Find the "best match" health
insurance for you.

You pay a small premium every year to the insurance company, in return for which you get a large cover, typically 30-100 times the premium you paid. The insurance company collects many such small premiums from a large number of customers to create a pool from which they pay your claim in case you are hospitalized. Insurance companies are able to offer you a cover several times the premium you paid simply because not everyone in the pool falls sick in the same year!

A basic health insurance plan provides all the essential coverage features. You would find coverage for the following –

• Inpatient hospitalisation

  This includes coverage for room rent, ICU room rent, cost of treatments, doctor’s fees, surgeon’s fees, nurses’ fees, etc.

• Pre and post hospitalisation

  Expenses incurred before being actually hospitalised and after being discharged from the hospital are covered under this head.

• Ambulance costs

  Costs incurred in transporting the insured to the hospital is covered up to a specified limit.

• Day care treatments

  Treatments which do not require hospitalisation for a minimum of 24 hours are covered under this section.

  Besides these common coverage features, different health insurance plans provide different coverage features too which make the plan comprehensive in nature.

Health insurance will not cover the following -

• Treatments for HIV/AIDS
• Drug/alcohol abuse
• Self-inflicted injuries
• Cosmetic surgery
• Routine doctors’ visits, medicines or tests unless specifically included in the plan as add-ons.
• Maternity is not covered, unless explicitly mentioned as an add-on.
• Some specified conditions such as hernia, varicose veins and fibroids, etc. are covered only after you have spent some time in the policy, typically 1-3 years.

Its best to disclose your medical history truthfully before you buy a policy to ensure your claim expectations are met. Discuss this with our expert to figure out your best options - we will maintain strict confidentiality.

Advances in medicine have improved outcomes, but costs keep rising too. You wouldn't want to compromise on advanced treatment options, right? Hence, we recommend at least 10 lakhs of cover for a family so that you are adequately covered. Family floater plans are smart cost-effective way to cover an entire family for a large sum, versus buying individual policies.

Employer cover is often too less and/or does not cover all the family members. Does your employer policy have atleast 5 lakhs of cover?

Even If you have employer cover, it still makes sense to buy your own insurance because :

• You lose the cover when you retire or leave the job, and
• It can become difficult to get health insurance at that time if you are suffering from conditions like diabetes or blood pressure, the risk for which increases steeply with age.

Turtlemint believes in quality along with right pricing. The prices on Turtlemint are guaranteed to be the best and most competitive as compared to the benefits opted for. Paying for the right amount of premium for the features and benefits is the Turtlemint advantage!

In addition to that, we provide you the benefit of smart choices, personalized recommendations, and life-long claims support.

The premium is determined based on:

• Where you stay: you'll pay more if you stay in a metro
• Your age: older you are the more at risk for medical care, and therefore higher your premium.
• Cover amount
• Add-on benefits, included in the plan.
• Medical history: you may pay more if you have a medical complication like diabetes at the time of buying the policy.
• Make sure you compare prices online to reduce your premium.

Yes. You may have a credit card that offer you the option of converting the payment into easy EMIs. If you don't have a credit card, no worries! Turtlemint can arrange financing for you, if you meet basic eligibility criteria. Our advisors can help you with your financing options.

Health insurance is not an investment plan. So you don't get a financial return on it. You however do save upto 33% of premium paid in income taxes, so you effective cost can be much lower.

Think of health insurance as safety net that prevents you from facing severe financial difficulties including bankruptcy that can result from a sudden medical event requiring high treatment costs. It’s a small price to pay for having that safety net!

Once your claim is accepted, insurance company will pay for all medical expenses related to the claim, as long as you have not exhausted the sum assured of the policy for the year. If your policy has co-pay or a deductible, you will need to pay that part. You may also need to pay some portion of the claim if your plan has limits, like a room rent limit.

Rest assured, on Turtlemint you can clearly see how much your out of pocket will be for a claim, for each and every plan.

Your claim may be rejected if,

• You are claiming for something that is not covered by the plan, OR
• You are claiming for a disease existing prior to your enrolment in the plan, which you did not disclose to the insurer.
• Speak to our expert advisors to understand cover restrictions & disclosures.

