Aditya Birla Activ One Health Insurance Plan Review

We’ve had several people ask us about Aditya Birla Activ One, mainly because it’s being promoted as a “fitness-first” health plan. The pitch is simple: choose from 7 variants, stay active, earn HealthReturns, and use them for renewals, diagnostics, or medical expenses. Sounds great, but is it genuinely useful or just smart marketing?

In this article, we will understand what's unique about the plan, and whether it is a good choice for you.

Aditya Birla Health Insurance: Performance Metrics

Aditya Birla is a health insurance company that came up as a joint venture between Aditya Birla Group and MMI Holdings of South Africa in 2016. Although a fresher in the health insurance industry, the trajectory of its performance has been impressive and is well reflected in its metrics. The insurer has had a-

• Claim Settlement Ratio (CSR) of 95.81% (the industry average is 91.22%)
• Incurred Claim Ratio (ICR) of 68.16% (the industry average is 81.88%)
• Complaint Volume of 18.67 (the industry average is 27.06)

(The aforementioned data is an average of three years. The average of the data across 3 years is meant to provide you with a better insight into the insurer’s consistency across its overall operational proficiency and its graph of progress.)

Now, the data across all the metrics used to measure an insurer’s credibility are solid, especially considering that this is a standalone company. Additionally, please remember this - Aditya Birla might be only 8 years into this industry, but over the last few years, the insurer has shown immense promises of progress in terms of its progress and product portfolio build-up. The insurer has brought affordability to the table despite its diversity in features and health insurance add-ons. This has fetched the insurer a rapidly growing client pool, which is an incredible start for a brand closing in on a decade in terms of its industry experience and expertise.

Case in consideration - Aditya Birla Activ One. The policy has become exceptionally popular considering its features - the highlight being HealthReturns up to 100% of the premiums. The policy, across its 7 variants, offers extensive coverage of ₹5 lakhs to ₹6 crores. Hence, the Activ One plan (series) caters to all - irrespective of their diverse financial stabilities and conditions and medical requirements. The policy also offers an inflation shield, unlimited restoration, coverage for 7 chronic conditions, consumable coverage, and a host of add-ons.

Such a diverse list of features in a single series across 7 health insurance policy variants - is truly an industry first.

However, since the series has 7 variants, you must be careful about your chosen policy. Each plan caters to a separate client base based on the respective financial and medical requirements and bandwidth.

For example - the Aditya Birla Activ One policy has a niche product for maternity perks, one for OPD privileges, one for international coverage, and so on. The policies also come with a host of add-ons. If you want to tap into the full potential of a health insurance plan from this series, you better reach out to an insurance expert and seek their assistance by mentioning your requirements and expectations!

Now, let’s start taking a closer look at the 7 variants of the Aditya Birla Activ One plan and figure out which plan caters to which client base!

(Please note: The international coverage offered in VIP and VIP+ are over and above the base insured sum.)

What are the Features of the Aditya Birla Activ One Plans Variants?

1. Aditya Birla Activ One NXT: This is the most basic variant from the series of Aditya Birla Activ One. The base plan (without its riders) is far from being a comprehensive health insurance policy -

• There is no loyalty bonus.
• For pre-existing diseases, the waiting period is 4 years (you can opt for riders to reduce this to 3, 2, or 1 year).
• No free health check-ups are available.
• The plan might become comprehensive when combined with appropriate add-ons, but the addition of several riders makes the policy significantly expensive.

The only silver lining of the Aditya Birla Activ One NXT plan is its Super Reload feature, wherein you get access to 2X the sum assured from Day 1 of the policy. Please note: This is a unique feature that you can’t avail in any of the other 6 variants.

Riders available: Reduction in PED waiting period | Chronic Care | Chronic Care Management Program (OPD) | Claim Protect | Annual Health Check-ups | No Claim Bonus Super | Critical Illness | Personal Accident Cover | Cancer Booster | Durable Equipment Cover | Compassionate Visit | Second Medical Opinion | Annual Screening Package for Cancer diagnosed Patients | Room Rent Modifier | Per Claim Deductible | Vaccine Cover | Tele-OPD Consultation

2. Aditya Birla Activ One MAX: This is quite possibly the best variant of the series offered by Aditya Birla. It’s comprehensive and affordable, even in its base form (without the add-ons). The policy has multiple perks to offer -

• The in-built benefit of Super Credit is 100% to 500% of the base sum insured, which is capped at ₹3 crores as a loyalty bonus.
• The in-built benefit of free medical checkups once a year on a cashless basis for listed tests based on the cover amount
• A built-in consumable coverage
• A 100% discount on renewal premiums (provided you meet the fitness metrics benchmark set by the insurer)

