable benefits even in non-hospitalisation years
- wellness and preventive care integration
SBI General Health Alpha Plan
The SBI General Health Alpha health insurance plan is highly flexible and can be tailored to your needs. You start with a base of Hospitali…
- Customizable plan with multiple add-ons
- Wide sum insured options (can go high)
- Covers modern treatments & daycare procedures
Niva Bupa Reassure 3.0
The Niva Bupa ReAssure 3.0 health plan has made it easier than ever to guarantee lifetime protection for you and your family, with a covera…
- Unlimited Sum Insured
- Day 1 Pre-Existing Disease Coverage
- Automatic Sum Insured Restoration
- No Co-payment Clause
Niva Bupa Rise Plan
The Niva Bupa Rise Plan introduces a new era of health insurance, combining essential coverage with unique advantages. Specifically designe…
- Modern treatment covered
- Unlimited digital consultation
- Smart Cash
- Loyalty bonus
Galaxy Top-up Health Insurance Plan
Galaxy Top-up plan by Galaxy Health Insurance Company is a top-up health insurance plan. In today's landscape of escalating healthcare cost…
- Family coverage
- flexibility in deductible
- Digital ICU coverage.
Government health schemes
Public schemes that complement (or substitute) a private policy.
Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY)
India's flagship national scheme. Up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation, free at 25,000+ empanelled hospitals. Targets families below the poverty line identified via SECC 2011.
Mukhyamantri Amrutum (Gujarat)
State-level scheme for low-income families in Gujarat. Up to ₹3 lakh per family per year for serious illnesses including cancer, heart, kidney and trauma care at empanelled hospitals.
Dr YSR Aarogyasri (Andhra Pradesh)
Free cashless treatment up to ₹5 lakh per family for 2,400+ listed procedures at 1,300+ empanelled hospitals in Andhra Pradesh. Targets families below the income threshold.
Eligibility criteria
Who can buy a Mediclaim / health insurance policy in India.
- Indian citizen or NRI with an Indian address
- Entry age typically 18 to 65 for adults; child cover from 90 days to 25 years
- Pass the medical underwriting check — pre-existing conditions are accepted with a waiting period
- Co-applicants for a floater policy must be immediate family — spouse, dependent children, parents and in some plans parents-in-law
- Lifelong renewability is mandated by IRDAI once a policy is bought, so age never becomes a barrier to renewal
- KYC documents — PAN, Aadhaar and address proof — are needed before policy issuance
Key benefits
What a good health policy delivers — across nearly every insurer in India.
- Cashless treatment at 10,000+ network hospitals across India
- Pre-hospitalisation expenses covered up to 60 days before admission
- Post-hospitalisation expenses covered up to 180 days after discharge
- Day-care procedures that don't need a 24-hour stay (cataract, dialysis, chemotherapy)
- Ambulance charges reimbursed up to a per-incident limit
- AYUSH treatments — Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy — at registered hospitals
- Annual preventive health check-up for the insured and the spouse
- No-claim bonus — sum insured grows 10–50% every claim-free year
- Automatic restoration of sum insured if it's exhausted during the year
- Tax deduction up to ₹1,00,000 per financial year under Section 80D
Benefits of buying health insurance online
Six reasons online beats walking into a branch with paper forms.
Side-by-side comparison
Compare every major insurer's premium, sum insured, claim ratio, network and waiting periods in one view — no commission-driven recommendations.
Instant policy issuance
Buy in under 15 minutes — KYC is done via Aadhaar OTP and the policy is emailed to you the same day.
Paperless onboarding
No physical proposal form, no in-person medical test for most age bands, no waiting for a courier — everything happens in your browser.
Best-price guarantee
Online premiums are 5–15% lower than offline because the insurer doesn't pay agent commissions. The savings come straight to you.
Expert advisor on call
A licensed PolicyX advisor talks you through plan selection, claim history check and exclusions — at no extra cost.
