India’s Load of Chronic Diseases
Chronic diseases contribute to an estimated 53% of deaths and 44% of disability-adjusted life-years lost. Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are highly prevalent in urban areas. Tobacco-related cancers account for a large proportion of all cancers.
India’s Cancer Risk
The estimated number of cases of cancer in India for the year 2022 was found to be 14,61,427. In India, one in nine people are likely to develop cancer in his/her lifetime. Lung and breast cancers are the leading sites of cancer in males and females, respectively. The incidence of cancer cases is estimated to increase by 12.8 per cent in 2025 as compared to 2020.
Viral Hepatitis Becoming a Public Health Threat
According to 2024 Global Hepatitis Report by the World Health Organization (WHO) India accounted for a significant 11.6 per cent of the world's hepatitis cases in 2022, with 29.8 million hepatitis B and 5.5 million hepatitis C cases. Half the burden of chronic hepatitis B and C infection is among people 30–54 years old and men account for 58 per cent of all cases, the report noted.
Accelerated Cost of Living with Diabetes
India is considered to be the global diabetes capital with an estimated 77 million people above the age of 18 years suffering from diabetes (type 2) and nearly 25 million are prediabetics. In India, the median average annual direct and indirect costs associated with diabetes care were estimated at ₹ 25,391 and ₹ 4,970, respectively. Extrapolating from the Indian population, the annual cost of diabetes was found be USD 31.9 billion in 2010.
India’s threat to Communicable Diseases
In 2021, pneumonia was the leading cause of death from communicable diseases in India, killing over 14,000 people. Acute respiratory infections were the second leading cause of death, killing over 9,000 people.
The Burden Of Cardiovascular Diseases
India has one of the highest burdens of cardiovascular disease (CVD) worldwide. The annual number of deaths from CVD in India is projected to rise from 2.26 million (1990) to 4.77 million (2020). Coronary heart disease prevalence rates in India have been estimated over the past several decades and have ranged from 1.6% to 7.4% in rural populations and from 1% to 13.2% in urban populations.
Cashless Hospital Network
15000+ˇ across India
Tax Savings
Upto ₹ 1 lac****
Renewal Benefit
Free Health Check-up within 60 Days of Renewal
Claim Settlement Rate
3 Claims/Minute*
Claim Approval
Within 36*~ Minutes
Coverage
Hospitalization Expenses, Day Care Treatments, Home Treatments, AYUSH Treatment, Organ Donor Expenses
Pre & Post Hospitalization
Covers Expenses upto 60 days of admission & 180 days post discharge
Hospitalization Expenses
Just like every other health insurance plan, we too cover your hospitalization expenses such as room rent, ICU charges, investigations, surgery, doctor consultations etc. when hospitalised either due to an accident or for a planned surgery.
Mental Healthcare
We believe mental healthcare is just as important as physical illness or injury. Our health insurance plans are designed in a way to cover hospitalization expenses incurred for treating mental illnesses.
Pre & Post Hospitalization
Our medical insurance policies include all your pre and post hospitalization expenses up to 60 days of admission and post-discharge expenses till 180 days
Day Care Treatments
Medical advancements help in wrapping up important surgeries and treatments in less than 24 hours, and guess what? We have included daycare treatments in our health insurance plans to cover you
Home Healthcare
In case of non-availability of hospital beds, if the doctor approves treatment at home our medical insurance policy covers you for that as well. So that, you get medical treatment right in the comfort of your home.
Sum Insured Rebound
This benefit acts like a magical backup, which recharges your exhausted health cover up to the sum insured even after a claim. This unique feature ensure uninterrupted medical coverage at the time of need.
Organ Donor Expenses
Organ donation is a noble cause and at times this could be a life-saving surgery. This is why our health insurance plans cover the medical and surgical expenses of the organ donor while harvesting a major organ from the donor’s body.
Recovery Benefit
If you stay in a hospital for more than 10 days at a stretch, then we pay for other financial losses that might have happened due to your absence at home. This feature in our plans ensure you can take care of your other expenses even during your hospitalization.
AYUSH Benefits
If you are a believer in alternate therapies like Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy let your belief system stay intact as we cover hospitalization expenses for AYUSH treatment as well in our health insurance plans.
Free Renewal Health Check-up
Health insurance policies often offer a complimentary annual health checkup to help you stay fit and active and prevent illnesses. These checkups include multiple diagnostic tests, such as liver function tests, lipid profiles, and tests for vitamin deficiencies, among others.
