Star Health
Super Star
The Super Star plan from the stable of Star Health Insurance is a great pick (the only issue being its insurer). The plan offers a unique feature of “freeze your age,” under which your plan's premiums stay the same until your 1st claim. When you file your 1st claim, the premium starts varying from the next policy year based on your age. However, the plan’s perks extend beyond this—this policy is quite possibly one of the most heavily customisable plans in the market, with 21 add-ons, making it an interesting product to cater to your tailored requirements. Now, while the policy of Super Star doesn’t have any pitfalls, Star as an insurer is a different ball game altogether - the insurer’s recent issues with credibility, blacklisted hospitals, rejected claims, leaked data, etc. - has made it a liability. Hence, you might just start looking around for other plans in the league.
What's good here?
Freeze your age
Your premiums will not increase until you make a claim. However, once the claim is made, the premiums will increase based on age, inflation etc.
Your premiums will not increase until you make a claim. However, once the claim is made, the premiums will increase based on age, inflation etc.
You’ll never have to split the bill
The insurer will bear the entire cost of treatment (up to the sum insured). You won’t have to pay a single penny. Meaning this policy has no co-payment.
You always have full cover irrespective of the disease
No funny business here. If your insurer hasn’t explicitly stated they won’t cover a certain illness, you can claim the full amount up to the sum insured, irrespective of the disease you’re dealing with. Meaning this policy doesn't impose the dreaded disease wise sub-limits.
Unlimited Restoration Benefit
Even after you claim part of the cover on one occasion, you will be allowed to claim the full cover any number of times repeatedly if you are hospitalized in the future. All in the same year by the way!!!
Special Bonus for being healthy and not claiming insurance
Your sum insured increases by 50% each year, so long as you make no claims during this period. But before you get too ahead of yourself, do note that they’ll stop offering you the bonus when your sum insured increases by 100%. Also, the bonus amount will reduce at same rate each time you make a claim. But hey, it's still a bonus.
Covers Alternative Medicine
Think of getting Ayurvedic, Homeopathic or other alternative treatments to cure an illness? Your insurer will cover you fully, up to the sum insured.
You can pick any room you like
Shared room, single room, deluxe room or any room that’s available. The insurer won’t nitpick on your choice of room since the policy has no restrictions on room rent.
Pre & Post hospitalization expenses covered
No worries if the doctor had to run a host of diagnostic tests before or after hospitalizing you. The insurer has your back. They will cover this amount in full for a pretty reasonable duration - 90 days before you are hospitalized and 180 days after discharge. This includes the cost of medication by the way.
Day Care treatments covered
If you’re hospitalized for less than 24 hours in lieu of a minor procedure, then the insurer will cover these costs too. Think dialysis, chemotherapy or minor surgeries.
Full coverage even if you are forced to hospitalize at home
The insurer will bear the costs even if you are hospitalized at home due to a condition or the hospital running out of beds. In insurance lingo, they call this a policy with domiciliary cover.
What's okay here?
Reasonable waiting period for pre-existing diseases
If you’re already dealing with diabetes, cardiovascular problems or any such illnesses, the insurer will cover all costs arising out of these pre-existing problems after you wait for 3 years.
If you’re already dealing with diabetes, cardiovascular problems or any such illnesses, the insurer will cover all costs arising out of these pre-existing problems after you wait for 3 years.
What's lacking here?
Your insurer doesn’t provide free health check-ups
If you want to get a full-body checkup just to make sure you’re in fine working condition, be ready to pay for it yourself or get an add-on to cover free health check-ups under the policy by paying a little extra in the premiums.
If you want to get a full-body checkup just to make sure you’re in fine working condition, be ready to pay for it yourself or get an add-on to cover free health check-ups under the policy by paying a little extra in the premiums.
Add-ons
Reduction in PED
This optional cover reduces the applicable pre-existing waiting period from 3600 months to either 24 months, or 12 months. If you are currently diagnosed with any condition and want to reduce the waiting period, it makes sense to opt for this add-on.