Cashless is great facility by which the insurer settles your bill directly with the hospital. So you don't have to pay first and claim later.

When you buy a policy make sure it offer cashless at your preferred hospitals. Let us know your preferred hospitals, and we will show you which policies offer cashless at those locations.

As soon as you decide that you are going to be hospitalized please call us or the insurer to confirm claim eligibility as well start the pre-admission work. Our friendly customer service team will help and guide you through the process.

Health insurance is a form of insurance which covers the medical costs incurred in case of medical emergencies. These plans, thus, take care of the financial burden associated with medical contingencies. In today’s age, when illnesses and diseases are on the rise, a health insurance plan becomes necessary. Though medical developments have provided a cure for most of the illnesses, such cures and treatments come at very expensive costs. These costs become unbearable for the common middle-class man. A health plan, by covering these costs, takes off the financial strain caused by frequently occurring illnesses. It, therefore, proves to be an essential requirement for every individual looking to secure his finances against medical contingencies.

Though health plans provide coverage for most of the medical expenses, there are some expenses which are not covered. These are called plan exclusions. Some common ones include the following –

• Pre-existing illnesses during the waiting period
• Illnesses occurring within the first 30 or 60 days of buying the policy
• Congenital ailments and diseases
• Cosmetic treatments
• Pregnancy related treatments, unless specifically covered
• HIV/AIDS infection
• Illnesses or injuries occurring due to war or related perils, aviation, nuclear contamination, self-inflicted injuries, alcohol or drug abuse, etc.

To know the exact exclusions, you should read the policy document. Different policies have different inclusions and exclusions. So, understanding the policy details before buying the policy becomes essential.

Since health insurance plans are important in providing financial security, they are quite popular. Almost all general insurance companies in India offer a wide variety of health insurance plans for individuals. Among the hundreds of plans available, it becomes very difficult for individuals to understand which plan would be the best health plan for them. So, here is a guide to choose the best health insurance in India –

• Understand the type of coverage required

  First and foremost, individuals should understand the type of health plan which would suit their needs. If they don’t have any health insurance, a family floater or individual plan is recommended. If there is an existing health plan, a top-up plan is good for enhancing coverage at low premium costs. Critical illness plans are also a must for protection against major illnesses while disease specific plans are helpful in protecting against specified ailments. Individuals should assess their requirement and choose the most suitable plans for themselves.

• Ensure that all family members are covered

  Health contingencies can strike anyone and so individuals should endeavour to cover all of their family members under health insurance plans.

• The sum insured should be optimal

  The sum insured of the plan should be sufficient to pay for the high medical costs which would incur in an emergency.

• Look for comprehensive coverage features

  The health plan which provides the most inclusive coverage benefits would be the best health plan. Individuals should look for such comprehensive plans and see if the coverage benefits are relevant to their needs.

• The premium rate should be reasonable

  Besides the coverage benefits which should be all inclusive, the premium of the best health insurance plan should also be reasonable and affordable. If the plan has very high premiums, it would not be the best health insurance plan.

• Compare before buying

  To choose the best health insurance plan is India, the best way is to compare the different plans and then buy one. Comparing lets you see the available plans and helps you in choosing one plan which is the best from the rest.

Comparison is always recommended before individuals buy a health insurance plan. This is because comparing let individuals avail the following benefits –

• The individual can choose the plan with the most inclusive coverage features
• The premium can be compared and the plan which offers the most reasonable premium rate with comprehensive coverage benefits can be selected.
• Different riders, which are available in health insurance plans, can be compared. If the policyholder wants he can choose the plan which has the required riders.
• There are premium discounts available in health plans. By comparing, individuals can find the respective discounts of different plans and then choose a plan which offers the highest discount.
• The list of networked hospitals can also be compared when individuals compare health plans before buying.

The claim settlement ratio can be compared which impacts the probability of claim settlement. After comparing, individuals can buy a plan which has a high claim settlement ratio.

