If the cost of a surgical treatment is ₹5 lakh today, it will rise to ₹5.7 lakh next year — because in our country, medical inflation is around 14%. And this is exactly why 70–80% of people in India are just one hospital bill away from falling into poverty. The money you’ve saved your entire life — for retirement, your child’s marriage, their education — can vanish in a matter of seconds.
Now, the funny thing is, it’s actually the government’s responsibility to provide citizens with quality healthcare. But instead, what it gives you is a tax benefit for buying health insurance. That’s the government's indirect way of telling you: “Don’t depend on us. Go get yourself a policy.”
Even more ironic — just having a health insurance plan doesn’t mean you’ll be tension-free. No one wants to read those long, complicated insurance documents. And insurance companies take full advantage of this. While selling the policy, they purposely hide critical terms and conditions. Then when the time comes — during hospitalization — you file a claim, only to be told that your treatment isn't covered. Your claim gets rejected, and you’re left feeling cheated.
And even when a treatment is covered under your policy, some companies and their so-called employees act heartlessly. In the most difficult times of your life, they threaten you or simply refuse to cooperate. Basically saying, “If you can, go ahead and fight. We’re not giving your money.”
One recent case actually went viral on social media. The person eventually got the claim — thankfully. But here’s the sad truth: the insurance company only responded once the issue got public attention.
But let’s be honest — we’re not customers by choice. We’re customers because we have no other option. That’s what you need to understand about this industry.
Yes, even if you don’t want to, buying health insurance is necessary. But just sitting with a policy and hoping everything will go fine? That’s not enough. You need awareness.
In this post, you’ll learn how to choose the right health insurance plan — and how to protect yourself by knowing exactly what your policy covers. We’ll break down all the things insurance companies don’t want you to know — so you can make smarter, safer decisions for your health and your money.
Why Do You Need Health Insurance?
Let’s start with the basics — why do you even need health insurance?
If the intro didn’t scare you enough, then think about this again: ask yourself, how much savings do you have today? And if a sudden medical emergency costs you ₹10–15 lakhs, will you be able to pay that entirely from your savings? Or will you need to take a loan?
Even if you can afford to pay it in full, ask yourself another question: How long did it take you to save ₹10–15 lakhs? Because the power of compounding only works when your money stays invested for a long time — untouched.
Now imagine this: the money you had been saving for your retirement, or for your child’s education — what if you had to break it all for one hospital bill? You’d be set back by years. And chances are, you may never reach the financial goal you had in mind in the first place.
Ideal Cover for You
Now let’s talk about an important question — how much health insurance coverage do you actually need?
The answer is simple. Start by identifying where you live. If you're in a rural area, your coverage requirement may be lower. But if you live in a Tier 2 or Tier 3 city, you'll need a bit more. And if you’re in a Tier 1 city — where medical costs are significantly higher — you’ll need much more coverage.
Next, check the average medical costs in your area. What does a typical heart surgery cost in your city? How expensive is a hospital stay near you?
Also, consider your existing health conditions. If you already have an illness or if your chances of hospitalization are higher than average, then you may require a higher sum insured.
In short, the ideal coverage amount will vary from person to person. But if we try to standardize, here’s a basic rule of thumb for today’s times:
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For children: at least ₹5 lakh coverage
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For adults and seniors: at least ₹10 lakh coverage
Having the right sum insured ensures that a sudden health emergency doesn’t leave you financially vulnerable.
How Much Do Premiums Cost?
So, how much do health insurance premiums actually cost?
Well, instead of just telling you, let me show you how to find out yourself. Visit the PolicyBazaar website — the link will be provided in the description and the top comment. This isn’t a sponsored post, but yes, it’s an affiliate link. So, if you find this information helpful and you want to support this work, purchasing your health insurance through that link helps us indirectly — at no extra cost to you.
Once you're on the website, click on the Health Insurance section. You’ll see a short form — fill in your name, age, and mention any pre-existing diseases, if you have any. If not, just select “None.”
Now let’s take a simple example.
Suppose I’m a 28-year-old with no pre-existing diseases and I want coverage between ₹10–24 lakhs. Based on that, here are the monthly premium quotes I get:
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₹702
-
₹730
-
₹615
-
₹640
-
₹800
-
₹1,000
So roughly, you can expect to get a ₹10 lakh base cover for around ₹600–1,000 per month.
