Niva Bupa vs. ICICI Lombard Comparison

Q: How much does Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0 Titanium+ cost compared to ICICI Lombard Elevate?

ICICI Lombard Elevate is cheaper across the profiles compared. For ₹15 lakh cover in Delhi, a 25-year-old pays about ₹10,590 a year for Elevate, compared with ₹12,601 for ReAssure 2.0 Titanium+. For a couple aged 31 and 32, Elevate costs about ₹14,440 compared with ₹21,442. These figures include recommended add-ons, and actual premiums vary with age, city, health, and add-ons.

Q: Which is better for maternity cover, Niva Bupa or ICICI Lombard?

Niva Bupa offers maternity coverage through its Aspire plan. Aspire's M-iracle benefit covers delivery, in vitro fertilization, surrogacy, and adoption, with a waiting period of 9 months on its Platinum+ and Titanium+ variants. Newborns are covered from day 1. ICICI Lombard Elevate offers maternity coverage as an optional add-on at an additional cost.

Overview

Niva Bupa and ICICI Lombard offer comprehensive health plans, but they differ on room rent, bonuses, and claims.

Coverage

Niva Bupa: ReAssure 2.0 has no room rent limit, no copayment, and no disease-wise sub-limits.
ICICI Lombard: Elevate covers up to a single private room unless you buy the room modifier add-on.
Restoration: Both plans restore 100% of the cover unlimited times, even on partial exhaustion.

Waiting Periods and Bonuses

Waiting Periods: Both apply a 3-year pre-existing disease wait, but Elevate covers diabetes and hypertension after 90 days.
No-Claim Bonus: Booster+ grows cover up to 10x on Titanium+, while Elevate adds 20% yearly up to 100%.

Claim Settlement and Reliability

Claim Settlement Ratio (CSR): Niva Bupa averages 92.92%, above both the industry's 92.02% and ICICI Lombard's 86.81%.
Service Feedback: ICICI Lombard receives fewer complaints, 15.05 per 10,000 claims, compared to Niva Bupa's 37.13.

Choosing between Niva Bupa vs. ICICI Lombard health insurance isn’t as straightforward as it looks. Factors like claim settlement ratio, complaint volumes, network hospitals, annual business, and plan flexibility can make a difference in the long run.

In this detailed comparison of Niva Bupa vs ICICI Lombard, we break down their performance metrics, flagship plans, pricing, and key differences, so you can clearly understand which insurer aligns better with your needs.

Niva Bupa vs. ICICI Lombard: Company Overview

About Niva Bupa Health Insurance

Founded: 2008 (originally Max Bupa, rebranded as Niva Bupa in 2021).
Ownership: Joint venture between the private equity firm True North and the UK-based healthcare giant Bupa.
Hospital Network: 10,000+ cashless hospitals across India.

About ICICI Lombard Health Insurance

Founded: 2001
Ownership: Joint venture between ICICI Bank (64%) and Fairfax Financial Holdings, Canada (36%).
Hospital Network: 10,200+ cashless hospitals across India.

Niva Bupa vs. ICICI Lombard: Performance Metrics

Metrics	Niva Bupa	ICICI Lombard	Industry Average
Claim Settlement Ratio (CSR)	92.92%	86.81%	92.02%
Incurred Claim Ratio (ICR)	58.10%	79.47%	81.88%
Complaints Received per 10,000 Claims	37.13	15.05	29.35
GWP/ Annual Business-Total Health (In Crores)	₹6,985.24	₹7,955.27	₹4,504.48
Network Hospitals	10,000+	11,000+	10,000+ (Benchmark)

Note:

The complaint numbers shown above reflect all of ICICI Lombard’s products (health, motor, and others), as the insurer does not publish product-wise complaint data separately.
All the data is sourced from IRDAI Annual reports, along with Niva Bupa and ICICI Lombard’s public disclosures.

Key Insights:

CSR: Niva Bupa is stronger at 92.92%, versus ICICI Lombard’s 86.81% and the 92.02% industry average.
ICR: ICICI Lombard is closer to the industry average at 79.47%, while Niva Bupa is lower at 58.10%.
Complaints: ICICI Lombard performs better with 15.05 complaints per 10,000 claims, versus Niva Bupa’s 37.13.
Annual Business: Both are above the industry average, with ICICI Lombard at ₹7,955.27 crore and Niva Bupa at ₹6,985.24 crore.
Network Hospitals: ICICI Lombard has a slightly wider network at 11,000+, compared with Niva Bupa’s 10,000+. Niva Bupa’s network size remains one of its weaker operational areas.