Riders available: Chronic Care | Chronic Care Management Program (OPD) | Personal Accident Cover | Critical Illness | Durable Equipment Cover | Cancer Booster | Second Medical Opinion | Compassionate Visit | Vaccine Cover | Room Rent Modifier | Per Claim Deductible | Annual Screening Package for Cancer diagnosed Patients | Tele-OPD Consultation

3. Aditya Birla Activ One VYTL: The VYTL variant of the Aditya Birla Activ One plan is an improvised version of its Max variant with a few tweaks in the base features. Under the VYTL policy, you get all the perks of the Max plan and an extensive coverage of 7 specific lifestyle ailments, including - Asthma, Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia, Diabetes mellitus, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Obesity, and Coronary Artery Disease (if PTCA is done prior to 1 year). The policy also offers coverage for a few listed diagnostic tests, as mentioned in the policy wording.

Riders available: Critical Illness | Personal Accident cover | Room Rent Modifier| Compassionate Visit | Annual Screening Package for Cancer diagnosed Patients | Second Medical Opinion | Tele-OPD Consultation | Chronic Care Restriction | Per Claim Deductible | Vaccine Cover

4. Aditya Birla Activ One MAX+: As the name suggests, the Max+ is an upgraded version of the Aditya Birla Activ One Max plan. Under the Max+ variant, you get access to all the features of Max and then some! The additional couple of features in Max+ include -

• An in-built Durable Equipment Cover that offers coverage for medically required equipment (Ventilator, Wheelchair, Prosthetic device, Suction Machine, Commode Chairs, Infusion pump, Continuous Passive motion devices in case of Knee Replacement, and Oxygen concentrator) up to ₹5 lakhs or the sum insured (whichever is lower).
• Coverage for an additional couple of tests in the annual free health check-up quota.

Riders available: Tele-OPD Consultation | Room Rent Modifier | Vaccine Cover | Per Claim Deductible | Compassionate Visit | Second Medical Opinion | Cancer Booster | Annual Screening Package for Cancer diagnosed Patients | Chronic Care Management Program (OPD) | Critical Illness | Chronic Care | Personal Accident cover

5. Aditya Birla Activ One VIP: In general, the health insurance plan variants from the Aditya Birla Activ One series are extremely pocket-friendly. However, there are a couple of plans that dig a hole in your pocket - one such plan is the VIP variant. However, while it’s true that this is an expensive policy, the cost is justified considering that it offers coverage for maternity and international medical (excluding USA and Canada) requirements. Now, compared to the other top health insurance policies in the market that offer international and maternity coverage, VIP is quite comprehensive.

Riders available: Extended International Cover | Reduction in PED | Durable Equipment Cover | Cancer Booster| Tele-OPD Consultation | Vaccine Cover | Annual Screening Package for Cancer diagnosed Patients | Compassionate Visit | Reduction in Specific Illness Waiting Period| Second Medical Opinion| Critical Illness | Personal Accident cover

6. Aditya Birla Activ One VIP+: The VIP+ variant of the Aditya Birla Activ One series offers most of the features of a base Max policy and a couple of additional perks—maternity and international medical (including USA and Canada) coverage. The addition of such premium features makes VIP+ an extremely expensive plan, targeted only for those seeking these two features specifically.

Riders available: Reduction in Specific Illness Waiting Period | Tele-OPD Consultation | Vaccine Cover | Second Medical Opinion | Compassionate Visit | Annual Screening Package for Cancer diagnosed Patients | Durable Equipment Cover | Critical Illness | Personal Accident Cover | Reduction in PED | Cancer Booster

7. Aditya Birla Activ One SAVR: Like Aditya Birla Activ One Max, the SAVR variant is a solid pick. The policy is comprehensive, requires only 3 years of PED waiting period, offers no redundant premium features like international coverage and maternity perks, and is pretty comprehensive. Overall, the plan is a great option, closely followed by the series’ Max variant. In addition to the base features offered by Max, the SAVR variant also offers a few other perks - Hospital Cash Cover for parents or parents-in-law and a loyalty bonus of 100% to 500% (in-built).

Riders available: Chronic Care Management Program (OPD) | Reduction in PED | Critical Illness | Chronic Care| Cancer Booster | Critical Illness | Personal Accident Cover | Annual Screening Package for Cancer diagnosed Patients | Durable Equipment Cover | Compassionate Visit | Second Medical Opinion | Vaccine Cover | Reduction in Specific Illness Waiting Period | Per Claim Deductible | Room Rent Modifier | Tele-OPD Consultation

Should You Buy the Aditya Birla Activ One Health Insurance Plan?