Now, if you add riders, or opt for a top-up or super top-up policy, the premium may increase by 40–50%. And honestly, I recommend you do that. I’ve talked about this in more detail in my video.
Realistically, between ₹1,000–1,500 per month, you can get:
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A base policy of ₹10 lakhs
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A super top-up of ₹20–30 lakhs
And here’s my suggestion: if you’re young, have no pre-existing diseases, no major responsibilities yet, and earn well — don’t settle for minimum coverage. Increase it. Medical inflation is already at 14%, and it will keep rising.
Also keep in mind: health insurance premiums are not fixed for life like term insurance. They increase with age. And if you develop any pre-existing condition later, increasing your coverage will become far more expensive.
So it's better to lock in a higher cover while you're young and healthy — it’s cost-effective and future-proof.
Family Floater vs Individual Plan
There are two types of health insurance plans: Individual Plans and Family Floater Plans.
A Family Floater Plan is basically a combo deal — a smart hack to save on premiums. For example, suppose you have a family of four: you, your spouse, and your two parents. Instead of buying four separate health insurance policies, you can go for a single family floater plan that covers all four members.
Since this is a shared plan, the premium is lower compared to buying four individual policies. But this also comes with a downside.
Let’s say you buy four separate individual plans — each with ₹10 lakh coverage. In that case, every member gets ₹10 lakh personal cover.
But with a floater plan of ₹10 lakh for all four people, the entire amount is shared among everyone. That means, on average, each person technically has just ₹2.5 lakh — but in reality, the full ₹10 lakh is available for any one or more members, until it's exhausted.
For example, if one family member is hospitalized and the bill is ₹7 lakh, then only ₹3 lakh remains for the rest of the family for that year. The total coverage will reset to ₹10 lakh at renewal.
So, if you must go for a floater plan, consider taking a higher sum insured — like ₹20 lakh — instead of ₹10 lakh, especially when covering more than 2 people. It’s unlikely that all four members will need hospitalization in the same year, so a ₹20 lakh floater should be sufficient for most families.
There’s another drawback you should know.
Suppose you (let's say a healthy young person) take a floater plan with your spouse and your parents. You and your spouse are fit and young, so your premiums should ideally be low. But if your parents have health issues like diabetes or high blood pressure, the premium rises significantly.
Why? Because the insurance company calculates the premium based on the age and health conditions of the eldest member. That means everyone pays the higher rate, even if you're young and healthy.
That’s why a better strategy is:
-
Take a separate family floater plan for your parents
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Take a separate floater for you and your spouse
This way, similar age groups and health profiles are bundled together — and the premium stays fair.
Plus, you can claim tax deductions on both policies under Section 80D, further maximizing your financial benefits.
Biggest Health Insurance Traps You Must Know
Now let’s talk about the fine print — the tricks and terms that insurance companies don’t want you to notice. These hidden clauses are why even after paying your premium, you may not get the coverage you expect. Let’s break down the top 3 JHOLs (traps) one by one:
Jhol #1 – Sublimits
You’ll often come across policies that advertise something like: “Get ₹50 lakh cover for just ₹10,000!” Sounds amazing, right? But here’s the trap — you’ll probably never be able to claim that ₹50 lakh.
Why? Because there are sublimits — hidden restrictions on how much you can claim for specific treatments. So yes, the total coverage is ₹50 lakh, but:
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For cataract surgery, you may only be allowed ₹1 lakh
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For angioplasty, maybe just ₹2 lakhs
These are exactly the types of treatments most people get hospitalized for — and they’re the most restricted.
So imagine you’re hospitalized and your actual bill is ₹6 lakhs. But because of sublimits, your policy only covers ₹2 lakhs — you’ll have to pay the remaining ₹4 lakhs out of pocket. That’s why you should never fall for low premiums without checking the sublimit clauses.
Ideal Tip: Choose a policy with no sublimits — or make sure they’re very clear and reasonable.
Jhol #2 – Room Rent Cap
Here’s another tricky clause: Room Rent Cap.