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Niva Bupa vs. ICICI Lombard: Plan Comparison

Niva Bupa health insurance plans include ReAssure 2.0, Aspire, and Health Recharge super top-up.

ICICI Lombard’s portfolio also includes comprehensive health policies like Elevate, Health AdvantEdge, and Max Protect Premium.

Let’s compare their flagship plans to see where each one stands out.

Features	Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0	ICICI Lombard Elevate
Sum Insured Options	₹5 lakh-₹1 crore	₹5 lakh-unlimited
Waiting Periods	Initial: 30 days (except accidents), specific illness: 2 years, pre-existing disease (PED): 3 years	Initial: 30 days (except accidents), specific illness: 2 years (90 days for diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac conditions if not diagnosed as PEDs), pre-existing disease: 3 years
Copayment	Not applicable	Not applicable
Room Rent Limits	No limit	Single private room (upgradable via add-on)
Disease-Wise Sub-Limits	Not applicable	Not applicable
Consumables	Covered with an add-on: safeguard/safeguard+	Covered with an add-on: claim protector
Bonus	Booster+ benefit, coverage depends on variants, Bronze+: 3x, Platinum+: 5x, Titanium+: 10x	20% up to 100% of the base sum insured, irrespective of claims made
Restoration	100%, unlimited times, partial exhaustion, same/different illness	100%, unlimited times for any illness, partial exhaustion
Daycare, Domiciliary, and AYUSH Treatments	Covered up to the sum insured	Covered up to the sum insured
Pre- and Post- Hospitalization	60/180 days	90/180 days
Add-ons Available	Disease management rider, hospital cash, acute care, and personal accident	25+ add-ons, including power booster, annual health check, worldwide cover, and maternity

Quick Take: Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0 offers more built-in benefits, with no room rent cap, unlimited restoration, and no copayment, making it the better pick for buyers who want comprehensive protection.

Conversely, ICICI Lombard Elevate offers a higher sum insured (up to unlimited) and a variety of add-ons, which suit buyers looking for long-term coverage and flexibility.

Niva Bupa vs. ICICI Lombard: Premium Comparison

Profiles	Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0 Titanium+	ICICI Lombard Elevate
Individual Plan, Age 25	₹12,601	₹10,590
Family Floater (2A), Ages (31, 32)	₹21,442	₹14,440
Family Floater (2A 1C), Ages (35, 34, 5)	₹27,995	₹20,413
Family Floater (2A), Ages (62, 63)	₹76,064	₹64,789

Note: A denotes adult and C implies child. Premiums are indicative and vary by age, city, sum insured, and chosen add-ons. The premiums are calculated for a ₹15 lakh sum insured with recommended add-ons for healthy individuals living in Delhi (pin code - 110010).

The add-ons taken into account for the ICICI Lombard Elevate plan are annual health checkup, room rent modifier, and claim protector (consumables). For Niva Bupa, we’ve considered Safeguard+.

Top 10 Health Insurance Companies in India

Insurer	Ditto’s Score (Out of 5)	Claim Settlement Ratio (CSR) (FY 2024-26)	Complaints Received per 10,000 Claims (FY 2024-26)
HDFC ERGO	4.99	97.61%	8.87
Bajaj General	4.99	95.63%	3.85
Aditya Birla Health	4.49	96.25%	18.67
Care Health	4.23	95.45%	42.67
Niva Bupa	3.79	92.92%	37.13
SBI General	3.79	95.94%	14.04
Go Digit	3.69	99%	19.08
Generali Central (Formerly Future Generali)	3.66	93.50%	11.68
ICICI Lombard	3.65	86.81	15.05
TATA AIG	3.43	88.94	11.47

Source: This information is sourced from the IRDAI annual reports, HDFC ERGO public disclosures, Care Health public disclosures, Aditya Birla public disclosures, SBI General public disclosures, and Niva Bupa public disclosures.

For more data on other insurers, explore Ditto Data Lab.