Lifelong Renewability
Once you get yourself secured with us, there is no looking back. Our health insurance plans continue to secure your medical expenses for your entire lifetime on break-free renewals.
Multiplier Benefit
A multiplier benefit equal to 50% of the base sum insured from the expiring policy will be provided at renewal, regardless of any claims made during the policy term. This benefit can accumulate up to a maximum of 100% of the base sum insured.
Below are the documents that you need to keep handy when making a claim against your health insurance policy. However, do read the policy terms and conditions carefully, in order to avoid missing out any important document.
The claim form with your signature and valid identity proof.
Prescription of the doctor stating hospitalization, diagnostic tests and medicines.
Original Hospital , diagnostic , doctors and medicine bills along with receipts.
Discharge summary, case papers , investigation reports.
Police FIR/medico legal case report (MLC) or post-mortem report if applicable .
Proof of named Bank Account like Cheque copy/Passbook/Bank statement
A health insurance plan not only covers your medical expenses but also offers tax benefits so that you can save upto ₹ 1 lac**** under Section 80D of Income Tax Act 1961. It plays an important role in planning your finances.
Please note that the above-mentioned benefits are as per the current tax laws prevailing in the country. Your tax benefits may change subject to tax laws. It is advisable to reconfirm the same with your tax consultant. This is independent of your health insurance premium value.
It is always advisable to buy a good health insurance plan as early as possible because health emergencies can happen anytime, without any prior notice. The following points will make it even clearer, why it is important to buy a health insurance policy at an early age:
Premium is comparatively lower when you get a health policy at a young age. This reason for it is that, for the insurance company, the lower the age, the lesser is the health risk associated.
In certain cases, you might be excused from the mandatory health check-ups that people of a certain age must undergo to obtain health insurance.
Health insurance policies have waiting periods for a few health conditions. If you purchase a mediclaim policy when you’re young, you complete them sooner.
Scenario 1 Dependency On Employer’s Health Insurance plan
Most of us consider employee health insurance as a secured cover for taking care of medical expenses. However, you must know that employer health insurance covers you only during your job tenure. Once you leave the company or switch jobs, you lose your health insurance benefits. Some companies do not offer health cover during initial probation period. Even if you have a valid corporate health cover it may offer a lower sum insured, lack modern medical coverage and may also ask you to co-pay for claims. Hence, always have a personal health insurance plan for yourself and your family to be double sure.
Scenario 2 Unaware Of The Benefits Of Including Health Insurance in Financial Planning
Scenario 3 Thinking a Higher Sum Insured Might Not Be Necessary
Scenario 4 Miscalculating The Benefits of Premium Vs Coverage
Scenario 5 Buying Health insurance Only To Save Tax
Scenario 6 Undermining the importance of buying a health insurance at a younger age
Every time you look for a health insurance plan, you wonder which is the best health insurance plan? How to choose the best health plan online? What coverage should it have? To answer all your queries let’s read more to decode the hacks to get the right health insurance plan.
If you are looking to insure yourself consider a health insurance plan with a sum insured ranging between 7 lacs to 10 lacs. For a family a policy the sum insured could range between 8 to 15 lakhs on floater basis. Remember, your health insurance plan should be adequate to cover for more than one hospitalisation that may happen in a year.
Health insurance premiums are quite affordable. So when you chose a plan, don’t make a hasty decision of paying low premiums for a smaller sum insured and then co-pay your hospital bills later. You might end up paying hefty amount for your medical bills. Instead, work on a co-payment clause that’s easy on your pocket.
Always check if the insurance company has a wide list of network hospitals included in your health insurance plan. Also check, if the nearest hospital or medical facility is listed by the insurance company, so it will help you avail cashless treatment. At HDFC ERGO, we have a huge network of 12,000+ Cashless Health care centers.
Usually your medical expenses depend upon your room type and disease. It is recommended to buy a health insurance plan that does not have sub-limits on hospital room rent so that you can choose the hospital room as per your comfort. Most of our policies also don’t imply disease sublimit; this is also an important factor one must keep in mind.
Your health insurance plan does not come into action while you are waiting period is not completed. Always check health insurance policies with lower waiting periods for pre-existing ailments and maternity cover benefits before buying a health insurance plan online.
Always choose a health insurance company that has a good reputation in the market. You must also look at the customer base and claim paying ability to know if the brand will honor the claims that you may make in future. Choosing a health insurance plan is a commitment of both policyholder and insurer, so take a decision calmly.