Say you have a ₹10 lakh policy — great! But when you get hospitalized, your policy may limit your room rent to 1% of the sum insured per day — that’s ₹10,000/day in this case.
Now you may think:
“No problem, I’ll just pay the extra difference if my room costs ₹12,000/day. That’s only ₹2,000 per day out of pocket.”
But that’s not how it works. Most hospitals calculate everything — doctor visits, surgery charges, OT fees — based on the room category. If your policy allows ₹10,000 room rent but you choose a ₹12,000 room, you could get only 83% of your entire hospital bill covered.
So even if your surgery bill is ₹7 lakhs, you might only get ₹5.8 lakhs, and pay ₹1.2 lakhs from your own pocket.
Ideal Tip: Go for a policy with no room rent cap. Yes, premiums might be slightly higher, but you get flexibility — whether it’s an AC room, deluxe, or suite.
Jhol #3 – Co-pay Clause
Now let’s talk about Co-pay — the "you pay some, we pay some" rule.
Some policies include a 20–30% co-pay, which means if your hospital bill is ₹10 lakhs, you’ll have to pay ₹2–3 lakhs yourself.
Why pay a premium every year if you're still footing a big part of the bill? That defeats the purpose of having insurance in the first place. The money you’re saving and investing for your future shouldn’t be drained by medical expenses.
Also, be careful — co-pay often applies on the reduced claim amount, not the total. And when combined with room rent caps and sublimits, your actual payout drops drastically.
When All 3 JHOLs Combine – A Real Example
Let me show you how dangerous it gets when all three traps exist in one policy.
Let’s take a real example from a Star Health policy document — and yes, most other insurers do similar things. Here's what you’ll find:
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Room Rent Limit: Up to 1% of sum insured. But if your cover is ₹15 lakhs, the room rent allowed may be just ₹7,000/day — less than 0.5%!
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ICU Charges: Capped at 2% of sum insured
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Sublimit on Cataract: ₹30,000 only — even though good quality cataract surgeries (like multifocal lens) can cost over ₹1.25 lakh
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Sublimit on Major Diseases: For treatments like stroke (CVA), cardiovascular disease, cancer, kidney disease, and even fracture surgeries — the limit is just ₹4 lakhs for a ₹15 lakh policy
Let’s Break It Down With Numbers:
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Your Policy Cover: ₹15 lakhs
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Your Hospital Bill: ₹10 lakhs
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Disease: Covered under sublimit category (e.g., CVA) — limited to ₹4 lakhs
Now here’s how the insurance company processes your claim:
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Admissible Claim: ₹8 lakhs (after applying room rent limit, ICU cap, doctor fee cap, OT/anesthesia caps, etc.)
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30% Co-pay on ₹8 lakhs: You pay ₹2.4 lakhs
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Amount After Co-pay: ₹5.6 lakhs
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BUT — Disease Sublimit is ₹4 lakhs, so you get whichever is lower
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Final Settlement: ₹4 lakhs only
So despite paying for a ₹15 lakh policy, and having a ₹10 lakh bill, you receive just ₹4 lakhs.
Final Advice
Always, always read the fine print before you buy any health insurance policy. Avoid plans that come with:
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Sublimits on diseases and treatments
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Room rent restrictions
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High co-pay clauses
Pay a slightly higher premium for peace of mind. Because when a real medical emergency hits, you’ll thank yourself for choosing the right cover.
Types of Waiting Periods
The next trap is about waiting periods. There can be around 5 types of waiting periods you should know.
Waiting Period Type #1
The first waiting period is the standard 30-day waiting period. If you take the policy today, then you will not be able to claim for 30 days. And this is necessary to some extent because many times, people have planned surgery, and they know they have to get surgery next week. They don’t have insurance, the cost is ₹5 lakhs, so they buy a policy today, pay a premium of ₹10,000, and get admitted the next day, then ask for a claim.
To avoid such practices, companies apply this 30-day waiting period. I don't have a problem with this, but there should be an exception — and you will have to check whether accidents are allowed in this. Because accidents cannot be planned. If you took the policy today and tomorrow you got hit by a bike, in that case, you should get a claim.
