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Health Insurance (स्वास्थ्य बीमा)
Choose and buy a health insurance policy in India: work out the cover you need, compare insurers and policy terms, disclose your health honestly, pay the premium and use the 30-day free-look period before you settle.
- India
- ~44 days
- 8 steps
- 5 documents
Curated by Raaya · Last reviewed Oct 2026
Steps
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Work out the cover you need (ज़रूरी कवर तय करें)
2 daysStart with who needs cover and how much. An individual policy covers one person; a family floater shares one sum insured among family members. Choose a sum insured that reflects hospital costs in your city; one serious illness can cost several lakh rupees in a private hospital.
If you already have employer group cover, remember it usually ends when you leave the job. A personal policy, or a base policy plus a lower-cost super top-up, gives continuous cover and builds credit against waiting periods.
There is no upper age limit for buying a new policy under IRDAI rules, but premiums and medical checks increase with age, so buying earlier is cheaper.
Tip: Do not rely only on employer cover. Waiting periods restart from zero on a new personal policy bought later.
- List people to cover and their ages
- Note existing illnesses for each person
- Check what your employer policy covers and when it ends
- Decide individual vs family floater
- Pick a sum insured for your city and family size
- Consider a super top-up for higher cover at lower cost
Existing or employer policy details (मौजूदा पॉलिसी) -
Compare insurers and policies (बीमा कंपनियों की तुलना करें)
3 daysBuy only from insurers registered with IRDAI; the regulator's website lists them. Compare a few policies on the same sum insured, using the insurer's policy wording and customer information sheet, not just the brochure.
Look at the insurer's claim settlement record and complaint data, which IRDAI publishes in its annual report and handbook, and check whether hospitals near you are in the cashless network. Online aggregator sites licensed by IRDAI can help shortlist, but read the policy document yourself.
Tip: Check the network hospital list for the hospitals you would actually use. A cheap policy without cashless access nearby is far less useful.
- Online
- irdai.gov.in
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Read the fine print (शर्तें ध्यान से पढ़ें)
2 daysThe policy wording decides what is paid. Check these points before you buy.
Waiting periods: most policies have an initial 30-day waiting period for illness (accidents are covered from day one), a waiting period for listed conditions, and a waiting period for pre-existing diseases, which IRDAI caps at a maximum of 36 months. After 60 months of continuous cover (the moratorium period), a claim cannot be disputed for non-disclosure except for proven fraud or permanent exclusions.
Also check room rent limits (which can reduce the whole bill proportionately), co-payment, sub-limits on specific treatments, restoration of sum insured, no-claim bonus and permanent exclusions.
Tip: A room-rent cap often costs more than it saves. If you choose a higher room category, the insurer may cut every related charge in the same proportion.
- Initial and specific-disease waiting periods
- Pre-existing disease waiting period (36 months maximum)
- Room rent limit and proportionate deduction
- Co-payment and sub-limits
- Restoration benefit and no-claim bonus
- Permanent exclusions and day-care coverage
- Pre- and post-hospitalisation days covered
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Fill the proposal form honestly (प्रस्ताव फॉर्म सही भरें)
2 daysComplete the proposal form online or with an agent. Provide KYC (Aadhaar, PAN, photo), details of each person covered, and full medical history: existing conditions, medicines, past surgeries, smoking and alcohol use.
Do not leave anything out, even if an agent suggests it does not matter. Non-disclosure is the most common reason claims are rejected, and the insurer can cancel the policy for it within the moratorium period.
Keep copies of the submitted proposal form and any medical records you shared.
Tip: Read the proposal form the agent fills for you before signing. You are responsible for every answer on it.
Aadhaar Card (आधार कार्ड)PAN Card (पैन कार्ड)Recent photographs (फोटो)Medical records and check-up reports (मेडिकल रिपोर्ट) -
Attend the pre-policy medical check-up, if asked (मेडिकल जाँच करवाएँ)
3 daysDepending on your age, sum insured and declared health conditions, the insurer may ask for a medical check-up before deciding. It is usually done at a diagnostic centre chosen by the insurer, or by a home visit. Ask in advance who pays for the tests, because practice differs between insurers.
After reviewing the reports, the insurer may accept the proposal as is, accept it with a loading or exclusion for a condition, or decline. You should get the decision and reasons in writing.
Tip: Ask for a copy of your test reports. They are useful for your own records and if the insurer later questions your health status.
- Where
- Insurer's empanelled diagnostic centre · Carry photo ID and the proposal reference number. Many tests need fasting for 8 to 12 hours; bring existing prescriptions and reports.
Medical records and check-up reports (मेडिकल रिपोर्ट) -
Pay the premium (प्रीमियम भुगतान करें)
1 dayPay the premium online, by cheque or by bank transfer from your own account. From 22 September 2025, individual health insurance policies, including family floaters and senior citizen policies, are exempt from GST, so the premium has no GST added.
Under the old tax regime, premiums for yourself, spouse, children and parents can be claimed under Section 80D, up to Rs 25,000 a year for those below 60 and Rs 50,000 for senior citizens, with a separate limit for parents. The new tax regime does not allow this deduction. Pay by a non-cash method to claim it.
Tip: Multi-year policies can lock in the premium for two or three years. Check whether the discount is worth paying upfront.
PAN Card (पैन कार्ड) -
Receive the policy and use the 30-day free look (पॉलिसी प्राप्त करें, फ्री-लुक अवधि)
30 daysYou will receive the policy document, schedule and health cards by email. Check names, ages, sum insured, waiting periods, any exclusions or loadings and the nominee.
New policies have a 30-day free-look period from the date you receive the document. If the terms are not what you were told, you can cancel within this period and get the premium back, less proportionate risk premium and any medical check-up and stamp duty costs.
Save the insurer's helpline and claim intimation numbers, download its app, and tell family members where the policy is. For complaints that the insurer does not resolve, use the IRDAI Bima Bharosa portal or the Insurance Ombudsman.
Tip: Read the schedule within the first week. Mistakes in age or medical history are much easier to correct before any claim.
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Set a renewal reminder (नवीनीकरण अनुस्मारक लगाएँ)
1 dayHealth policies are usually annual. Renew before the expiry date so cover and waiting-period credit continue without a break; insurers allow a short grace period, but claims during the gap may not be paid.
At renewal, review whether the sum insured is still enough, update any new health conditions, and compare with other policies. You can port to another insurer and keep credit for waiting periods already served; apply well before the renewal date and check the portability timeline in your policy.
Tip: Renew a few weeks early, not on the last day. Payment failures on the expiry date can break continuity.
Existing or employer policy details (मौजूदा पॉलिसी)
Documents you'll need
| Aadhaar Card (आधार कार्ड) | Used for KYC of the proposer and insured members; e-KYC with Aadhaar OTP speeds up issuance. |
|---|---|
| PAN Card (पैन कार्ड) | Usually requested for KYC and needed for higher premium amounts. Helps link the premium to your tax records. |
| Recent photographs (फोटो) | Some insurers ask for photographs of the proposer or insured members with the proposal form. |
| Medical records and check-up reports (मेडिकल रिपोर्ट) | Existing prescriptions, discharge summaries and test results support your disclosures. The pre-policy check-up report is added if the insurer asks for one. |
| Existing or employer policy details (मौजूदा पॉलिसी) | Details of any current or past policy help choose cover, avoid overlap and claim continuity benefits when porting. |
Official sources
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General guidance, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules change; confirm with the official source before you act.