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National Insurance National Mediclaim Plus policy vs National Insurance National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy

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Introduction

Before we start comparing these two policies we have to set out some ground rules.

For starters, both policies, National Mediclaim Plus policy and National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy are marketed by the same insurance company. So in some ways, a lot of the differences within the product will be limited to the features themselves.

Second, we know that both products are built specifically for Maternity. So you'll have to keep that in mind while comparing the two policies.

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.


Both products come from National Insurance's stable:

National Insurance is the country's oldest general insurance firm and is wholly owned by the Government of India. That means, despite a claim settlement ratio of 93% and over 5,300 network hospitals it can be a bit difficult to reach the insurer when you need them the most. Perhaps due to the fact that they are still a public sector enterprise.

Talk to an expert today and
find the right insurance for you.

National Insurance National Mediclaim Plus policy vs National Insurance National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy

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Insurance Parameters

Recommended
Not Recommended
National Insurance

National Insurance

National Mediclaim Plus policy

National Insurance

National Insurance

National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy

Network hospitals
5300
5300
Claim settlement ratio

(avg. of last 3 years)

94%
94%
Co-payment

20%

10%

Room rent

Any Room

(up to 1% of sum insured)

Any Room

(up to 1% of sum insured)

Disease sub-limit

Yes

Yes

Pre existing diseases waiting

3 years

3 years

Pre/Post hospitalization

30/60 days

30/60 days

No claim bonus

5% per year

(up to 50%)

Domiciliary
Ayush treatments
Restoration benefit
Health check-up
Once every 2 years
Once every 2 years
Maternity

Available

(up to ₹50,000 after 2 years)

Available

(up to ₹50,000 after 2 years)

Out Patient Department
Day care

Feature Comparison

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, both policies impose a co-payment clause. National Mediclaim Plus policy imposes a co-payment clause of 20% if you’re hospitalised in a non-network medical facility whereas National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy also imposes a co-payment clause of 10% if you’re hospitalised in a non-network medical facility

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, National Mediclaim Plus policy only lets you stay in a room whose rent doesn’t exceed 1% of the sum insured. And National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy does the same i.e. it only lets you stay in a room whose rent doesn’t exceed 1% of the sum insured.

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, National Mediclaim Plus policy imposes disease-wise sub-limits on cataracts whereas National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy imposes sub-limits on cataracts, modern treatments

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, National Mediclaim Plus policy imposes a 3 year waiting period on pre-existing diseases and National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy will similarly tell you to wait 3 years before making a claim related to your pre-existing diseases

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, National Mediclaim Plus policy covers expenses incurred 30 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred 60 days post-hospitalization. Meanwhile, National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy covers expenses incurred 30 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred 60 after hospitalization, although there may be different sub-limits

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, National Mediclaim Plus policy offers a no-claim bonus whereas National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy doesn’t offer a no-claim bonus.

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, National Mediclaim Plus policy doesn’t offer domiciliary protection whereas National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy offers domiciliary cover.

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, National Mediclaim Plus policy covers Ayush procedures and National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy also extends coverage for Ayush treatments.

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, National Mediclaim Plus policy offers maternity cover and National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy offers maternity cover too, although the sub-limits for normal delivery and C-section procedures may be different, including the waiting period.

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, neither National Mediclaim Plus policy extends coverage for outpatient consultations, nor does National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy.

Final Conclusion

After considering all the features on hand, we believe that National Parivar Mediclaim Plus policy is a better alternative to National Mediclaim Plus policy for most use cases that we've evaluated so far.

Talk to an expert
today and find
the right
insurance for you.

Ditto Advisor

Health insurance feature and metric definitions

Co payment

What is a Co-payment?

Co-payment is a cost-sharing clause where you agree to pay a fixed percentage of every medical bill, while the insurer pays the rest. This lowers your annual premium, but it means you'll have out-of-pocket expenses during a claim. For this reason, this feature is generally not preferred. People often buy insurance to have complete financial protection during a stressful medical event, and having to pay a portion of the bill can defeat that purpose.