Waiting Period Type #2
The next waiting period is 90 days, which is for critical illnesses. While taking the policy, ask the executive of Policy Bazaar: what is the waiting period for critical illness — 90 days or less — and what are the critical illnesses included in it?
Waiting Period Type #3
If you want to claim for maternity, then the waiting period is 9 to 36 months. This varies from policy to policy. If you want maternity benefits in your policy, then you have to ask this question specifically.
Waiting Period Type #4
Then comes the waiting period for pre-existing diseases. If you already have heart disease or diabetes and want to get treatment for it, then you will have to survive the waiting period first. Usually, this is 3 to 4 years.
That’s why I always say — buy the policy when you don’t have any disease.
Waiting Period Type #5
Finally, the waiting period for slow-growing diseases. You may not have these today, but if you get them even after taking the policy, you’ll still have to wait. Most policies have a 2-year waiting period. These include:
ENT disorders
Hernia
Cataract
Osteoporosis
Joint replacement surgery
Restoration of Sum Assured
If you have a policy of ₹10 lakhs, and you exhaust it within a year, you'll be anxious about the rest of the year. So your policy might have a restoration feature. It means if your cover is exhausted once, it will be restored again for the remaining months.
But it’s not unlimited. Some conditions are:
It may restore only once per year
It may apply only for a different illness, not the same
So never assume it's a magic feature. It’s great, but limited. You should know the exact terms so you are mentally prepared. Ask the Policy Bazaar executive:
In which scenarios will restoration not work?
What are the conditions that can stop me from getting the restored benefit?
Zonal vs Pan-India Policies
Another important trap is Zonal Policies. Some policies are Pan-India, while some are Zonal.
Here’s the issue:
Some people give their village address to get a lower premium, but they live and get treatment in the city. In such cases, you may face 20% co-pay.
Or you may give a city address for your parents who live in a village — then you’ll overpay.
Tip: Put the correct address based on where the treatment will happen, not where the documents go.
Also, many modern policies are Pan-India — confirm that before buying. If it’s zonal and very good, just make sure your address is accurate.
List of Exclusions
Even if there are no sub-limits and all diseases are covered — still, ask for the list of exclusions. You must know from Day 1 which treatments will never be covered.
One policy had 35 exclusions — including:
Pre-existing diseases
Hazardous/adventurous sports
Plastic & cosmetic surgery
Gender change treatments
Breach of law, criminal activity
But some exclusions are unclear, like:
"Any hospitalization not medically necessary"
This is often used to reject claims. Even if your doctor says you needed hospitalization, the company may deny it. If that happens, go to the grievance portal and if needed, the Ombudsman.
Also:
Point 30: Hospital registration charges, admission charges, record charges, telephone charges, etc.
These are often excluded. Knowing this helps you prepare.
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!
Now the biggest scam — and I request you, please understand this.
Just like Apple removed the headphone jack and forced people to buy expensive AirPods, insurance companies are doing something similar.
Some companies are now offering policies where you get cashless claims only at their network hospitals. If you go to a non-network hospital, not only do you lose cashless — you don’t even get reimbursement!
If there’s an accident, who checks hospital network tie-ups? No one. You go to the nearest hospital.
Ask these 2 questions before buying:
Will I get both cashless and reimbursement?
If I go to a non-network hospital, will I still get any claim?
Also, here’s a harsh truth: Cashless is not always better.
Hospitals often delay treatment unless they get cashless approval
Some give poor service to cashless patients
If you can afford it, pay yourself first and go for reimbursement. You’ll likely get the full amount, and you avoid unnecessary drama.
Yes, this might surprise you. But I have confirmed it with India’s top doctors and hospitals. There’s a silent conflict between insurance companies and hospitals — and you, the patient, suffer the most.
So remember:
Reimbursement is more reliable than cashless
But do ensure your policy offers both options.
How to Review Policies & Find Best Features
Even after checking sublimits, room rent, and co-pay, there are many other features in a health insurance policy you need to review. Navigating all this can be tricky. So here’s a simple way to do it.
I've shared the Policy Bazaar link in the description and the top comment. This is not a sponsored video. But if you want to support my work, you can use the link to buy a policy. No pressure — buy from wherever you're comfortable.