With the development in technology, treatments and the availability of more effective medicines the cost of healthcare has steeply increased.
All this increase ends up being a burden on your savings, making healthcare unaffordable for many. This is where HDFC ERGO’s health insurance policies come into play, as they take care of the hospitalization and treatment charges, leaving the consumer free of financial woes.
Scenario 1 You are a young, healthy youth in the late 20s or early 30s with a few financial responsibilities.
With the development in technology, treatments and the availability of more effective medicines the cost of healthcare has steeply increased. All this increase ends up being a burden for the consumers, making healthcare unaffordable for many. This is where HDFC ERGO’s health insurance policies come into play, as they take care of the hospitalization and treatment charges, leaving the consumer free of financial woes. Get yourself a health insurance plan now.
We recommend you my: optima Seucre Plan
This affordable health insurance plan will offer you a large coverage. It will help you save tax as well. In future, you can add your spouse and child to this plan as well.
Rebound Benefit
Acts as a magical tool to bring back the exhausted sum insured in your health insurance policy, covering future hospitalization that may happen in the same policy period. Therefore, you always hold double protection although you pay only for a single sum insured.
Enhanced Cumulative Bonus
If you do not make any claim, your sum insured in your health insurance policy is increased by 10% as a bonus or reward upto a maximum of 100%.
This is our most-recommended plan for all those who are just willing to buy their first insurance plan.
What do you get in this Health Insurance Plan?
No hospital room rent restriction
Cashless claims approved within 36*~ minutes
Scenario 2
You already have a corporate health cover & do not wish to spend too much on health insurance.
Scenario 3 You are looking for a comprehensive health insurance plan to secure your parents
Scenario 4 You are a confident and independent woman willing looking for a health insurance policy to secure your health.
Scenario 5 Your family has a Critical Illness History so you need a health insurance policy for critical cover.
When considering purchasing a health insurance plan, common questions that may arise include eligibility, required medical tests, and age criteria. However, these days it is easy to check your eligibility for a specific health insurance plan in India before making a purchase online.
At the time of buying a mediclaim policy, it's essential to disclose any prior health conditions you may have. This includes serious diseases, birth defects, surgeries, or cancers, not just common ailments like flu or headaches. Failing to do so may result in certain conditions being permanently excluded from coverage, or covered with a waiting period or additional premium. It's important to inform your insurance company about any pre-existing conditions to ensure full coverage.
Previous Medical Conditions / Pre-Existing Illnesses
While buying a mediclaim policy, you have to be honest enough to declare all your pre-existing illnesses. These illnesses need not be your usual fever, flu, or headaches. However, if in past you have ever been diagnosed with any disease, birth defects, undergone surgery, or cancer of any severity it is important to inform your medical insurance company. Because, many ailments are listed under permanentexclusion, few are covered with a waiting period and few others are covered by charging additional premium with a waiting period. Also Read : Should you disclose pre-existing illnesses while buying health insurance?
Age
If you are above 18 years of age, you can easily buy a health insurance plan for yourself. We also cover newborn babies but the parent needs to have a mediclaim insurance policy with us. If you are a senior citizen,you can get yourself insured upto the age of 65 years. Also Read : Is there an Age Limit for Availing of Health Insurance ?
1. I’ve health insurance from my company. Should I also purchase a separate health insurance policy?
Yes, having a separate individual health insurance plan is important. Your employee health insurance covers medical expenses only till the time you are working in the organization. Once you quit the company, your policy term ends. Keeping medical inflation in mind, it is important to buy personal health insurance as per your medical needs. Also, a corporate health plan is a common plan designed for all employees.
Health insurance portability helps you to change your health insurance plan without having to go through a fresh waiting period term. There is a smooth transfer from one insurer to another if your current plan is not sufficient to cover rising medical costs.
Network hospitals better known as cashless hospitals have an agreement with your insurance company, because of which you can avail cashless hospitalisation benefit. On the other hand, if you get treated In a non-network hospital, you have to pay the bills first and later apply for reimbursement claim. So, it is always wise to buy a health insurance company which has a large network hospital tie-up.
Cashless hospitalisation is a procedure in which the policyholder doesn't have to pay medical expenses out of his pocket in case they are admitted to a hospital or have undergone a surgery. However, there are certain deductibles or non medical expenses at the time of discharge, which are not included in the policy terms, have to be paid at the time of discharge.
