Overview

Non-medical items include consumables, administrative charges, and personal comfort items that are not strictly required for treatment. Health insurance base plans usually exclude them. But some plans cover them by default or with popular add-ons, such as Claim Shield Plus, that cover non-medical expenses.

1. Consumables Cover: Consumables are medical supplies used quickly during your hospital stay, and your base plan may not cover them. This cover pays for items like surgical gloves, cotton, bandages, masks, and nebulizer kits.

2. Non-Medical Expenses Add-On: This add-on covers non-medical items used during treatment, such as registration fees, admission kits, housekeeping charges, mineral water, and toothbrushes. Providers such as Care Health and Tata AIG offer riders that cover dozens of such items.

You get discharged after a successful surgery, relieved it's finally over. Then the bill arrives, with a separate list for non-medical expenses. Gloves, syringes, cotton, admission fees, none of it is paid by your insurer. This is one of the most common surprises in health insurance, and it adds up. The NSO's 80th Round Survey puts the median out-of-pocket medical expenditure per hospitalization in India at ₹11,285 in 2025, with non-payable items accounting for a large share of that amount.

The good news is that add-ons exist to fill this exact gap. They step in and pay for these items directly, so you are not caught off guard at discharge.

In this guide, we cover popular add-ons that cover non-medical expenses, their premiums, and help you decide if the extra cost is worth it.

Not sure if your existing plan covers non-medical items? Book a free call or WhatsApp us for clarity! 

What Are Non-Medical Expense Add-Ons?

Non-medical expense add-ons cover hospital costs not directly related to your treatment. IRDAI maintains a standardized list of these items, and insurers use it to determine what your base plan will not cover.

These items include consumables such as gloves and syringes, as well as personal comfort items such as toiletries and mineral water. They usually add up to 5%-15% of your total bill, according to Ditto’s claims team’s experience. A non-medical expense add-on or consumables cover pays for these costs, so you are not caught off guard at discharge.

Before buying any rider, compare the list of non-payable items in health insurance with the insurer’s policy wording, because not all add-ons cover every excluded item. You can find the list below: 

IRDAI List of Non-Medical Items in Health Insurance
IRDAI List of Non-Medical Items in Health Insurance.pdf
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Let’s have a look at some popular plans with non-medical expense add-ons. 

Care Supreme With Claim Shield Plus

Care Health Insurance offers Claim Shield Plus with its Care Supreme plan. This add-on covers over 140 non-payable items (as per lists I, II, III, and IV of Annexure 1), which is a big jump from the older Claim Shield add-on, which covered 68 items. It includes consumables, disposables, and other hospital charges that most base plans don’t cover.

Here’s an illustrative premium including the add-on cost for some common profiles. 

ProfilesBase PremiumClaim Shield PlusTotal Premiums
(Individual Plan): Age 25₹12,945 ₹1,165₹14,110
(Family Floater, 2A): Ages (31, 32)₹18,314₹1,648₹19,962
(Family Floater, 2A 1C): Ages (35, 34, 5)₹23,429₹2,109₹25,538
(Senior Citizens, 2A): Ages (61,60)₹67,023₹6,032₹73,055

Note: A stands for adult and C stands for child. The premiums are calculated for a ₹15 lakh Sum Insured (SI) for healthy individuals residing in Delhi (110010). These are indicative values and may vary by age, location, underwriting, and medical conditions. 

Ditto's Take: The Claim Shield Plus add-on costs a flat 9% of your base premium across all profiles, from ₹1,165 for a 25-year-old to ₹6,032 for senior citizens. That's a small price for coverage on over 140 non-payable items, making it a smart pick right at purchase.

Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0: Safeguard / Safeguard+

Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0 offers two options for non-payable coverage. Here’s how both are different. 

CoverageSafeguardSafeguard+
CoverageNon-payable items will be covered (as per list I of Annexure I)Non-payable items will be covered (list I, II, III, IV of Annexure I)
Booster+ (Bonus)No impact on Booster+ if a claim in a policy year is less than ₹50,000No impact on Booster+ if the claim in a policy year is less than ₹1 lakh
Sum Insured Consumer Price Index (CPI)-linked increase in base sum insuredConsumer Price Index (CPI)-linked increase in base sum insured

Now that we know what each add-on covers, let’s have a look at the premiums.

ProfilesBase Premium (ReAssure 2.0 Platinum+)SafeguardSafeguard+
(Individual Plan): Age 25₹12,222₹1,038₹1,729
(Family Floater, 2A): Ages (31, 32)₹20,794₹1,765₹2,942
(Family Floater, 2A 1C): Ages (35, 34, 5)₹27,140₹2,304₹3,840
(Senior Citizens, 2A): Ages (61,60)₹73,501₹6,239₹10,399

Note: A denotes adult and C denotes child in this table. We have calculated these premiums for a ₹15 lakh sum insured for healthy individuals residing in Delhi (110010). Your actual premium can vary depending on age, location, underwriting, and medical history.