Among so many insurance plans, how do you identify the one that's truly right for you? For this, Policy Bazaar is a great tool. Visit their website, click on "Health Insurance," and fill in the form. Once submitted, you’ll receive a call from them. But before that call, follow this guide so you can ask the right questions.
Important: Never lie about your health while filling the form. Declare any diseases honestly.
After submitting the form, you'll see various plans with premiums, coverage amounts, cashless hospitals, etc. Ignore this at first and head straight to the filters:
Step-by-Step Filtering:
Cover: Choose your desired cover amount, e.g. 10 to 24 lakh.
Room Rent Type: Select "No Room Rent Limit."
Pre- & Post-Hospitalization: Choose policies where both are included. These expenses can be significant.
Day Care Treatment: Select this. Many treatments can be done within a day and don’t need hospitalization.
No Claim Bonus: Must-have. If you don’t claim for a year, your sum assured increases (e.g. from 10L to 15L). Confirm with Policy Bazaar whether the bonus resets after a claim.
Restoration Benefit: Helps if you exhaust your cover mid-year.
Free Health Check-Up: Important. You get free annual full-body checkups. These reports help prove you didn’t have pre-existing conditions.
Doctor Consultation & Pharmacy: Many plans cover these too.
Premium Filter:
Set premium preference to "No Preference". You likely can’t get all features with a cheap plan.
Portability:
Select "Buy New Plan" or "Port Existing Plan" as needed.
Existing Disease Waiting Period:
Choose "1 Year" if you have pre-existing conditions that may need treatment soon. Otherwise, choose "No Preference."
Policy Period:
1 year
2 years (10% discount)
3 years (15% discount)
Trusted Companies:
Filter by known names: HDFC Ergo, Niva Bupa (formerly Max Bupa), Tata AIG.
Realization:
You might realize no policy offers all features. Try removing one filter — e.g., change waiting period from 1 year to no preference. More policies will appear. You can adjust features based on what matters most to you.
When Policy Bazaar calls, tell them exactly what you want:
Prioritize 1-year waiting period if someone in your family might need hospitalization soon.
Otherwise, focus on a good balance of features.
Example Policy Review: HDFC Ergo Optima Secure
Cover:
₹10 lakh + ₹10 lakh from day 1.
Deductible Option:
Optional ₹50,000 deductible saves ₹5,000 in premium annually.
I don’t recommend deductible options for health insurance. Better to pay full premium and avoid co-pay hassles.
Key Features:
Room Rent: No Limit.
Restoration: Available for related & unrelated illnesses once per year.
No Claim Bonus: +5L in 1st renewal, +10L in 2nd (up to 20L).
Cashless Hospitals: 9500+. Check your local area.
Co-Pay: 0%.
Pre/Post-Hospitalization: 60/180 days.
Day Care Treatment: Covered.
Home Hospitalization & Ambulance: Up to ₹10 lakh.
Air Ambulance: Covered (so road ambulance definitely is).
Waiting Periods:
Initial: 30 Days
Pre-existing Illness: 3 Years
Specific Illnesses (like ENT, cataract): 2 Years
Maternity Cover: Not available
Additional Features:
Ayush Treatment: Covered (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy) up to ₹10L.
Worldwide Coverage: Not available
Organ Donor: Covered up to ₹10L
Animal Bite Vaccination: Not covered
Free Annual Health Check-up: ₹2000 (Individual), ₹5000 (Family)
E-Consultation: Included
Daily Cash Allowance: ₹800/day, up to ₹4800 (6 days)
Outpatient Benefits (Doctor visits, Pharmacy): Not included
Now you know what to look for and what these features mean. Go to Policy Bazaar using the link and try this filter exercise yourself.
You’ll learn how to review health insurance policies effectively.
Continuity Matters
Wait, there are more features that you will have to ask. You have to check continuity.
Assume that you have chosen a very good health insurance company and a very good health insurance plan — but there is a clause in it: when you cross 60, then it will stop.
But the truth is, we get many diseases after the age of 60. That’s exactly when we need health insurance the most. So what’s the use of a policy that doesn’t continue at that time?
So we have to avoid such policies.
👉 Continuity matters.
Make sure your policy provides lifetime renewability — that means the company won’t stop your cover just because you’re getting older.