In case you have to undergo a surgery, there are certain pre hospitalization expenses such as diagnosis cost, consultations etc Likewise, post the surgery, there could be expenses to monitor the health of the policyholder. These expenses are known as pre and post hospitalization expenses.
You can file multiple numbers of claims during a policy term, provided it is within the limit of the sum insured. A policyholder can get coverage up to sum insured only.
Yes, it is possible to buy more than one medical insurance plan. This entirely depends on an individual’s necessity and coverage requirements.
Yes, you can claim medical bills in health insurance, as long as it is within the sum insured. For more information, read the policy wording document.
It usually takes approx.7 working days in settling a claim if documents are in order.
You can check your claim status through self-help portals or mobile apps extended by insurers.
There may be a few medical tests that needs to be taken before buying health insurance. For some health insurance policies, the medical tests are required if there are pre existing illnessed or if someone is above 40 years of age.
At the time of purchasing or renewal of your health insurance policy, you can add your family members.
Yes, children can be added to your health insurance plan. They can be added post 90 days of birth up to the age of 21 or 25 years. It varies from company to company, so please go through plan eligibility from the product brochure.
You are eligible to pay a lower premium and higher benefits. Since the probability of having a pre-existing illness is low, the waiting periods may also not impact you. Apart from that, common diseases such as flu or accidental injuries can happen at any age, so buying a health insurance when you are young is important.
Yes. You can always have more than one health insurance plan based on necessity and coverage requirements as every plan works differently and offer varied benefits.
The time span during which you cannot raise a claim to avail some or all benefits of the health insurance from your insurance provider for a specified illness is known as waiting period. So, basically, you have to wait for a specified amount of time before you request for a claim.
During this free look period, you have the option of canceling your policy without penalty if you feel your policy is not beneficial. Depending on the insurance company and the plan offered, the free look period can be 10-15 days or even longer. Know more, to know more on free look period.
Network hospitals better known as cashless hospitals have an agreement with your insurance company, because of which you can avail cashless hospitalisation benefit. On the other hand, if you get treated In a non-network hospital, you have to pay the bills first and later apply for reimbursement claim. So, it is always wise to buy a health insurance company which has a large network hospital tie-up.
When a policyholder is in a condition that he/she cannot be admitted to a hospital or the treatment is taken at home due to non-availability of room in the hospital, it is known as domiciliary hospitalisation
In case of a hospitalization cover we cover expenses like pre and post hospitalization expenses for your diagnostic tests, consultations and medicine costs. We also cover ICU, Bed charges, medicine cost, nursing charges and Operation theatre expenses widely.
There is no right or wrong age to buy a health insurance policy. However, it is recommended to buy a health plan early to get lower premiums. Once you turn 18 years old, you can buy a health insurance plan for yourself. Before that a family health insurance plan can cover your healthcare expenses.
No, a health insurance policy cannot be purchased by a minor. But they can be covered under the a family floater health insurance bought by their parents
In case you get admitted at a non-network hospital have to pay the bills from your pocket first and later raise a reimbursement claim from your insurance company. However, your health insurance company will provide reimbursement only up to the amount of Sum Insured.
The annual sum insured is the maximum amount upto which your health insurance will pay for admissible medical expenses during a given policy year. For example, if the annual sum insured is ₹5 lakh and you are diagnosed with an illness requiring hospitalisation, and the bill amounts to around ₹6 lakh, the insurer will only pay ₹5 lakh.
Yes, waiting periods shall apply afresh to the increased portion of the sum insured [SI] amount. Suppose your original sum insured is ₹5 lakh, and the plan had a waiting period of 3 year for declared pre-existing conditions [PED]. After one year, if at renewal you increase the sum insured from ₹5 lakh to ₹15 lakh, then for the original SI ₹5 lakh PED waiting period of 2 years shall apply while for the increased ₹10 lakh portion afresh PED waiting period of 3 years shall apply.
Whether ₹20 lakh health insurance is enough depends on several factors. These include your age, family size, medical history, lifestyle, and where you live, as healthcare costs vary by city. You must also factor in medical inflation and the average cost of healthcare infrastructure in the city you reside in.
The four most common medical insurance plans are Individual Health Insurance, which covers one person; Family Floater Plans, covering the entire family under a single sum insured; Critical Illness Plans, which provide a lump sum on diagnosis of chronic illnesses; and Senior Citizen Health Plans, designed specifically for people above 60 years.
