Best Health Insurance to Purchase Online in India

A quick online search for “best health insurance plans in India” would result in hundreds of options. From individual health plans to family floaters and plans designed especially for women, the insurance marketplace is chock-full with options. Which health insurance plan is good for someone really depends on the person’s individual healthcare needs.

Here, we’ve listed down some of the best health insurance plans in different categories available in the market. Read on and take your pick.

• Personal health insurance plans
• Family floater health insurance plans
• Senior citizens health insurance plans
• Critical illness health insurance plans

 

Personal health insurance plans

Aditya Birla Activ Diamond Plan: a comprehensive general health insurance plan, this plan also offers additional cover for critical illness and reduction of pre-existing diseases waiting period. Its key features are:

• 150% reload of sum insured, for subsequent claims due to unrelated illness, maximum up to Rs 50 lakh
• Coverage for 586 daycare procedures
• International and domestic medical emergency services
• HealthReturns worth up to 30% of the premium amount  

Bajaj Allianz Health Guard Plan: A comprehensive plan, both for individuals and family, it offers coverage for pregnancy as well as newborn baby. Here are its key features:

• Two variants available: Silver (up to 2 lakh sum insured) and Gold (up to 50 lakh sum insured
• Entry age: 3 months to 65 years
• Renewability: lifelong
• Includes comprehensive coverage: pre and post hospitalization, critical illness, organ donor expenses, AYUSH treatment, maternity and more.

 

Family floater health insurance plans

Star Health Family Health Optima: this super saver family health insurance plan is available for the age group of 18 years to 65 years. It includes members- spouse, dependent children (16 days to 25 years), and parents. Its key features are:

• Sum insured up to Rs 25 lakh
• Coverage for newborn baby
• Air ambulance cover up to 10% of the basic sum insured
• Bonus and additional sum insured

 

Senior citizen health insurance plans

Bharti AXA Senior Citizen Health Insurance: health insurance specially designed to safeguard senior citizens of 65 years and above, this is currently one of the most recommended senior citizens’ health insurance plans. Here are its key features.

• Offers additional cover for critical illness
• Cashless hospitalization
• Sum insured: 5 lakh to 1 crore
• Special dedicated customer care support for senior citizens

HDFC Ergo Health Insurance for Senior Citizens: with no age limit, this here is one of the best plans for senior citizens’ healthcare needs. Its key features are:

• Day care treatment coverage: all treatments
• Critical illness coverage: ad-on available
• Additional coverage: AYUSH treatments

Bajaj Allianz Silver Health Plan: The key features of this plan are:

• Customized plans
• Inclusions: cumulative bonus, pre-existing illness, pre and post hospitalization, waiver of co-payment
• Exclusions: diseases contracted in the first 30 days from the start of the policy, certain diseases such as hernia, cataract, etc., non-allopathic medicines.
• Sum insured: 50,000 to 5 lakh according to plan chosen
• Age bracket: 46 to 70 years

Aditya Birla Activ Care Senior Citizen Health Insurance: The key features of this plan are:

• 586 day-care procedures covered
• Air ambulance cost covered
• Sum insured: 3 lakh to 25 lakh
• Limitations: pre-existing ailments covered only after 1 year, 10% and 20% co-payment option applicable depending on plan chosen
• Age bracket: 55 years to 80 years

HDFC Ergo Health Insurance for Senior Citizens: The key features of this plan are:

• Day care treatment coverage: all treatments
• Critical illness coverage: ad-on available
• Additional coverage: AYUSH treatments
• No age limit

Senior Citizens Red Carpet Insurance Plan: This plan is offered by Star Health Insurance and its key features are:

• Entry age: 60 to 75 years
• Pre-existing illnesses waiting period: 1 year
• Pre-entry medical check-up requirement: none
• The maximum sum insured: 10 lakh

Medi Senior: This plan is offered by Tata AIG and its key features are:

• Entry age: 61 years
• Day care procedure coverage: 140 days

Oriental Health Insurance Hope: The key features of this plan are:

• Maximum age: no limit
• Sum insured: up to 5 lakh
• Pre-existing illnesses waiting period: 2 years
• Waiting period: 30 days
• Co-payment: 20%

Critical illness health insurance plans

Aditya Birla Critical Illness Health Insurance Policy: This plan offers variants that cover 20, 50 or 64critical illnesses according to the plan chosen. 

