Cheap Health Insurance

When it comes to health insurance, one of the most important factors is the premium. At Ditto, we’ve helped more than 8,00,000 people find their best insurance coverage. One question we’re often asked is, “Which health insurance is cheap and best?” Here lies the problem, because the premium is only the cost you pay at the time of purchase. If you choose a plan just to minimise upfront costs, you may end up compromising on insurer performance, plan features like co-payments or room rent caps, or the cover amount.

Such compromises can lead to much higher out-of-pocket expenses when you actually make a claim. A claim is the real test of a good policy. That’s why, in this article, we’ll take a closer look at plans that offer lower premiums without significantly compromising on comprehensive benefits or insurer performance. We’ll also break down their premiums, features, and the insurer’s overall performance.

In the table above, PED stands for pre-existing diseases, CSR refers to the claim settlement ratio, and ICR means the incurred claims ratio.

The above premiums are for a ₹15 lakh cover for people residing in Delhi, with similar benefits added.

Key Insights: You’ll often hear people say that HDFC Ergo, plans like Optima Secure, are always the most expensive. Yes, the higher premiums can be a deterrent. However, at Ditto, we still rank HDFC Ergo among the best health insurance providers for 2026 because you’re paying for reliability. With a strong claims track record and genuinely comprehensive plans, it usually means fewer surprises and lower out-of-pocket costs at claim time. In short, you pay more upfront for peace of mind.

Why Should Affordability Not Be the Only Factor To Choose Health Insurance?

A plan might look affordable but still come with limits such as room rent caps that trigger proportionate deductions across the entire bill, co-payment clauses, disease-wise sub-limits for treatments like cataract or knee surgery, or caps/no coverage for consumables. The result is that you may end up paying a large part of the bill out of pocket, even though you were “insured.”

Additionally, the insurer’s performance is an equally important part of the equation because, in the end, the insurer is the one that settles your bill. Hence, it’s important to review metrics like CSR, ICR, complaint volume, network hospitals and Gross Written Premium (GWP).

Note: If you do not wish to compromise on the above factors, you can consider opting for features like aggregate deductibles, opting for a 2 or 3 year policy tenure, buying a super top-up, or using the wellness benefits in your policy to get a discount (if your policy allows). However, be aware of the considerations while making such a choice.

Why Choose Ditto for Health Insurance?

At Ditto, we’ve assisted over 8,00,000 customers with choosing the right insurance policy. Why customers like Pallavi below love us:

• No-Spam & No Salesmen
• Rated 4.9/5 on Google Reviews by 15,000+ happy customers
• Backed by Zerodha
• Dedicated Claim Support Team
• 100% Free Consultation

Confused about the right insurance? Speak to Ditto’s certified advisors for free, unbiased guidance. Book your call now or chat over WhatsApp, slots fill up fast!

Ditto’s Take On Cheap Health Insurance 

Health insurance plans that look cheap on the surface can actually hide higher potential out-of-pocket expenses in the future. This happens because the premium is directly linked to the risk the insurer takes on. As a result, such plans often include features like co-payment, room rent restrictions, or disease-wise sub-limits.

That’s why it’s always recommended to review the policy terms carefully before buying a plan. Make sure the benefits are comprehensive and that the insurer’s performance is up to the mark, so you can avoid unpleasant surprises later on.

Note: Care Health, HDFC ERGO, Star Health, ICICI Lombard, and Niva Bupa are partner insurers of Ditto.  Our assessment here is completely independent and based solely on publicly available data and the evaluation framework we use for all insurers. If you want to understand how Ditto reviews insurers across claims, complaints, business strength, and product suitability, you can read our methodology here.