Super Top-up vs Top-up
Another interesting feature is Super Top-up or Top-up. These are individual stand-alone policies which increase your overall cover amount. For example:
👉 Your base cover is ₹10 lakhs, and you’ve taken a Super Top-up of ₹30 lakhs.
Now your total insurance cover is ₹40 lakhs — a very good thing.
But listen carefully, because there’s a big difference between Super Top-up and Top-up.
If you want a short answer:
✅ Take Super Top-up
❌ Don’t take Top-up
And if you want to understand the trick, then listen carefully.
What’s the Deductible?
Both Super Top-up and Top-up have a deductible limit.
Deductible = the amount you pay from your pocket before the insurance activates.
Let’s say:
-
Base Insurance = ₹10 lakhs
-
Super Top-up = ₹30 lakhs
-
Deductible = ₹10 lakhs
-
Your total bill = ₹25 lakhs
➡ ₹10 lakhs will come from your base policy.
➡ Since you’ve crossed the deductible, the remaining ₹15 lakhs will be covered by the Super Top-up.
But…
When It Can Go Wrong
Let’s change the deductible to ₹20 lakhs, but your base policy is still ₹10 lakhs.
Now:
-
Total bill = ₹25 lakhs
-
₹10 lakhs from base
-
You have to pay ₹10 lakhs from your pocket to meet the deductible
-
Super Top-up gives only ₹5 lakhs
So even after having ₹40 lakhs coverage, you paid ₹10 lakhs yourself!
This is why your deductible should always equal your base cover.
Top-up's Big Flaw
Let’s say you had:
-
Base cover = ₹10 lakhs
-
Top-up = ₹30 lakhs
-
Deductible = ₹10 lakhs
Now imagine:
-
Hospital Visit 1: ₹5 lakhs
-
Hospital Visit 2: ₹5 lakhs
You used your base cover — now it’s exhausted.
Hospital Visit 3: ₹3 lakhs
You say: “Let’s claim from Top-up.”
But Top-up says: “Nope, you didn’t cross the ₹10L deductible in a single bill.”
Top-up works only when one bill crosses the deductible.
So, you can’t claim the ₹3 lakhs even though you’ve paid over ₹10 lakhs already!
Super Top-up to the Rescue
Same scenario with Super Top-up?
-
2 bills of ₹5 lakhs each = ₹10 lakhs ✅ Deductible met
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3rd bill of ₹3 lakhs = Fully claimable from Super Top-up
So, the Super Top-up understands total bills in a year, not just one big bill.
Final Lessons
✅ Take Super Top-up, not Top-up
✅ Always ask: “When won’t I be able to claim?”
✅ Make sure deductible = base cover
✅ You can take Super Top-up from another company
✅ But if you do, cashless may not be available
Some companies offer Super Top-up as an add-on — like Niva Bupa’s Health Recharge with ₹40 lakh cover and ₹10 lakh deductible.
💰 Premium: ₹782/month only.
If your base policy covers ₹10 lakhs, then this combo makes full mathematical sense.
Corporate Plan vs Individual Health Policy
Now, many people ask this common question:
"My company gives me corporate health insurance — do I still need to buy my own health insurance?"
The short answer: Yes.
Let’s break it down.
1. Coverage for Parents? Usually Not.
Earlier, most corporate insurance plans also covered your parents.
But now, most modern corporate policies don’t include parents.
So, if you were relying on this — you’re already under-covered.
2. Hospital Network is Very Limited
In corporate plans, the hospital list is restricted.
✅ You may not get access to the good or reputed hospitals
❌ You may not be allowed cashless treatment at your preferred hospital
So even if you have "insurance", you might still struggle during hospitalization.
3. Corporate Plans Are Not Permanent
Yes, sometimes the company allows you to port the corporate insurance into an individual plan when you leave the job.
But that’s only if the insurance company agrees.
The truth is:
-
Corporate insurance is only valid year-by-year
-
Every year, your company renews it — or doesn't
-
Terms can change every year
-
The insurance company can also refuse renewal
So, there is zero stability in a corporate policy long-term.
4. What Happens When You Leave the Job?
Let’s say:
-
You worked in a company for 10 years
-
During that time, you had corporate insurance
-
Now you leave the job (or retire or switch jobs)
Now what?