Ditto's Observation: The add-on cost remains a flat 8.5% (Safeguard) or 14% (Safeguard+) of your base premium across all age groups. This makes Safeguard+ a recommended add-on for its benefits, including protection against inflationary increases and a bonus reset.

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ICICI Lombard Elevate With Claim Protector Add-On

ICICI Lombard's Elevate plan offers the Claim Protector add-on. Once you opt for this, list 1 of items for which coverage is not available in the policy of Annexure II will become payable under this cover. This means items like consumables and administrative charges get settled without adding to your out-of-pocket cost.

ProfilesBase Premium Claim ProtectorTotal Premiums
(Individual Plan): Age 25₹8,519₹395₹8,914
(Family Floater, 2A): Ages (31, 32)₹13,170₹611₹13,781
(Family Floater, 2A 1C): Ages (35, 34, 5)₹17,479₹810₹18,289
(Senior Citizens, 2A): Ages (61,60)₹57,952₹2,689₹60,641

Note: In this table, A stands for adult and C stands for child. These premiums are illustrative, based on a ₹15 lakh cover for healthy individuals residing in Delhi (110010). Your final premium may vary based on your age, city, and medical history.

Ditto's Observation: The Claim Protector add-on costs around 4.6% of your base premium across every profile, from ₹395 for a 25-year-old to ₹2,689 for senior citizens. This makes it a low-cost way to close the gap on non-payable items and avoid unexpected out-of-pocket costs at discharge.

Star Super Star With Non-Medical Expense Add-On

Star Health's Super Star plan offers a non-medical expense (consumables) add-on. It works the same way as Claim Protector, covering consumables like gloves and syringes that your base plan would otherwise reject.

ProfilesBase PremiumNon-Medical Expense Add-onTotal Premiums
(Individual Plan): Age 25₹10,344₹658₹11,002
(Family Floater, 2A): Ages (31, 32)₹17,303₹1,111₹18,414
(Family Floater, 2A 1C): Ages (35, 34, 5)₹22,382₹1,440₹23,822
(Senior Citizens, 2A): Ages (61,60)₹55,584₹4,023₹59,607

Note: In this table, A denotes adult and C stands for child. These premiums are illustrative, based on a ₹15 lakh cover for healthy individuals residing in Delhi (110010). Your final premium may vary based on your age, city, and medical history.

Ditto's Observation: The non-medical expense add-on costs around 6.4% of your base premium for most profiles, from ₹658 for a 25-year-old to ₹1,440 for a family floater with a child. For senior citizens, it rises slightly to about 7.2% (₹4,023), likely reflecting higher consumable usage during longer hospital stays at that age. Either way, it's a good add-on for coverage that saves you from unexpected charges at discharge.

Which Plans Offer Built-In Consumables Cover

Some plans skip the add-on entirely, and consumables are covered right in the base plan. You do not pay extra for this protection with these plans.

HDFC ERGO Optima Secure Plus: Protect Benefit

Optima Secure Plus includes the Protect Benefit at no extra cost. It covers 68 listed non-medical items, such as gloves, masks, and food charges. 

Aditya Birla Activ One Max: Claim Protect

Activ One Max includes built-in consumable coverage through its Claim Protect feature. Even without customizing your plan, you get this protection as part of the base cover.

Tata AIG Medicare Premier: Consumables Benefit

Medicare Premier also bundles the Consumables Benefit into its base plan. It covers the specified List I consumables directly related to treatment. This means gloves, syringes, and other listed items are covered.

Should You Include Add-Ons for Covering Non-Medical Expenses in Your Plan?

In Ditto’s opinion, consumable cover in health insurance or a non-medical expense add-on is a must-have, especially if your plan does not already include this benefit. These items are not small. They can eat up 5%-15% of your final bill, and surgeries with heavy consumable use, like ACL reconstruction or cardiac procedures, feel this the most.

That said, an add-on should never be your only priority. Look at these features together for a well-rounded plan:

    • No room rent capping
    • No co-payment clause
    • No disease-wise sub-limits
    • Unlimited or high restoration of the sum insured
    • Higher cumulative bonus, building coverage over the years
    • A consumable or non-medical expense add-on (or a built-in equivalent)

If your shortlisted plan already includes this cover, you save on the extra premium. If not, the additional cost is worth it. 

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:

Popular Add-Ons That Cover Non-Medical Expenses
    • No-Spam & No Salesmen
    • Rated 4.9/5 on Google Reviews by 25,000+ 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 with our advisors on WhatsApp.

Conclusion

A consumables cover or non-medical expense add-on is a small line item on your premium, but a big relief at discharge. The real question is whether the rest of your plan holds up when you actually need to make a claim.