Before purchasing Aditya Birla Activ One Plan. Consider the following options-

1. Aditya Birla as an insurer: Aditya Birla has built a solid client base since its commencement in 2016. This general insurance company has a diverse portfolio of financial products across life insurance, multiply wellness, motor insurance, travel insurance, health insurance, mutual funds, stocks, funds, personal and home finance, and more. Considering the solid brand equity, it is not surprising that the insurer has already partnered with 11,000+ hospitals and has an extensive product range in health insurance.
2. Coverage: The Aditya Birla Activ One Plan series has 7 variants whose coverage extends from ₹5 lakhs to ₹6 crores. Among these variants, in the case of VIP and VIP+, the coverage is split between Domestic and International coverage.
   
   The cover amount is undoubtedly extensive and would cater to a vast client pool. However, since a couple of variants come with emergency global covers and maternity perks as built-in features, they may be heavy on the wallet.
   
   If you’re unsure whether the premiums justify the features offered, it’s wise to compare this plan with the best health insurance plans in India that offer similar sum insured options, restoration benefits, and maternity coverage, so you can evaluate value, not just features.

3. HealthReturns: The most marketed feature of the Aditya Birla Activ One Plan series is their HealthReturn perk. This is a wellness perk benefit under which the insurer rewards you for staying fit. Take a look at how HealthReturns works after you have downloaded the Activ Health app -

• STEP 1: Complete your  Health questionnaire & Health Assessment provided by the insurer.
• STEP 2: Stay physically active regularly and earn Active Dayz
• STEP 3: The insurer calculates your Healthy Heart Score, fitness assessment result, and the number of Active Dayz recorded.
• STEP 4: Use your HealthReturns to - fund OPD treatments, purchase any health wearable device that helps track your steps and Active Dayz, cover diagnostic cost tests, or pay less premiums during your policy renewals.

4. Global Coverage (Emergency) and Global Enhanced: The Aditya Birla Activ One Plan series offers an in-built perk of international coverage. There are two types of available features: emergency global coverage, which only covers any emergency medical situation when you are abroad, and enhanced global coverage, under which your insurer covers any scheduled treatment in facilities abroad. Needless to say, there is a capping on both the features.

This is a great feature to have in case you are a frequent traveller. However, considering that VIP and VIP+ policies have this as an in-built feature, you don’t have the option to ignore the feature. Additionally, since treatments abroad are far more expensive than in India, the chances of sizeable payouts are higher, leading to an increase in premiums.

So, unless you are absolutely certain that you need international coverage, the plans and their respective high premiums may not be worth the purchase.

5. Maternity: In case of complicated deliveries and caesarean sections, the expenses are covered by your insurer up to a specific limit. In the case of the Aditya Birla Activ One series, VIP and VIP+ are the variants that offer in-built maternity coverage with a 2-year waiting period. The coverage varies and is based on the plan you choose and the sum insured you opt for -

• Aditya Birla Activ One VIP: If the sum insured is ₹50 lakhs & ₹75 lakhs: In India - the maternity coverage is up to ₹1 lakh. If the sum insured is ₹1 crore & above Worldwide (Excluding USA & Canada), the maternity coverage is up to ₹2 lakhs.
• Aditya Birla Activ One VIP+: If the sum insured is ₹50 lakhs & ₹75 lakhs: In India - the maternity coverage is up to ₹1 lakh. If the sum insured is ₹1 crore & above Worldwide, the maternity coverage is up to ₹2 lakh.

6. Super credit: This is an additional amount offered on top of the base cover that is equal to a % of the sum insured or a fixed amount. This surplus amount kicks in only if you have continued your policy without a break.

7. Unlimited Super reload: This is the unlimited restoration perk that comes into effect when you have utilised your base amount and super credit. As the name suggests, the Unlimited Super Reload kicks in an unlimited number of times across a policy year and can be used for the same and different illnesses.

8. Chronic care: In case you are diagnosed with Asthma, Hypertension, Hyperlipidaemia, Diabetes mellitus, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), obesity (BMI is equal to or below 39.9), or Corona Artery Disease with PTCA done before 1 year - the insurer offers you coverage without any waiting period. So, any treatments and hospitalisations caused by these chronic conditions are covered from day 1 of the policy.

9. Durable Medical Equipment Cover: Your insurer will cover the cost of buying or renting any of the listed durable medical equipment, provided the doctor has declared it in written form. This perk is only available on a reimbursement basis and is provided only if the doctor has confirmed that this equipment is essential for medical treatments during the insured individual's hospitalisation.

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Conclusion

Aditya Birla Activ One Plan is a one-of-a-kind series that is feature-rich. It has everything from unlimited super reload to maternity coverage. Despite the insurer being a new player in the industry, Aditya Birla is showing incredible promises, considering its consistently improving data across credibility metrics. The Activ One series is affordable and comprehensive and offers variants for a diverse client pool. The plans from this series specifically cater to clients eager to keep up with their fitness quotient. However, make sure to reach out to an expert to understand which variant would best suit your medical and financial bandwidth and requirements.