-
You are 10 years older
-
You might have developed a pre-existing disease
-
You now have no cover
-
If you try to buy a policy, your premium will be much higher
-
And for pre-existing disease, there will be a waiting period
5. What’s the Smarter Way?
👉 Buy your own individual health insurance early — when:
-
You’re young
-
You’re healthy
-
There are no pre-existing conditions
This way:
-
Your premium stays low
-
Your waiting periods get over early
-
You get full-featured policies
-
You’re not dependent on a company
Final Advice
🚨 Corporate health insurance is a good bonus, not a replacement
✅ Always have your own individual/family floater policy
🧠 Take it early for maximum benefit and lowest cost
How to Choose the Best Company?
Now the thing is — we’ve understood how to choose a good policy, but the next big question is:
How do we choose the right company?
And honestly, there is no easy answer.
All Companies Have Issues
Let’s be real:
-
I have seen complaints about Care
-
I’ve seen issues with Star Health
-
Even Navi is not without problems
👉 You take any company — there will be complaints.
So, how do we decide?
Here's What Helps — Two Key Points
1. Know the Type of Insurance Company
There are two types of companies in the health insurance space:
a) General Insurance Companies
These offer all kinds of insurance:
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Fire insurance
-
Motor insurance
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Health insurance (just one part)
🛑 Health insurance is not their core focus.
They mainly sell corporate packages (employment insurance, fire, motor — all in one).
As a result:
-
They cater more to corporate clients
-
They may not prioritize retail customers like us
b) Dedicated Health Insurance Companies
These companies deal only in health insurance.
💡 Their entire business depends on retail customers like us — individuals and families.
As a result:
✅ Their service is faster
✅ Claim processing is smoother
✅ They are more responsive on calls
But yes, you'll also see more complaints against these companies.
Why?
Because they deal with lakhs of retail customers directly. If 50 people have a complaint, all 50 will post it.
Whereas general insurance companies deal with corporates, and HR handles the complaints internally.
2. Don’t Assume Fewer Complaints = Better Company
General insurers seem cleaner, but that’s just because:
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They serve corporates
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HRs handle the complaints quietly
Dedicated health insurers have more visible complaints, but:
✅ They are faster
✅ More customer-focused
✅ And you deal with them directly
So, if you want peace of mind, faster service, and a customer-first approach — choose a dedicated health insurance company.
Some Popular Dedicated Health Insurance Companies:
There are 4–5 good names. To narrow it down, apply these 2 filters:
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Pick the biggest brand with the most goodwill
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Check whether that company offers the policy/features you want
If not, then move to the second-best on your list.
Bonus: Get Help from Policy Bazaar
I’ve given the link in the description and in the top comment.
You can:
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👉 Buy a policy from Policy Bazaar
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👉 Get assistance during claims
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👉 In many cities, they’ll even send someone to the hospital
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👉 In other cities, they’ll support you on the phone
They really helped in one real-life claim case I talked about earlier — and I truly appreciate that.
Why You Should Learn This Yourself
I know—it's easy to just name the best insurance company and be done with it.
This blog could’ve ended in 2 minutes. But that’s not the point.
This isn’t just about recommendations.
It’s about giving you the power to make your own decisions.
Things Change. Be Ready.
The insurance world is full of terms, conditions, and hidden catches.
And tomorrow, things can change.
But if you’ve understood the process, if you know how to compare and what to check,
no one will be able to mislead you.
You’ll have the confidence to choose what’s right — no matter what changes tomorrow.
Your Decision = Your Confidence
When you take decisions based on your own research,
the responsibility is yours — but so is the confidence.
You sleep better at night knowing you weren’t blindly following someone.
This Was Long — But It Had To Be
Yes, this post was long. Maybe you didn’t read it like a regular blog.
Maybe it felt more like a podcast — a conversation.
And if you’ve come this far, then I truly hope
you leave with something valuable.
Just Drop a Comment 👇
If you’re still here, say something nice below.
Or simply type: "Jagruk Janta"
I’ll know you were really here till the end.
Till Next Time...
Stay smart. Stay aware.
See you in the next post.