• Sum insured up to 1 crore
• Lump sum payout on detection
• Provides option for second e-opinion

MaxBupa CritiCare: A plan that offers coverage against 20 critical illness, here are its key features:

• Sum insured up to 3 crore
• 30-minute cashless claim process
• Lifetime renewability

Health insurance plans that offer OPD coverage

Max Bupa Heartbeat Platinum Plan: A plan designed for individuals or family, the minimum sum insured under this plan is Rs 15 lakh and maximum OPD coverage provided is Rs 30000. Among its key features are:

• Maternity expenses incurred before and after childbirth – vaccinations, childcare cover, and more
• No entry age conditions
• In case of non-utilization of cover, 80% is carried forward 
• In case of family floater, the age of the eldest member is considered to determine the premium
• Policyholder can avail tax benefits under Section 80D

Bajaj Allianz Tax Gain Plan: A family floater plan that covers OPD expenses. Here are its key features:

• It offers cashless facility across a large network of hospitals.
• The policyholder can avail tax benefits under Section 80D.
• Quick and easy claim process for OPD expenses.
• Coverage includes spectacles, contact lenses, dentures, dental treatment and more.

Apollo Munich Maxima Plan: The key features of this plan are:

• Age group of 91 days and 65 years
• 1-year policy period
• The plan is available for individual or family
• It covers doctor’s consultation, pharmacy bills, diagnostics, health check-ups, ambulance, newborn baby expenses, and more.
• It offers additional coverage for critical illness. 
• The policyholder can avail tax benefits under Section 80D

 

Specific illnesses plans 

Some health insurers offer plans for dedicated illnesses. These plans are designed to cover treatment expenses for specific diseases only. For e.g., if there is a family history of diabetes, one could go for a health insurance plan that is specially designed to cover diabetes. Some insurance policies for diabetic patients are: HDFC Ergo (Energy Diabetes Insurance), Star Health (Diabetes Safe Insurance Policy), and Religare Health Insurance (Diabetes Health Insurance), among others. Among other dedicated illnesses plans, insurers also offer plans for cardiac and heart, for e.g. Religare Health (Care Heart) and Star Health Insurance (Star Cardiac).

 

Health insurance plans for diabetes

Star Health Diabetes Safe

• For diabetic patients between 18 years and 65 years
• Sum assured: Rs 3 lakh to Rs 10 lakh
• Two types of plans – Plan A and Plan B
• Network hospitals over 6000
• Hospitalization
• Pre hospitalization up to 30 days prior
• Post hospitalization up to 60 days after
• Organ donor treatment
• Artificial limbs if amputated up to 10% of sum insured

Apollo Munich Diabetes Energy

• Sun assured: Rs 2 lakhs to 50 lakhs
• Pre and post hospitalization coverage
• Organ donor treatment expenses
• Wellness program – health coach, diet and fitness plan, regular monitoring
• Premium discount up to 25% for staying fit
• Ambulance expenses
• No waiting period
• Specific health check ups included
• 10% no claims bonus
• Tax benefit up to Rs 30,000 under section 80D

Aditya Birla Diabetes Insurance

• Different plans available – Activ Enhanced Health Plan and Activ Health Essential Plan
• Doctor’s consultation fee
• Diagnostic tests
• Hospitalization – 60 days pre and 180 days post
• Second e-opinion 
• No-claim bonus
• Annual health check ups
• 100% reload of sum insured
• 527 daycare procedures

Religare Care Freedom Plan

• No pre-policy medical check up
• Annual health check ups
• Lifelong renewability
• Tax benefit under Section 80D
• 2 years waiting period for pre-existing diabetes
• Portability
• Pre and post hospitalization
• Dialysis expenses
• Ambulance cost
• In-patient care – room rent, nursing, ICU, among others
• 170 day care treatments

We hope that by now you have narrowed down on a few plans that you might want to explore further. Well done! That’s one step closer to securing your healthcare needs. Let us know how we can help you with your choices.