Before you add this cover and call it done, look at the bigger picture. Check the insurer's claim settlement track record, room rent limits, co-payment clauses, and restoration benefits. A plan with excellent consumables coverage but a weak claims process or a low base sum insured won't serve you well when a real medical emergency hits.

Bottom Line: If you already have a policy, take five minutes to check whether it covers non-payable items, either through an add-on or built-in. If you're still exploring your options, check out our guide to the best health insurance plans in India to compare across insurers on all fronts, not just this one add-on.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are non-payable items in health insurance?

Non-payable items in health insurance are hospital charges that your insurer does not cover, even though they appear on your final bill. These are non-medical costs rather than direct treatment costs. IRDAI maintains a standardized list of these items, and insurers use it to decide what a base plan will not cover. Common examples include gloves, syringes, cotton, registration fees, and toiletries. At Ditto, we tell customers that these items can often account for a portion of the total hospital bill. This is why a consumable or non-medical expense add-on can make a real difference at discharge.

What is a non-payable items list in health insurance, and why does it matter?

A non-payable items list in health insurance matters because it tells you exactly what your base plan will reject at claim settlement, even under a cashless hospitalization. Without this knowledge, patients are often surprised by a separate bill for gloves, syringes, and registration charges after a successful surgery. IRDAI standardized this list so every insurer applies similar exclusions. Surgeries with heavy consumable use, such as ACL reconstruction or cardiac procedures, feel this gap the most. At Ditto, we suggest reviewing this list against your policy or add-on before you are stuck paying out of pocket.

What is consumable cover in health insurance?

Consumables cover in health insurance is an add-on that pays for medical supplies used quickly during a hospital stay, items your base plan usually rejects. This includes surgical gloves, cotton, bandages, masks, and nebulizer kits used directly in treatment. Care Supreme and several other plans offer this as a rider rather than adding it to the base premium. Since consumables can form a meaningful share of any hospital bill, this coverage directly reduces your out-of-pocket costs. At Ditto, we consider consumables a practical add-on for anyone undergoing surgery-intensive treatments and frequent medical needs.

What is a health insurance add-on cover for non-medical expenses?

A health insurance add-on cover for non-medical expenses pays for items used during treatment that are not strictly medical, such as registration fees, admission kits, housekeeping charges, mineral water, and toothbrushes. Providers, including Care Health and Tata AIG, offer riders that cover dozens of these items. Since base plans exclude them, this add-on closes a real gap in coverage. It works alongside your main sum insured rather than replacing it. At Ditto, we see this as one of the more underrated add-ons buyers skip when comparing premiums.

Does Care Health Claim Shield Plus cover all non-payable items?

Care Health's Claim Shield Plus add-on, offered with the Care Supreme plan, covers over 140 non-payable items listed in Annexure 1, Lists I, II, III, and IV. This is a significant jump from the standard Claim Shield, which covers only 68 items. It includes consumables, disposables, and other hospital charges that most base plans reject. For a healthy 25-year-old with a ₹15 lakh sum insured in Delhi, this add-on costs roughly ₹1,165 a year. At Ditto, we find this add-on cost stays a steady 9% of the base premium across most age groups.

Which health insurance plans include built-in consumables cover for free?

Some health insurance plans skip the add-on entirely and bundle consumables cover into the base premium at no extra cost. HDFC ERGO Optima Secure Plus includes its Protect Benefit, covering 68 listed non-medical items, such as gloves, masks, and food charges, from day one. Aditya Birla Activ One Max bundles this through its Claim Protect feature, and Tata AIG Medicare Premier includes a Consumables Benefit that covers gloves, syringes, and similar items at no extra premium. At Ditto, we always check for this built-in benefit first, since it can save you the extra add-on cost entirely.

Is a consumables cover add-on worth buying?

In most cases, yes. Consumables or non-medical expense add-ons typically cost a small percentage of your base premium, often between 4.6% and 14% depending on the insurer, yet they can make up a huge part of your total hospital bill. Surgeries with heavy consumable use, such as cardiac procedures, feel this benefit the most. That said, this add-on should never be your only priority when choosing a plan. At Ditto, we recommend pairing it with features such as no room rent capping, no co-payment, and high restoration of the sum insured for a well-rounded policy.

Should I choose a plan with built-in consumables cover or add it separately?

If your shortlisted plan already includes built-in consumables cover, such as HDFC ERGO Optima Secure Plus or Tata AIG Medicare Premier, you save entirely on the extra add-on premium. If it does not, adding a rider such as Care Health's Claim Shield Plus or ICICI Lombard's Claim Protector is generally worth the additional cost, as it typically runs between 4.6% and 14% of your base premium. At Ditto, we suggest checking your claim settlement track record, room rent limits, and restoration benefits alongside this decision, since a great consumables benefit cannot offset weak core coverage.

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