Manage everything in one place
Renew the policy, edit nominee details, add a rider, raise a claim and download tax certificates from your PolicyX dashboard.
Tax benefits — Section 80D
Health-insurance premium qualifies for deduction under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act.
Self, spouse and dependent children (all below 60)up to ₹25,000
Senior citizens (self or spouse aged 60+)up to ₹50,000
Parents below 60additional up to ₹25,000
Parents aged 60+additional up to ₹50,000
Preventive health check-up (within above limits)up to ₹5,000
Maximum aggregate deductionup to ₹1,00,000 per financial year
Inclusions vs exclusions
What a typical health policy pays for, and what it doesn't.
Inclusions
- Hospitalisation expenses — room, ICU, surgeon, anaesthesia, OT and medicines
- Pre-hospitalisation (up to 60 days) and post-hospitalisation (up to 180 days)
- Day-care procedures that don't require 24-hour admission
- Domiciliary treatment when hospitalisation is not possible
- AYUSH treatments at registered hospitals
- Ambulance charges within a per-incident limit
- Organ-donor expenses for the insured's transplant
- COVID-19 and modern treatments including robotic and oral chemotherapy
Exclusions
- Pre-existing diseases during the waiting period (typically 2–4 years)
- Cosmetic, plastic and weight-loss surgery unless medically necessary
- Self-inflicted injuries, suicide attempts and substance-abuse treatment
- Dental and vision-correction procedures unless arising from an accident
- Pregnancy-related expenses outside the maternity rider
- Treatment outside India unless explicitly added as a rider
- War, civil unrest, nuclear and chemical hazards
- Adventure-sports injuries (skydiving, mountaineering, motor racing)
Riders & add-ons
Optional covers you can bolt onto a base policy for extra protection.
Maternity cover
Covers normal and caesarean delivery, new-born baby and vaccination costs for the first year — after a 2–4 year waiting period.
OPD cover
Pays for doctor consultations, diagnostic tests and pharmacy bills that don't need hospitalisation — usually capped at a yearly limit.
Personal accident
Lump-sum payout on accidental death or permanent disability, on top of the medical cover. Includes loss of income for total disability.
Critical illness
Lump sum on diagnosis of a listed illness (cancer, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure) — separate from the hospitalisation cover.
Hospital cash
Pays a fixed daily amount for each day of hospitalisation, on top of expense reimbursement — useful for incidentals.
Room-rent waiver
Removes the cap on per-day room rent so you can pick a private room without proportionate deduction across the entire bill.
Premium calculator — how it works
Five inputs, one live comparison across every major insurer.
- Enter age, gender and city — Open the calculator and enter the basic profile of every person you want to cover.
- Pick sum insured and term — Choose cover from ₹3 lakh to ₹1 crore and a policy term of 1, 2 or 3 years.
- Declare medical history — Disclose existing conditions and lifestyle so the quote you see is the one you'll pay.
- Compare across insurers — One screen, every major insurer, side-by-side premiums, claim ratios and inclusions.
- Lock in and download — Pay via UPI or netbanking and download the policy as a PDF the same minute.
Factors affecting premium
Eight variables every insurer plugs into the same actuarial table.
- Age at entry — premiums roughly double every 10 years after 35
- City tier — Tier-1 cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru) cost 10–25% more than Tier-2/3
- Sum insured — ₹10 lakh costs roughly 1.5× a ₹5 lakh plan, not 2×
- Number of insured — a family floater is cheaper per person than separate individual covers
- Pre-existing diseases — loading of 20–100% based on condition severity
- Tobacco and alcohol use — non-smokers pay 10–20% less on most plans
- Policy term — 2- or 3-year prepaid policies usually save 5–10% on the annual rate
- Riders chosen — each add-on (maternity, OPD, critical illness) bumps the premium proportionally
How to compare health plans
What to look at, beyond the headline premium.
