Buying health insurance online has become the default in India, and marketplaces like Policybazaar are where most people start. This guide covers what the product actually does, what the law requires, what moves the premium and what to check before you pay – the parts that stay true whatever either website looks like this year.
What Health Insurance Actually Covers
A health insurance policy pays your hospital bills up to a sum insured, either cashless at a hospital in the insurer’s network or as a reimbursement afterwards. The headline sum insured is the least interesting number on the page. What decides whether a policy actually pays is the fine print: waiting periods, room-rent limits, co-payment clauses and disease-specific sub-limits.
Two policies with the same sum insured and similar premiums can behave completely differently at claim time because of those clauses. This is the product where reading the wording matters most.
The Rules That Govern Health Insurance in India
| Is it mandatory? | No, but it is the cover most Indian households are most under-insured on. |
| Regulator | IRDAI. Verify the intermediary and the insurer are both registered. |
| Initial waiting period | Typically 30 days from the start of the policy, during which only accidental hospitalisation is covered. |
| Pre-existing conditions | Anything you already have carries a waiting period before it is covered. Historically this ran up to four years; IRDAI reforms have shortened it. The exact figure is stated in your policy wording and is the single most important number to check. |
| Portability | You may move to another insurer without losing the waiting-period credit you have already built up. Apply at least 45 days before your renewal date. |
| Moratorium | After a continuous covered period set by regulation, an insurer cannot reject a claim on non-disclosure grounds except where fraud is established. |
What Actually Decides Your Premium
- Age of the eldest member covered, which is what prices a family floater.
- Sum insured, and whether the policy has a restoration benefit.
- City – metro treatment costs more, so metro premiums are higher.
- Pre-existing conditions declared at proposal.
- Voluntary co-payment or deductible – agreeing to pay a share of each claim lowers the premium, sometimes sharply.
How Buying Through Policybazaar Works
Policybazaar is an online insurance marketplace operated by PB Fintech Ltd, which listed on Indian stock exchanges in November 2021. Like every insurance intermediary in India it is registered with the IRDAI, and it earns commission from the insurers whose policies it distributes rather than a fee from you.
That commission model is worth understanding rather than worrying about: the premium you pay through a marketplace is the same premium the insurer files with the regulator, so comparing on a marketplace does not cost you more. What it does mean is that the ordering and prominence of results is a commercial decision, not a neutral ranking, so read the policy wording rather than the comparison table.
The purchase flow on any Indian insurance marketplace follows the same shape: you enter the details that price the risk, you are shown quotes from several insurers, you choose the cover and any add-ons, you disclose your health or claims history, you pay, and the policy document reaches you by email. We have deliberately not reproduced a click-by-click walkthrough here, because both the layout and the steps change without notice – and a guide that tells you to click a tab that no longer exists is worse than no guide at all.
What to Check Before You Pay
This is the part worth your attention. Everything above is context; the following six checks are what separate a policy that pays from one that argues.
1. Verify the intermediary is registered
Every legitimate broker, web aggregator and corporate agent appears on the IRDAI register. Check the registration number on the regulator’s own list rather than trusting the badge on the website.
2. Read the policy wording, not the comparison page
The comparison table is marketing. The policy wording is the contract, and it is the only document that decides a claim. It is always available before you pay – ask for it if it is not linked.
3. Disclose everything
Non-disclosure is the most common reason claims are rejected. Concealing a medical condition, a prior claim or a modification to your vehicle saves a little premium now and risks the entire claim later. If in doubt, declare it.
4. Check the exclusions before the benefits
Read what is not covered first. That is where the surprises live – waiting periods, sub-limits, consumables, and the circumstances in which cover lapses entirely.
5. Look at claim service, not just claim ratio
A high settlement ratio tells you claims get paid eventually. Turnaround time, network size and the reimbursement process tell you what the experience is like.
6. Keep the free-look period in mind
If the document that arrives does not match what you thought you bought, you can cancel inside the free-look window and get your money back less charges. Read it when it arrives, not when you need to claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cashless treatment guaranteed?
Only at hospitals inside the insurer’s network, and only after the hospital and the insurer approve the request. Outside the network you pay and claim reimbursement, so check the network near where you actually live.
What is a room-rent limit and why does it matter?
A cap on the daily room charge the policy will pay. Exceeding it can proportionately reduce the entire claim, not just the room component, because associated charges are scaled too.
Can I switch insurers without losing my waiting periods?
Yes. Portability lets you carry accrued waiting-period credit to a new insurer. Apply at least 45 days before your renewal date.
Does a corporate policy from my employer make a personal policy unnecessary?
No. Employer cover ends when the job does, is usually smaller than it looks, and cannot be ported. A personal policy bought while you are young and healthy sets your waiting periods running early.
Related Guides
- How to Buy Term Insurance Policy Online From Policybazaar
- How to Buy Health Insurance Policy Online From Turtlemint
- Buy Car Insurance Policy Online From Policybazaar
- Buy Two Wheeler Insurance Policy Online From Policybazaar
This page is general information, not financial advice. Insurance products, regulations and tax treatment change; confirm the current position in the policy wording and with the insurer before you buy.
1 Comment
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