Health insurance plans offer various advantages and come with unique features which are as follows –

• The plans cover all medical costs incurred right from the time the insured falls sick to his hospitalisation and also after being discharged from the hospital. Thus, the plan has a wide scope of coverage for medical costs
• There are value added coverage benefits in health plans too. These include free health check-ups after a specified period, second medical opinion for serious illnesses, etc.
• Health plans allow tax advantages. Premiums paid for health insurance policies for self, family and dependent parents qualify for tax deduction under Section 80D. The limit of deduction if INR 25, 000 for covering self and family and another INR 25, 000 for covering dependent parents. Moreover, if either the policyholder and/or dependent parents are senior citizens, the maximum limit increases to INR 50, 000 in each instance. Thus, a maximum of INR 1 lakh can be claimed as tax deduction though health insurance plans.
• No Claim bonus is allowed in all health plans if no claim is made in a policy year. This bonus is either allowed as an increase in the sum insured or additional benefits can be availed like gift vouchers, annual health check-ups, etc.
• Lifelong renewals are offered by health plans with no maximum cover ceasing age.
• The term of the plan can be for one, two or three years. Moreover, if long term plans are chosen, a premium discount is also allowed.
• Individuals can claim premium discounts for covering two or more family members, by choosing a longer duration, by choosing voluntary co-payment, etc.
• Cashless claims are settled by the health insurance company if the policyholder seeks treatments at a hospital which is tied-up with the insurance company. In cashless claims, the policyholder does not have to bear the burden of medical expenses. The expenses are settled directly by the insurance company with the hospital.

Online premium calculators are available for calculating the premiums payable for health insurance plans. These calculators are available both on insurance companies’ websites and also on insurance aggregators’ websites. Insurance aggregator websites calculators are better because they let individuals compare the premiums of different plans at once.

The calculator works on the input provided by individuals. Individuals have to enter the following details in the calculator to arrive at the premium –

• The number of members to be covered
• The age of all the members who are being covered
• The sum insured which is required
• Any additional coverage benefits which are to be added. Additional coverage benefits, if chosen, would attract an additional premium
• The term of the plan
• If the insured or any other members suffer from any pre-existing illness or not
• Any discounts which are applicable on the premium

When all the above-mentioned details are put in the calculator, the calculator calculates and lists the health insurance premiums of different plans available in the market. Individuals can, then, compare the premium rates and coverage benefits and select a health insurance plan.

Health insurance claims are of two kinds –

1. Cashless claims
2. Reimbursement claims

In cashless claims, the insurance company settles the medical bills directly with the hospital. The policyholder does not have to pay for any medical costs himself. Cashless claim settlement can be availed if the policyholder chooses to get admitted to a hospital which is tied-up with the insurance company.

In case of reimbursement claims, the medical expenses are to be borne by the policyholder initially. Thereafter, when the insured is discharged from the hospital, the claim is submitted to the insurance company with all the relevant bills and medical documents. The company analyses the claims and then reimburses the policyholder for the medical expenses incurred. Reimbursement claims are applicable if the policyholder does not choose a networked hospital for treatments.

To make a successful claim in a health insurance policy, policyholders are required to follow the below-mentioned process –

In case of cashless claim settlement

• The policyholder should inform the insurance company of the claim. This information is to be given by filling up and submitting a pre-authorisation form. The insurance company analyses the form and approves cashless claim settlements. The form should be submitted at least 4-5 days before a planned hospitalisation. If, on the other hand, the hospitalisation was an emergency, the form should be submitted within 24 hours of hospitalisation
• The health card or the policy bond should be produced to the hospital along with the identity proof of the insured
• The company would then take care of the medical expenses
• All medical documents, reports and bills should be submitted to the insurance company along with the claim form.

In case of reimbursement claims

• The insured should get admitted to a non-network hospital and avail the necessary medical treatments. Payment for the treatments would have to be done by the policyholder himself
• Once the insured is discharged from the hospital, the discharge summary or discharge certificate should be collected
• The claim form should be filled and submitted with the discharge certificate, medical reports and all original medical bills
• The insurance company analyses the documents submitted and reimburses the claim amount to the policyholder’s bank account.

Yes, the online medium provides not only an easy way to buy health insurance, it is safe too. If you choose reputed and trusted websites, you can buy a health plan online without worrying about safety.

Pre-existing illnesses are covered after the first few years of the plan. This period, when pre-existing illnesses are not covered, is called the waiting period. Health insurance plans have a waiting period ranging from one year to four years.