- Identify your healthcare needs — family size, city, existing conditions and budget
- Check sum insured options — pick a cover at least 50× the typical room-rent of a good hospital in your city
- Compare premiums and the claim settlement ratio — insurers below 90% are a warning sign
- Read inclusions and exclusions — focus on the 5–6 conditions you're most worried about
- Review waiting periods — 30 days for general illness, 2–4 years for pre-existing
- Check the network hospital list in your city — cashless is only useful at network hospitals
- Look for restoration, no-claim bonus and room-rent capping — these change the real-world value of the cover
- Ask about co-pay and sub-limits — a low premium often hides a high co-pay or a sub-limit on critical procedures
Myths & facts
The biggest misconceptions about Indian health insurance — debunked.
Myth
- I'm young and healthy, so I don't need health insurance.
- My employer's group cover is enough.
- Pre-existing diseases are never covered.
- Cashless means no documents.
- One insurance is the same as another.
- Buying online means no support.
Fact
- Premiums lock in at the entry age and lifestyle diseases now strike Indians in their 30s. Buying young is the cheapest the policy will ever be.
- Employer cover ends the day you change jobs. A personal policy is portable, lifelong renewable, and counts towards 80D — your employer's doesn't.
- They're covered after a waiting period of 2–4 years — and some new-age insurers cover them from day one with a small loading.
- You still need pre-authorisation and the discharge summary, but the bill itself is paid by the insurer to the hospital directly.
- Claim ratio, network depth, room-rent capping, restoration and co-pay vary widely — two policies at the same premium can have completely different real-world value.
- PolicyX provides a dedicated advisor by phone for every policy sold, with a claims-support team that helps you raise and settle claims end-to-end.
Claim process
Two ways to claim — cashless (faster, no out-of-pocket) and reimbursement (any hospital).
Cashless (recommended)
- Get admitted to a network hospital and show your health card at the insurance desk.
- Hospital sends a pre-authorisation request with your treatment plan to the insurer.
- Insurer approves and confirms the cashless limit within a few hours, in most cases.
- At discharge, the bill is settled directly between the hospital and the insurer; you only pay for non-covered items.
Reimbursement
- Inform the insurer within 24 hours of any planned or emergency admission.
- Pay all hospital bills out of pocket and keep every original document.
- Fill the claim form and submit it with the discharge summary, bills, prescriptions and reports within 30 days of discharge.
- Insurer reviews the claim and may request additional documents within 7–15 days.
- Approved claim amount is transferred to your bank account, typically within 30 days of full documentation.
Health card
Your insurer-issued card — the key that unlocks cashless treatment at admission.
- Issued by the insurer or TPA after policy purchase; doubles as your cashless-treatment ID at the hospital
- Lists the policy number, sum insured, validity period and the network of empanelled hospitals
- Show it at the insurance desk on admission to start the cashless authorisation flow
- Available as a physical card and a digital version inside the insurer's app — both work the same way
- Replace immediately if lost — most insurers re-issue inside 7 working days at no charge
How to buy online
From comparison to policy delivery — five steps, fifteen minutes.
- Compare — Filter by city, sum insured and family size; sort by premium or claim ratio.
- Pick a plan — Read inclusions, exclusions and room-rent rules; talk to a free advisor if needed.
- Fill details — Enter Aadhaar, PAN, KYC and medical declarations honestly. The portal autosaves as you go.
- Pay — UPI, netbanking, credit/debit card or EMI. The portal generates a receipt the same minute.
- Get policy — Soft copy in your inbox within minutes; physical kit (if requested) couriered in 5–7 days.
Glossary
The terms you'll see in every policy document — translated.
The maximum the insurer will pay during a policy year. Pick a cover that's at least 50× a single-day private-room rent in a good city hospital.
The annual amount you pay to keep the policy active. Online premiums are usually 5–15% lower because no commission is paid.
A fixed percentage of the bill you pay yourself, with the insurer paying the rest. Common in senior-citizen plans and lower-premium policies.
A flat amount you pay before the insurer starts paying. Higher deductibles mean lower premiums — used in top-up and super top-up plans.
