Introduction
Before we start comparing these two policies we have to set out some ground rules.
Both products are marketed by different insurance companies. Care Advantage is sold by Care and Lifeline Elite is sold by Royal Sundaram. So any meaningful comparison should include a comparison of the product alongside the insurers themselves.
Second, we know that both products have massive differences in their core structure. Care Advantage is quite basic. It offers little protection and may not be entirely suitable if you are looking for robust protection. However, Lifeline Elite is a premium policy tailored to cover as many use cases as possible. So in all honesty, you are comparing apples and oranges here.
And finally, any comparison is ultimately futile without considering the use case. Who are you buying this policy for? You, your family, your parents?
That’s something you’ll need to answer before using this guide. So with that introduction out of the way, we can get to comparing the actual policies themselves.
Let’s start with Care Advantage. The product comes from Care’s stable:
Care Health Insurance (formerly Religare Health Insurance) was founded in 2012. And in that time, they’ve managed to corner a large part of the Indian Insurance market.
What’s more impressive?
Care Health Insurance has a remarkable claim settlement ratio of 90% and a network of more than 16,000+ hospitals.
Lifeline Elite meanwhile comes from Royal Sundaram’s stable:
Founded in 2001, Royal Sundaram Alliance Insurance Company Limited was India's maiden private sector general insurance company. The insurer is a forerunner in the bancassurance department, extending deep ties with reputable banks and Non-Banking Finance Companies across the country.
They also have a claim settlement ratio of 94% and 10,000+ network hospitals dotted across the country.
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Compare Insurances Insurance Parameters Recommended Not Recommended |  Care Advantage |  Lifeline Elite |
|---|---|---|
| Network hospitals | 16,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Claim settlement ratio (avg. of last 3 years) | 90% | 94% |
| Co-payment | 20% (if purchased after turning 61) | No |
| Room rent | Any Room | Any Room |
| Disease sub-limit | No | No |
| Pre existing diseases waiting | 3 years | 2 years |
| Pre/Post hospitalization | 60/180 days | 60/180 days |
| No claim bonus | 10% per year (up to 50%) | 20% per year (up to 100%) |
| Domiciliary | ||
| Ayush treatments | ||
| Restoration benefit | 100% restoration (once for any illness) | 100% restoration (once for different illness) |
| Health check-up | Once every year | |
| Maternity | Available (up to ₹2,00,000 after 3 years) | |
| Out Patient Department | Up to ₹10,000 (Annually) | |
| Day care |
Feature Comparison
Co payment
With a co-payment clause, the insurer will mandate that you pay a part of the bill. So if the bill adds up to Rs. 2,00,000 and the co-payment is set at 20% then you could be asked to pay Rs. 40,000 from the bill. In this case, however, Care Advantage requires you to co-pay a part of the bill 20% if you purchase after turning 61 whereas Lifeline Elite doesn’t impose a co-payment clause
Room rent
If the policy does impose room rent restrictions then the insurer may only let you stay in a room of a certain specification or impose a cap on the total room rent. If you were to breach either criterion then the insurance company may ask you to pay a portion of all the expenses you incurred while staying in the room. In this case, however, Care Advantage doesn’t impose any restrictions on the kind of room you can pick. And Lifeline Elite also doesn’t impose any restrictions on this front. You can pick any room you want.
Sub limits
Some policies will tell you that they will cover all medical expenses up until the sum insured, but then impose caps on the total costs you can incur while dealing with a very specific list of diseases. We call these caps “Disease Wise Sub Limits.” In this case, neither Care Advantage imposes disease-wise sub-limits nor does Lifeline Elite
Waiting periods for pre-existing diseases
If you’re suffering from a lifestyle condition or if you’ve had surgery in the past, or if you’re dealing with an acute or chronic illness at the time of buying the policy, then the insurer may classify this as a pre-existing disease. And they may tell you that they will only cover these illnesses after some time. In this case, Care Advantage imposes a waiting period of 3 years on pre-existing diseases while Lifeline Elite extends a waiting period of 2 years on existing conditions.
Pre and post Hospitalization expenses
Most people aren’t hospitalized right off the bat. Instead, they’ll have to go through a whole series of diagnostic tests before hospitalization and take medication post-discharge. These costs are outlined as pre-hospitalization expenses and post-hospitalization expenses respectively. In this case, Care Advantage covers expenses incurred 60 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred 180 days post-hospitalization. Meanwhile, Lifeline Elite covers expenses incurred 60 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred 180 after hospitalization, although there may be different sub-limits
No claim bonus
Some policies will tell you that they will incentivize you for not making a claim in any given year. And they offer such incentives by offering extra cover on top of the existing sum insured. This extra cover is categorized as a no-claim bonus. In this case, however, Care Advantage offers a no-claim bonus of 10% whereas Lifeline Elite offers a no-claim bonus of 20%. And the no-claim bonus may be capped at different levels too.
Domiciliary
Imagine you are forced to treat yourself at home because you don’t find a hospital bed, or you have a chronic condition that prevents you from visiting one, then, insurers may choose to cover your treatment even if you’re hospitalized at home. And such costs are collectively categorized as domiciliary treatment costs. In this case, however, Care Advantage doesn’t offer domiciliary protection whereas Lifeline Elite offers domiciliary cover.
Ayush treatments
Most policies only cover treatments administered in a registered medical facility. However, on some occasions, you may want to pursue alternative treatments including homoeopathy, Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. These treatments are collectively categorized as Ayush treatments. And in this case, Care Advantage covers Ayush procedures and Lifeline Elite also extends coverage for Ayush treatments.
Maternity benefits
If you’re hospitalized during childbirth, then you may have to incur significant costs during delivery of your newborn, child care and other related matters during the course of the hospitalization. These costs are collectively termed maternity costs. And in this case, however, Care Advantage doesn’t offer protection for maternity-related hospitalizations whereas Lifeline Elite offers maternity cover.
Out Patient Department (OPD)
Doctor visits and regular consultations aren’t usually covered by health insurance policies. They are categorized as Outpatient consultations (or OPD treatments) and patients have to bear the cost on their own. In this case, however, Care Advantage doesn’t offer OPD protection whereas Lifeline Elite offers OPD cover.
Final Conclusion
Since this isn’t a fair comparison, to begin with, we will only tell you this much. If you want something that’s affordable, you could go for Care Advantage. However, if you want top-class protection, then it’s a no brainer, Lifeline Elite is your go-to option.
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