No, exclusions are those expenses which are not covered by the health insurance plan. Thus, you would not get a claim for an excluded expense.

A family floater plan covers the entire family in one plan. Thus, the entire members get coverage jointly as well as independently. The premiums are lower compared to individual health plans for individual members.

Yes, there is no restriction in buying health insurance plans. You can buy more than one health plan without any limitations.

Women can buy all types of health insurance plans available in the market. However, there are special critical illness health insurance plans which have been specifically designed for women keeping their needs in mind. Such plans cover women-centric critical illnesses and offered by a few health insurance companies.

Yes, there are separate cancer care plans which are designed to cover cancer. These plans pay a fixed amount in case the insured is diagnosed with any form of cancer.

Health plans which provide cover internationally are called overseas health plans. International travel insurance plans are usually called overseas health plans as they cover international hospitalisations and also other travel-related contingencies.

No, a personal accident policy would cover only accidental death and disablements. Health insurance plans, on the other hand, have a wider scope of coverage. They not only cover accidental injuries, but hospitalisation due to illnesses as well. However, coverage for accidental death is not available in health insurance plans.

Yes, minors can be covered in health insurance plans. In case of family floater plans they are covered as dependents from the age of 3 months onwards. In case of individual plans, minors would be covered only if either of the parent is also covered under the same individual plan.

Yes, some family floater health plans allow coverage for dependent parents. Moreover, there are separate senior citizen health insurance plans which can be taken for covering parents.

Yes, the sum insured can be increased when the health plan is being renewed.

Yes, smoking is a health hazard and so it increases the premium being charged under the plan.

Health insurance plans come with a term of one, two or three years, as chosen by the policyholder. After the term of the plan comes to an end, the coverage can be continued by renewing the policy. To renew, the renewal premium should be paid and the policy coverage would continue.

Health plans allow lifelong renewals. Thus, there is no limiting age at which renewal would not be allowed.

If the health plan is not renewed on time, the coverage would lapse once the term is over. Any claims made in a lapsed policy would be rejected by the insurance company. Renewal benefits are also lost. However, the insurance company provides a grace period for renewing the policy after it has lapsed. If the policy is renewed during the grace period, the renewal benefits continue. However, if the grace period also lapses, the renewal benefits also lapse.

The policy can be renewed online or offline. If you choose the offline mode you either have to approach a health insurance intermediary or get the policy renewed from the office of insurance company. Online renewals, on the other hand, can be done from anywhere using the phone or computer.

Online renewals are better because of the following reasons -

• They are simple and convenient
• When you renew online, you can see other available plans too. Then you can compare the available plans with your current plan. If you find a better coverage in another plan at a lower rate of premium, you can port your health plan and enjoy better benefits.

So, renewing online is always better than renewing offline.

When renewing the plan, the following factors should be considered -

• The sum insured and whether it is sufficient
• The members covered and whether any new members are to be added or old members to be deleted
• The premium across different health plans vis-a-vis the coverage offered

The plan should be renewed only after these factors are weighed in.

Health insurance portability means switching to another health insurance plan either offered by the same insurance company or by another insurance company but retaining the no claim benefits of the earlier plan.

Poting can be done using the following ways -

• The health insurance company should be informed about the porting request, in writing, at least 45 days before the renewal date
• A porting request should be sent to the insurance company
• Apply with the new insurance company and provide the details of the existing policy
• The company checks the existing policy details and then allows porting
• A new proposal form of the new policy should be filled and submitted with the new insurance company
• The premium should be paid
• The plan would be ported and a new insurance policy would be issued containing the renewal benefits of the existing policy

Only if the above steps are followed will the health plan be ported.

There are two renewal benefits which are allowed to be ported. One is the accumulated no claim bonus in the existing policy and the other is the reduction in waiting period.

The requirement for medical check-up depends on your age, medical health and sum insured. Usually, health plans don’t require medical check-ups if the age is up to 45 years and the sum insured is INR 5 lakhs. For higher ages and/or sum insured levels, medical check-ups might be necessary.

Health plans consider diabetes to be a pre-existing illness and provide coverage after a waiting period. If the diabetes is severe, coverage might be restricted or not available at all. There are diabetes specific health plans too which allow coverage even if the individual is suffering from diabetes.