A hospital empanelled with the insurer where cashless treatment is available. Always check the network for your city before buying.
Any condition diagnosed before the policy started — covered after a waiting period, typically 2–4 years.
The time you must hold the policy before specific conditions or treatments become payable. Standard initial wait is 30 days for general illness.
A reward for not claiming during a policy year — sum insured grows 10–50% the next year, at no extra premium, up to a defined cap.
Automatic top-up of the sum insured if it's exhausted mid-year, so a second illness in the same year is still covered.
A cap on per-day room rent — if you exceed it, the insurer applies a proportionate deduction across the entire bill, not just the room.
A cap on a specific expense (e.g. cataract surgery, knee replacement) inside the overall sum insured. Watch out for these — they erode real cover.
Third-Party Administrator — the agency that processes cashless approvals and claim documents on behalf of the insurer.
Frequently asked questions
The 18 most-asked questions about health insurance in India.
The sum insured options available under the plan range between 5 to 50 Lac INR.
AI offers numerous benefits to the health insurance industry, impacting various aspects of operations, cost efficiency, customer experience, and risk management.
No, it is not mandatory to appoint a nominee in your health insurance plan, unlike a term insurance plan. However, it safeguards your loved ones financially.
Like every other insurance plan, Royal Sundaram health insurance plans also come with exclusions. This means that no coverage is provided to the insured on the occurrence of any event listed in the exclusion list. Pre-existing medical conditions as declared by the policyholder during the purchase of policy up to the waiting period (Plan Particular) Addictive conditions & disorders Adventurous or Hazardous sports It is advisable to go through the plan brochure before buying a health plan.
If ‘cashless hospitalization’ is denied by Reliance Health Insurance/TPA then follow these steps: Settle the hospital bills in full as required. Collect all the original bill documents and reports at the time of discharge. Lodge your claim with RCare Health /TPA for processing and reimbursement.
Under the New India Yuva Bharat Health Policy (Platinum Plan), the No Claim Bonus boosts your coverage by up to 30% of the sum insured, including a 10% annual bonus for every claim-free year.
No, the company does not offer any maternity specific health plan, however, it offer several plan wherein one can avail the coverage against maternity.
You can cover a newborn child from day 1 or cover a newborn as early as 90 days up to 25 years depending on insurer to insurer.
To file a claim, you need the filled claim form, hospital bill, discharge summary, pharmacy and test bills with prescriptions, bank details, and a valid ID. For accidents, include an FIR or MLC report. Submit scanned PDFs for online claims or originals for offline submission.
No, maternity and new born baby coverage are not available under the plan.
While not universally mandatory in every situation, health insurance is highly recommended for all students. Many colleges and universities require students to have health insurance, especially if they live on campus or participate in certain programs. Even if your school doesn’t mandate it, having health insurance is crucial for protecting your health and finances. For international students, health insurance is almost always a visa requirement.
Common Medical Tests Needed for Term Insurance Blood pressure test. Blood cholesterol levels or Lipid profile. Test for Blood glucose levels. Body Mass Index (BMI) measurement. Routine Urine Analysis (RUA) Electrocardiogram (ECG) Liver function test (LFT) Complete blood count (CBC)
The policy covers the room rent up to a maximum of Rs. 5,000 per day, subject to the Sum Insured.
Yes, ambulance charges are covered under the Flexi Floater Group Mediclaim Policy. The plan covers ambulance charges up to 1% of the sum insured or the actual expenses, whichever is lower, with a maximum limit of Rs. 2,500.
Yes, BSKY offers coverage for pre-existing conditions after a waiting period as per the scheme guidelines.
Yes, pre and post-hospitalization are covered in their comprehensive health insurance policy.
Yes. This plan provides an option of a 5% co-payment for every admissible claim under this plan.
The waiting period in health insurance plans ranges from 30 days to 2 years depending on the plan specification. The accidental benefits are covered from day one.
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