Note: Both Niva Bupa and ICICI make it to the list of top 10 health insurance companies in India. Niva Bupa ranks higher based on metrics like CSR, GWP, and complaint volume.

Should You Choose Niva Bupa or ICICI Lombard?

Consider Niva Bupa If You Want:

Better claim settlement ratio
More built-in benefits without needing multiple add-ons
Comprehensive maternity coverage, including IVF, surrogacy, and adoption
Digital-first experiences and wellness rewards

Consider ICICI Lombard If You Want:

A plan you can fully customize with optional add-ons
Fewer service complaints and a smoother resolution experience
Global coverage
Unique features like surrogate and oocyte cover, and bariatric surgery cover

Why Choose Ditto for Health Insurance?

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Conclusion

Niva Bupa and ICICI Lombard are both credible insurers. Niva Bupa leads in claim settlement, and backs it up with a set of built-in plan features. ICICI Lombard stands out with lower complaint volumes, solid financial backing, and the highly flexible Elevate plan for buyers who want to build their own coverage.

That said, insurers like HDFC ERGO outperform both across key metrics like CSR, ICR, and complaint volumes. If you are looking for a good health policy, you can also check our detailed guide on the best health insurance in India as a starting point.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many network hospitals do Niva Bupa and ICICI Lombard have?

ICICI Lombard has a slightly larger network of 11,000+ cashless hospitals, compared with Niva Bupa's 10,000+ hospitals across 450+ cities. At network hospitals, the insurer settles eligible bills directly, so you don't have to pay upfront and claim reimbursement later. Check whether your preferred hospitals are listed with each insurer before deciding.

Where do Niva Bupa and ICICI Lombard rank among India's top 10 health insurers?

Niva Bupa ranks fifth among India's top 10 health insurers with a Ditto score of 3.79 out of 5, while ICICI Lombard ranks ninth with 3.65. HDFC ERGO and Bajaj General lead the list, both scoring 4.99. Niva Bupa's higher rank reflects its stronger claim settlement ratio, while ICICI Lombard scores better on complaints but lower on claim settlement.

What is the difference between Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0 and ICICI Lombard Elevate?

Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0 includes more built-in benefits, with no room rent limit and Booster+ growth of up to 10x on Titanium+. ICICI Lombard Elevate limits room rent to a single private room unless you buy an add-on, but offers higher cover options and 25+ add-ons for customization. Both offer unlimited restoration and no copayment. ReAssure 2.0 Platinum+ also ranks fourth in Ditto's top 5 health insurance plans.

Does ICICI Lombard Elevate have a room rent limit?

Yes, ICICI Lombard Elevate covers room rent up to a single private room. If you choose a higher room category, you'll share the costs with the insurer, unless you buy the Room Modifier add-on to upgrade your room eligibility. Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0, by comparison, has no room rent limit, so you can choose any room category without facing deductions on your claim.

Which has the higher bonus, Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0 or ICICI Lombard Elevate?

Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0 has the higher built-in bonus. Its Booster+ benefit carries forward unused sum insured up to 5x on Platinum+ and 10x on Titanium+. ICICI Lombard Elevate's Loyalty Bonus increases your cover by 20% each year, up to 100% of the sum insured, and it isn't reduced after a claim. Elevate buyers can pay extra for the Power Booster add-on to grow their cover further.

How much does Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0 Titanium+ cost compared to ICICI Lombard Elevate?

ICICI Lombard Elevate is cheaper across all profiles we compared. For ₹15 lakh cover in Delhi, a 25-year-old pays about ₹10,590 a year for Elevate, against ₹12,601 for ReAssure 2.0 Titanium+. For a couple aged 31 and 32, Elevate costs about ₹14,440 against ₹21,442. These figures include recommended add-ons, and actual premiums vary with age, city, health, and add-ons.

Which is better for maternity cover, Niva Bupa or ICICI Lombard?

Niva Bupa is better for maternity, mainly through its Aspire plan rather than ReAssure 2.0. Aspire's M-iracle benefit covers delivery, in vitro fertilization, surrogacy, and adoption, with a waiting period of just 9 months on its Platinum+ and Titanium+ variants, and newborns are covered from day 1. ICICI Lombard Elevate offers maternity only as an optional add-on, at an extra cost.

Last updated on: 25 Sep, 2026