Health Insurance Plans with No Waiting Period

There are a few health insurance plans in India that come with little or no waiting periods for pre-existing diseases. And in our assessment, here are the top 5 plans that extend the least waiting period for pre-existing diseases.

Best Health Insurance Plans without Waiting Period

Note:

• Premiums are inclusive of GST for an adult male 30 years old, based out of Bangalore
• Specific Illnesses differ based on the insurer you choose.

Detailed Review of each plan:

Acko Platinum Health Plan

Acko Platinum Health Plan is advertised as a plan with no waiting periods. And for the most part, this claim is true. There is no 30-day waiting period for any illness. And there is no 2-year waiting period for specific illnesses - like cataracts, kidney stones, etc.

The plan is also extremely affordable and you don’t have to pay for any additional riders to avail of the no-waiting period benefits we outlined above. So for people looking to reduce the 2-year waiting period for specific illnesses like cataracts, this is a great option.

Drawbacks to consider: The biggest problem with the plan is that Acko imposes a pre-existing disease waiting period depending on your medical evaluation. This can range from anywhere between 0-4 years. There’s also the fact that Acko’s plans are relatively new and we have very little information about their claim settlement process. So this is something you should consider before buying the plan.

HDFC Ergo Energy Gold/Silver

HDFC Ergo Energy is a plan that was specifically built for people dealing with diabetes and hypertension. It offers day 1 coverage for all complications arising out of these 2 chronic diseases it offers additional benefits for those constantly keeping their diabetes and blood pressure in check.

Put together, HDFC Energy is a great plan for those with diabetes and hypertension and for those who don’t want to worry too much about the claim settlement process (considering HDFC's excellent track record).

Drawbacks to consider: There’s a 2-year waiting period for other pre-existing diseases and specific illnesses like cataracts. There’s also a 30-day waiting period for everything else except diabetes, hypertension and accidents. And the policy is very expensive. So if you are looking for a budget-friendly option, this may not be your cup of tea.

You can find the full review for HDFC Ergo Energy here.

Care Supreme with Instant Cover

Care Supreme is one of Care’s best-selling plans at the moment. And one of the reasons it’s so popular is because it offers an instant cover add-on. The promise is that you can cover pre-existing diseases like Diabetes, Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia and Asthma after a waiting period of just 30 days. It’s also very affordable which explains why so many people have been buying the plan.

Drawbacks to consider: Like most plans on this list, there is no coverage for specific illnesses like cataracts etc for the first 2 years and there is a 30-day waiting period on everything else except accidents. The biggest drawback however is that there is a 4-year waiting period on all other pre-existing diseases except Diabetes, Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia and Asthma. So if you are dealing with something that’s not on this list, then this may not be the plan for you.

You can find the full review for Care Supreme here.

Reassure 2.0 with Disease Management Rider

Reassure 2.0 is the new upgrade to the popular Reassure plan. It comes in 3 variants - Platinum, Bronze and Titanium. But more importantly, it also offers a Disease Management Rider.

If you buy the plan with this add-on, you get Day 1 coverage for both Diabetes and Hypertension (High Blood Pressure). This means if you are currently dealing with Diabetes or Hypertension, you can declare this as a pre-existing condition, add the disease management rider and have all complications arising out of diabetes and Hypertension covered from Day 1.

All things considered, this is an excellent option for people who are looking to buy a comprehensive plan on a budget.

Drawbacks to consider: The plan imposes a 3-year waiting period on all other pre-existing diseases. A 2-year waiting period on specific illnesses. And a 30-day waiting period for everything else except accidents. Also, while the features of Reassure 2.0 are fantastic, there has been an increase in complaints after the recent change in management (Max Bupa to Niva Bupa). So we would advise some degree of caution while buying the plan.

Also, you can find the full review for Reassure 2.0 here.

Star Cardiac Care Platinum

While most plans in our list cover diseases like diabetes and hypertension with no waiting period, there are very few plans that cover heart-related complications from Day 1. Star Cardiac Care is an exception in that regard. It covers expenses related to angiograms, cardiac devices and heart transplants after 30 days of policy inception. So if you have a heart-related condition you could perhaps consider this plan.

Drawbacks to consider: The plan imposes a 4-year waiting period on all other pre-existing diseases. A 30-day waiting period for everything else except accidents. And the usual 2-year waiting period for specific illnesses. Also, Star has been very unreliable with their claim settlement process. So we wouldn’t actively recommend this plan.

Also, you can find the full review for Star Cardiac Care Platinum here