Consumables Cover
With this add-on, you also get extended coverage for generally excluded items like syringes, gloves, PPE kits etc.
Super Star Bonus
Every time you renew your policy irrespective of the claim status, the insurance provider will grant you additional bonus cover of 100% of your sum insured. And they will continue doing this without any upper capping. Considering the cost involved, this is a good add-on to have.
Maternity
With this add-on, you get added coverage for maternity expenses i.e. childbirth, newborn expenses, and even Assisted Reproduction treatment based on the type of coverage chosen. However, the limit depends on the Sum Insured and coverage chosen. One can claim maternity benefits after 1-2 year of Waiting Period.
E- International Second Opinion
With this add-on, you can get a second opinion from a medical practitioner on an international panel, once per policy year for each insured person, based on medical records only.
Smart Network
With this add-on, the insurance company offers 15% Discount on Base Policy Premium and allows treatment in SMART NETWORK hospitals without any restrictions. But applies 15% Co-Payment for the insured members if treatment is taken in NON-SMART NETWORK Hospital.
Future Shield
This add-on provides guaranteed issuance & Continuity on waiting periods served by you for your future spouse.
Aggregate Deductible
If you ever have to make a claim, then you’ll be expected to pay a sum before insurance company settles the claim. This amount is called the deductible. So if you want to buy a policy at a better price, you can opt to pay a higher deductible i.e. you can pay lower premiums by offering to pay a sum (a deductible) when a claim comes up.
Durable Equipment Cover
With this add-on, the insurance company will cover the cost of durable items like Ventilator, Wheelchair, Prosthetic device, Suction Machine, etc up to 5L or base sum insured; whichever is lower.
Reduction in Specific Illness Waiting Period
With this add-on, the insurance company reduces the Specific Illness Waiting Period from 2 years to 1 year.
NRI Advantage
With this add-on, the insurer will provide an additional discount of 10% on the premiums if the insured in a Non-Resident Indian (NRI)/ Overseas Citizen.
Quick Shield
This add-on will cut waiting periods to a mere 30 days for the following pre-existing conditions: Diabetes, Hypertension, Asthma, Hyperlipidemia and Coronary Artery Disease with (PTCA done prior to 1 year). And if you are currently diagnosed with any of these conditions, it makes sense to opt for this add-on.
Annual Health Check-up
With this add-on, you get free health checkups every year subject to certain limits and tests prescribed in the policy document. However you can only claim this on a cashless basis at one of the network hospitals.
High end Diagnostics
With this add-on, the insurer pays out for listed diagnostics tests on an OPD basis if required as a part of treatment upto ₹25,000 in a policy year.
Hospital Cash
The insurer pays a lumpsum by adding a fixed sum (daily cash) every day until the day of discharge so you can deal with any potential loss in income during this time. The money will be reimbursed to you after you submit the required documents post-discharge, and while this looks like a neat benefit to have, we don’t recommend it since the benefit doesn’t compensate for the extra premium you pay.
Personal Accident cover
With this add-on, the insurance company will payout a lumpsum amount based on the cover chosen, in case the selected insured member of the policy passes away in an accident.
Women Care
With this add-on, Pregnant women can buy this policy by submitting 12 and 20-week scan reports of their pregnancy period, the newborn will be covered immediately after its birth covered till end of the policy year.
Co-payment
This benefit helps to opt for co-payment between 10% to 50%.
Room Rent Modifier
With this add-on, the insurance company modifies the room rent restriction from any room to either a Single Private room, Shared Accommodation or General Ward.
Compassionate Visit
With this add-on, the insurance company will pay a certain amount to cover the travel cost in case an Immediate Family member visits the insured person for hospitalization due to life-threatening emergency.
Limitless Care
With this add-on, the insurer covers the medical expenses incurred for the hospitalization of the insured person for any one claim during the lifetime of the policy, without any limits on the annual sum insured.
Frequently Asked Questions
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