“Affordable Health Insurance Comparison: 3 Plans Under ₹9,000 Budget”
Comparing Pro Health – Plus, Niva Bupa Reassure, and Star Health Comprehensive Individual Health Insurance Plans
Health insurance is a crucial aspect of financial planning, providing peace of mind in the face of unexpected medical expenses. With multiple plans available in the market, it’s essential to choose one that best suits your needs. In this comparison, we will evaluate three health insurance plans – Pro Health – Plus, Niva Bupa Reassure, and Star Health Comprehensive Individual – and recommend the best one based on price for value.
Coverage and Price Comparison
- Manipal Cigna Pro Health – Plus: Buy Now for ₹8,990
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Buy Now for ₹9,277
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Buy Now for ₹8,277
Cover Amount
All three plans offer a cover amount of 5 Lacs.
Tenure
Each plan has a tenure of 1 year, meaning you need to renew the policy annually.
Alternative Treatments
- Pro Health – Plus: Covers in-patient hospitalization up to the sum insured.
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Offers Ayush benefit up to Rs. 500,000.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Provides Ayush benefit up to Rs. 15,000.
Pre-Hospitalization and Post-Hospitalization Expenses
- All three plans cover pre-hospitalization expenses for 60 days.
- Pro Health – Plus and Niva Bupa Reassure cover post-hospitalization expenses for 180 days, while Star Health Comprehensive Individual covers expenses for 90 days.
Maternity
- Pro Health – Plus: Has a waiting period of 48 months for maternity coverage, offering Rs. 15,000 for normal delivery and Rs. 25,000 for Caesarean delivery.
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Offers maternity coverage with a waiting period of 24 months for the first delivery, providing Rs. 15,000 for normal delivery and Rs. 20,000 for Caesarean delivery.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Does not provide maternity coverage.
Ambulance Costs
- Pro Health – Plus: Covers ambulance costs up to Rs. 3,000 per event.
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Covers road ambulance costs up to Rs. 2,000 per hospitalization, and air ambulance costs up to the sum insured for cashless claims or up to Rs. 2.5 lakhs for reimbursement claims.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Covers road ambulance as per actuals and air ambulance up to Rs. 2,50,000 per hospitalization.
Free Health Checkup
- Pro Health – Plus: Offers a free health checkup once every policy year, except for the first year, for insured individuals aged 18 years and above.
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Offers health checkup from the policy start date, covering specified tests, with a limit of up to Rs. 2,000 per year.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Provides health checkup coverage up to Rs. 2,000 per year.
Daily Cash Allowance
- Pro Health – Plus: Does not specify daily cash allowance.
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Offers a maximum daily cash allowance of Rs. 6,000 for shared accommodation.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Offers Rs. 500 per day for up to 7 days per occurrence, with a maximum of 120 days per policy period.
Day Care Procedures
- Pro Health – Plus: Covers 546 day care procedures with no capping on any disease.
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Covers all procedures with no static list.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Covers all procedures.
Treatment at Home
- Pro Health – Plus: Covers treatment at home in case of non-availability of hospital beds.
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Covers treatment at home up to Rs. 5,00,000.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Allows domiciliary hospitalization coverage if the patient cannot be moved to a hospital or cannot be treated at a hospital due to room unavailability.
Organ Donor Expenses
- Pro Health – Plus: Covers organ donor expenses up to the cover amount plus any bonus accrued.
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Covers organ donor expenses up to Rs. 5,00,000.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Covers organ donor expenses on actuals, with a coverage limit up to the basic sum insured.
OPD Dental
- Pro Health – Plus: Does not specify OPD dental coverage.
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Offers Rs. 5,000 for dental treatment after every 3 years.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Does not specify OPD dental coverage.
Recovery Allowance, Outpatient, and New Born Treatment
- The comparison data does not provide information on these features for the Pro Health – Plus plan.
- Niva Bupa Reassure and Star Health Comprehensive Individual have varying coverage for these features.
No Claim Bonus
- Pro Health – Plus: Offers a guaranteed cumulative bonus of 10% of the sum insured, up to a maximum of 200%, irrespective of whether there is a claim.
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Provides a 50% increase in the sum insured for every claim-free year, up to a maximum of 100%.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Offers a 50% increase in the sum insured for every claim-free year, but if a claim is made, the sum insured is reduced by 50%.
Cover Restoration
- Pro Health – Plus: Offers 100% cover restoration of the cover amount plus any accrued bonus.
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Offers 100% cover restoration of the cover amount.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Automatically restores the basic sum insured by 100% upon exhaustion of the basic sum insured and accrued cumulative bonus, once during the policy period.
Hospitalization
- All three plans have a waiting period for hospitalization, which starts after 30 days, except for accidents that are covered from day 1.
Specific Diseases, Pre-Existing Diseases, and Permanent Exclusions
- The comparison data does not specify specific disease coverage or out-of-pocket expenses.
- All three plans have a waiting period for pre-existing diseases and permanent exclusions, which include cosmetic surgery, drugs/alcohol abuse, self-inflicted injury, war-related injuries, and non-medical expenses.
Disease-wise Sub-limit
- The comparison data does not specify disease-wise sub-limits for any of the plans.
Co-Pay
- Pro Health – Plus: Does not have a co-pay requirement.
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Has co-payments and deductibles as per the policy contract.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Does not have a co-pay requirement.
Room Rent Limit
- Pro Health – Plus: Requires policyholders to pay more if they stay in a suite or a room of higher category.
- Niva Bupa Reassure: Covers inpatient care without any room rent capping, up to the sum insured.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual: Requires policyholders to pay more if they stay in a room category above a single standard A.C room.
Claim Settlement and Rejection
- Pro Health – Plus has a claim settlement rate of 87.91% within 1 month, 1.10% within
1 – 3 months, and 0.10% more than 3 months. The plan experiences a claim rejection rate of 0.10%.
- Niva Bupa Reassure boasts a high claim settlement rate of 98.69% within 1 month, 1.20% within 1 – 3 months, and 0.10% more than 3 months. The plan has a very low claim rejection rate of 0.01%.
- Star Health Comprehensive Individual has an impressive claim settlement rate of 110.67% within 1 month, 0.53% within 1 – 3 months, and 0.11% more than 3 months. The plan’s claim rejection rate is 0.94%.
Recommendation for the Best Plan Based on Price for Value
When it comes to selecting the best health insurance plan based on price for value, it’s important to consider various factors, including coverage, waiting periods, claim settlement rates, and price. Here’s our recommendation:
Star Health Comprehensive Individual appears to be the most attractive option in terms of price for value. It offers an extensive range of benefits, including Ayush coverage, no co-pay, and a high claim settlement rate. While it doesn’t provide maternity coverage, it offers a competitive price point, making it a strong choice for individuals or families looking for comprehensive health insurance without breaking the bank.
However, it’s essential to carefully review the specific terms and conditions of the policy and compare them with your individual health insurance needs before making a final decision. Additionally, consider your budget and the features that matter most to you in your health insurance plan.
