r/HealthInsuranceIndia

Hi everyone, I’m **M30 from Chennai**, working in corporate, and I need some genuine advice regarding **health insurance for my mother**.

About **11 months ago**, I purchased a **₹10 lakh policy from Star Health** for my mother (**56F**). Thankfully, she has been healthy so far. Recently, during a check-up, we found that she has an **endometrium thickness of 12 mm**. Since this condition likely existed before taking the policy, I understand it may be treated as a **pre-existing condition** and may not be claimable right now.

As a backup, I recently added my mother to my corporate insurance policy as well, mainly because claims there seem much smoother and cashless approvals are easier. I specifically enrolled her for this endometrium-related surgery, since it may not be claimable under my Star Health policy due to it being considered a pre-existing condition.

Now the confusing part:

While enquiring at the hospital, they told me that they generally don’t prefer **Star Health** because claim approvals are **not very reliable nowadays**. One staff member even said that for a surgery costing around **₹2 lakh**, sometimes only **₹80k gets approved** under Star Health. They also mentioned that some doctors hesitate to proceed when the insurance is Star Health due to approval issues.

They suggested insurers like **Aditya Birla** and **HDFC ERGO** instead (upon my request).

Later, I spoke with my insurance agent (who is experienced and has been handling policies for years). He said:

* I can **port the policy next year** while retaining continuity/seniority benefits.

* These kinds of **partial approvals can happen with any insurer** depending on hospital limits, package rates, and policy terms.

* The hospital I checked with is a **smaller hospital**, so I should also verify with **bigger reputed hospitals** before concluding that Star Health is bad overall.

## **Important Point**

**The hospital where I enquired is actually a smaller hospital where my consulting doctor practices.**

So now I’m confused.

People who have actually done claims for parents:

* Is this kind of issue **common across all insurance companies**?

* Is **Star Health** really problematic nowadays?

* Are **HDFC ERGO / Aditya Birla** genuinely better for claim settlement?

* Should I continue Star Health and rely on reputed hospitals instead?

* Which insurer has given you the **smoothest experience for parents/senior citizens**?

I genuinely don’t mind paying a **higher premium** if it means **fewer hassles during emergencies** in the future. My mother is healthy now, and I want to make the **right long-term decision** before any major health issue comes up.

Would really appreciate honest experiences and suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

31 M living in Bengaluru with spouse. Have delayed getting health insurance for the longest time. Now I can’t make up my mind. After speaking to a lot of “advisors”, I have zeroed in on HDFC Optima Secure Plus and Niva Bupa Reassure 2 Titanium Plus - both at 10L cover. I can’t seem to find a meaningful flaw in either, making it hard to pick.

A few things I’m specifically seeking advice on -

1. I’m considering a deductible of 50k to reduce premiums. Does it work the same way in both plans?
2. Since I’m buying at 31 with no PEDs, waiting period is less of a concern for me. Does that affect how I evaluate both plans?
3. Most important perhaps - any real difference in cashless claims experience between HDFC Ergo and Niva Bupa in practice, especially in Bengaluru? I keep seeing complaints about TPAs being slow regardless of insurer.

P. s. I already have 10 lac cover from my employer

Hi,

Recently i’ve been looking at getting an HDFC insurance policy for my family, particularly the “ Hdfc Ergo Optima Secure + “ as a family floater policy with a sum insured of 50L

I’ve Previously had a family floater policy from my local bank, had 6 years with them and absolutely 0 claims..

I was told that i can’t port my policy since it’s a bank issued policy, but the insurance agent told me that they can get the waiting period waived off on the basis of 6 years and no claims. I spoke to hdfc ergo care directly and they told me it’s highly unlikely that they would be able to get the waiting period to get waived off

Not to mention but the quotations from the insurance agents are 7–10K INR higher than the website..

Where do you guys buy insurance policies from that are actually trustworthy and not scammy..