TPA stands for Third Party Administrator. TPA is the bridge between the insurance company and the insured in case of a claim. The claim is coordinated by the TPA.

Dental treatments are not covered in health insurance plans. However, accidental injuries which require dental treatments might be covered. Moreover, there are health insurance plans which provide OPD coverage benefit. Dental treatments might be covered under this benefit up to a specified limit.

The Government has launched some health insurance plans for the economically weaker sections of the society. These plans are, therefore, available to individuals who belong to the backward class. Moreover, even if you qualify for the health plan, the coverage is limited and not sufficient to take care of the high medical costs which incur in recent times.

Yes, come health insurance plans cover Ayurvedic and alternative treatments taken by individuals. However, there might be a limit to the coverage allowed.

There are many health insurance plans which allow coverage for maternity related expenses. Expenses incurred in childbirth, prenatal and postnatal treatments are covered. In many plans, the new born baby is also covered for any medical complications till the first 90 days. However, maternity treatment is available only after a waiting period of 2 to 6 years across plans.

Hospitalisation due to dengue is covered in all health insurance plans. However, OPD expenses might not be covered. There is a dengue plan offered by Apollo Munich which specifically covers dengue and all its related expenses whether incurred on an inpatient or on an outpatient basis.

Under top-up plans, there is a deductible limit. If the claim exceeds the deductible limit, the top-up plan pays the excess medical costs incurred. For instance, in a top-up plan of INR 5 lakhs, there is a deductible of INR 2 lakhs. Now, in this case, if the claim exceeds INR 2 lakhs, the plan would pay the benefits. So, if the claim is INR 2.5 lakhs, the top-up plan would pay INR 50, 000 as claim.

Super top-up plans, like top-up plans, have a deductible limit. However, the aggregate claim made in a policy year is considered when the deductible limit is applied. If the aggregate claim exceeds the deductible limit, the claim is paid. For instance, in a super top-up plan of INR 5 lakhs the deductible is INR 2 lakhs. Now, there are three claims in a policy year of INR 1 lakh, INR 1.5 lakhs and INR 2 lakhs respectively. The first claim would not be paid by the super top-up plan. However, in the second claim, the total claim becomes INR 2.5 lakhs. Since this is higher than the deductible, INR 50, 000 is paid as claim. Similarly, in the third instance, the aggregate claim is INR 4.5 lakhs. The super top-up plan would, therefore, pay INR 2.5 lakhs as claim.

Room rent is the rent paid to the hospital for occupying a hospital bed. Some health plans have a limit on the maximum room rent which is covered. You should, therefore, choose a room whose rent is within the specified sub-limit. If the actual room rent exceeds the sub-limit, the total health insurance claim is reduced.

Claim settlement ratio determines the number of claims settled by the insurance company against the total claims made on it in a financial year. A higher ratio is better as it shows that the company settles most of its claims.

Yes, a health insurance policy, once bought, can be cancelled during the free-look period allowed under the plan. Upon cancellation, the premium paid is refunded after deducting the costs incurred in issuing the policy.

Waiting period is the period during which coverage is not allowed for specified illnesses.

Co-pay means that the policyholder would have to pay the specified claim from own pockets. Co-pay is applicable if the insured is 61 years and above and the co-pay ratio ranges from 10% to 25% across different health insurance plans.

NCB stands for No Claim Bonus. This bonus is allowed if no claim is made in a policy year. Insurance companies usually allow NCB as an increase in the sum insured without increasing the premium. Some plans also allow a discount in the renewal premium while some offer gift vouchers. In case of increase in sum insured, NCB is cumulative in nature. The sum insured is increased every year till a claim is made.

Pre-existing illnesses are illnesses which the insured suffers from when buying a health insurance plan. Since the illnesses are already present, the insurance plan covers such illnesses after a waiting period.

Yes, health insurance plans allow various discounts which can be used to reduce the premium outgo. Discounts are offered for the following -

• For buying a multi-year policy and paying premiums at once
• For covering 2 or more family members under the same plan
• If a voluntary deductible limit is chosen
• If the plan is bought online
• In some plans, discounts are also allowed for making no claim in the previous policy year