Introduction
Before we start comparing these two policies we have to set out some ground rules.
Both products are marketed by different insurance companies. Health Companion is sold by Max Bupa and ProHealth Protect is sold by Manipal Cigna. 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. Health Companion is more comprehensive. It covers a lot more use cases and doesn’t have any egregious conditions. However, ProHealth Protect is quite basic. It offers little protection and may not be entirely suitable if you are looking for robust protection. So fundamentally, they’re two very different products.
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 Health Companion. The product comes from Niva Bupa (erstwhile Max Bupa)’s stable:
Founded in 2008, Niva Bupa (erstwhile Max Bupa) is one of the leading health insurance companies in India. While they have had a bit of a tumultuous time with their promoters, they still sell an impressive suite of products across multiple categories.
And they also boast a claim settlement ratio of 91%, with a network of more than 10,000+ hospitals.
ProHealth Protect meanwhile comes from Manipal Cigna’s stable:
ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company is a collaborative partnership between Manipal Group and Cigna and together they have over 200 years of expertise in the healthcare business. And while the company has shown some potential recently, it still only corners a small part of the Indian market.
Also, they have a settlement ratio of 90% with more than 8,500+ network hospitals in tow.
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Compare Insurances Insurance Parameters Recommended Not Recommended |  Health Companion |  ProHealth Protect |
|---|---|---|
| Network hospitals | 10,000+ | 8,500+ |
| Claim settlement ratio (avg. of last 3 years) | 91% | 90% |
| Co-payment | No | 20% (if purchased after turning 65) |
| Room rent | Any Room | Single Private room |
| Disease sub-limit | No | No |
| Pre existing diseases waiting | 3 years | 3 years |
| Pre/Post hospitalization | 60/180 days | 60/90 days |
| No claim bonus | 20% per year (up to 100%) | 5% per year (up to 200%) |
| Domiciliary | ||
| Ayush treatments | ||
| Restoration benefit | 100% restoration (once for any illness) | 100% restoration (unlimited no. of times for different illness) |
| Health check-up | Once every year | Once every 3 years |
| Maternity | ||
| Out Patient Department | Up to ₹5000 (Post Animal Bite Vaccination) | Up to ₹500 (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, Health Companion doesn’t impose a co-payment clause whereas ProHealth Protect requires you to co-pay a part of the bill 20% if you purchase after turning 65
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, you can pick any room you want with Health Companion but ProHealth Protect only lets you stay in a single private room. Nothing fancy.
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 Health Companion imposes disease-wise sub-limits nor does ProHealth Protect
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. This cooling period is referred to as the Pre-existing-disease waiting period. In this case, Health Companion imposes a 3 year waiting period on pre-existing diseases and ProHealth Protect will similarly tell you to wait 3 years before making a claim related to your pre-existing diseases
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, Health Companion covers expenses incurred 60 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred 180 days post-hospitalization. Meanwhile, ProHealth Protect covers expenses incurred 60 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred 90 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, Health Companion offers a no-claim bonus of 20% whereas ProHealth Protect offers a no-claim bonus of 5%. 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, Health Companion offers domiciliary cover. And ProHealth Protect also coves domiciliary expenses.
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, Health Companion covers Ayush procedures and ProHealth Protect 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, neither Health Companion offers maternity cover nor does ProHealth Protect.
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, Health Companion offers OPD coverage, and ProHealth Protect also offers OPD coverage, although the sub-limits may be different.
Final Conclusion
After considering all the features on hand, we believe that ProHealth Protect is a better alternative to Health Companion for most use cases that we’ve evaluated so far.
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