Health insurance
Compare health insurance plans for you and your family
Health insurance pays for hospital treatment so a medical emergency does not drain your savings or push you into expensive borrowing. Policies that look alike on the brochure differ sharply in the fine print — waiting periods, room-rent caps, co-payments and which hospitals are in the network. PaisaFin lays those terms side by side so you compare what the policy will actually pay, not just the premium.
Your options
Types of health insurance
Individual plan
Cover for one person, with the full sum insured available to them alone.
Family floater
One sum insured shared by your spouse, children and, with some insurers, parents. Usually cheaper than separate policies.
Senior citizen plan
Designed for older parents, with terms built around pre-existing conditions and more frequent claims.
Critical illness cover
Pays a lump sum on diagnosis of a listed serious illness, regardless of the hospital bill.
Super top-up
Extra cover that starts paying once your total claims in a year cross a set deductible — a low-cost way to raise cover.
Group health top-up
Sits over your employer's group policy, so you are not left uncovered beyond its limit or when you change jobs.
Cover
What is covered — and what is not
This is what policies of this kind commonly include. The policy wording of the plan you choose is what decides a claim.
Usually covered
- In-patient hospitalisation — room, nursing, surgery, medicines and tests
- Pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses for a set period
- Day-care procedures that do not need an overnight stay
- Ambulance charges
- Cashless treatment at the insurer's network hospitals
- Annual health check-ups, with many insurers
Usually not covered
- Pre-existing conditions until their waiting period ends
- Cosmetic and elective treatment that is not medically necessary
- Injuries from self-harm or substance abuse
- Most outpatient consultations, unless the plan includes OPD cover
- Anything listed in the policy's permanent exclusions
Before you buy
How to compare health insurance quotes
Waiting periods
Check how long you wait before pre-existing diseases and specific illnesses are covered. Shorter is better if anyone in the family has a known condition.
Room-rent limits
A cap on room rent can cut the whole claim proportionately, not just the room charge. Plans without a cap are worth paying for.
Co-payment
A co-pay clause means you pay a share of every claim. It lowers the premium but raises what you pay when it matters.
Network hospitals
Confirm the hospitals you would actually use are in the cashless network near your home.
Claim settlement record
Look at the insurer's published claim settlement ratio and how quickly it settles claims, not only whether it does.
Restoration and no-claim bonus
Restoration refills the sum insured after a claim; a no-claim bonus grows it in years you do not claim.
Paperwork
Documents you will need
Insurers may ask for more depending on the plan and your answers on the proposal form.
To buy a policy
- PAN card and Aadhaar (or another accepted ID and address proof)
- Age proof for each person insured
- Details of any existing illness, medication or past surgery
- Medical tests, if the insurer asks for them
To make a claim
- Policy number or health card
- Hospital bills, discharge summary and prescriptions
- Investigation reports
- Claim form signed by you and the hospital
FAQs
Health insurance questions, answered
Do I need health insurance if my employer already covers me?
Employer cover usually ends when you leave the job, and its limit may not be enough for a serious illness. A personal policy or a top-up over the group plan keeps you covered between jobs and into retirement.
What is a pre-existing disease?
Any condition you were diagnosed with or treated for before buying the policy. Declare every one honestly — insurers can reject a claim, or cancel the policy, for non-disclosure.
How does cashless treatment work?
At a network hospital you show your health card, the hospital asks the insurer for pre-authorisation, and the insurer settles the bill directly. You pay only what the policy does not cover.
Can I switch to another insurer without losing my waiting period?
Yes. Portability lets you move to a new insurer at renewal while keeping the credit for waiting periods you have already served. Apply to the new insurer before your current policy expires.
Also compare
Other insurance
- Term life insuranceA pure life cover that pays your family a lump sum if you die during the policy term.
- Car insuranceMandatory third-party cover, plus protection for your own car against accidents and theft.
- Two-wheeler insuranceLegally required cover for your bike or scooter, with own-damage protection if you want it.
Talk to us about health insurance
Leave your details and our team will call you back to go through the options. There is no obligation to buy.