Room rent

What does a limit on room rent mean?

This is the maximum daily amount your policy covers for a hospital room. It's crucial because if you exceed this limit, the consequences are significant. For example, if your limit is ₹5,000 but you choose a ₹10,000 room (twice the limit), the insurer may only pay 50% of not just the room cost, but all other associated charges like doctor’s fees and nursing charges as well, leading to a large bill for you.

Sub limits

What are Disease wise sub-limits?

Even with a high overall sum insured of, say, ₹10 lakh, your policy might cap the payout for specific treatments. For example, it might only pay a maximum of ₹50,000 for cataract surgery or ₹2 lakh for a knee replacement. This is a critical detail to check in the policy documents, as it limits the coverage for very common procedures, and you would have to pay any amount charged by the hospital above this sub-limit.

Waiting periods for pre-existing diseases

What is a Pre-existing disease Waiting period?

PED means a Pre-Existing Disease—any health condition you already have (like diabetes, blood pressure, or thyroid issues) before you buy the policy. You must honestly declare these. The insurer will cover treatments for these PEDs, but only after a long waiting period, typically 2 to 3 years. After you complete this period, your pre-existing condition is treated like any other illness under the policy, with full coverage available.

Pre and post Hospitalization expenses

What is a Pre & Post Hospitalization Cover?

Imagine you get sick and need to go to the hospital. Pre-hospitalization cover is like paying for all the stuff before you actually get admitted. Think doctor visits, blood tests, X-rays – anything to figure out what's wrong and get you ready for treatment. A 30-day cover is a good start here. Post-hospitalization cover is for all the expenses after you leave the hospital. This includes follow-up doctor appointments, medicines, and physiotherapy. This can cover costs for 60-180 days. A minimum of 60 days for post-hospitalization is advisable.

No claim bonus

What is a Bonus?

This is a reward from your insurer that increases your total coverage (sum insured) at renewal. How it works is plan-specific and has evolved. The classic bonus is granted only on claim-free years. Better plans ensure your accrued bonus is not clawed back after a claim. The most advanced plans offer a guaranteed bonus each year, irrespective of whether you made a claim or not. Check which version your policy offers.

Domiciliary

What is a Domiciliary Cover?

Domiciliary hospitalization covers the cost of medical treatment at home for an illness or injury that would normally require hospital admission. This is not for convenience; it's only approved when a doctor certifies that the patient is too unwell to be moved to a hospital, or there are no beds available. The treatment must last for at least three days for the claim to be admissible. It’s like bringing hospital-level care to you.

Ayush treatments

What is an Ayush Treatment?

This feature specifically provides coverage for inpatient treatments taken through alternative medicine systems popular in India. The acronym AYUSH stands for Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy. If you trust and prefer these traditional healing methods over modern allopathy, this benefit ensures you have the choice to get treated in a recognized AYUSH hospital and still have your insurance cover the expenses, offering you greater flexibility in your healthcare journey.

Maternity benefits

What is a Maternity cover?

This benefit is designed to cover the costs associated with pregnancy and childbirth. It typically includes expenses for hospitalization during delivery (both normal and caesarean) and often covers the newborn baby for the first 90 days as well. The most important thing to know is that it comes with a long waiting period, usually between 2 to 4 years, so you must purchase the policy and wait for this duration to pass before you can use it.

Out Patient Department (OPD)

What is an OPD Cover?

OPD, or Out-Patient Department coverage, pays for medical costs that do not require you to be hospitalized. This primarily covers expenses such as doctor’s consultation fees for when you visit a clinic or hospital for a check-up or a minor issue. It is a useful benefit for managing health expenses that are frequent but do not lead to a hospital admission, making day-to-day healthcare more affordable beyond just major emergencies.