What is Health Insurance Portability?

Why port your Health Insurance to Digit?

Simple Online Processes

Simple Online Processes

From the process of porting your health insurance to making claims is paperless, easy, quick and hassle-free! No hard copies, even for claims!

Additional Sum Insured

Additional Sum Insured

Specifically for Accidental Hospitalization and Critical Illnesses related hospitalization. 

No Age Based Copayment

No Age Based Copayment

Our plans come with No Age Based Copayment. This means, during your claims- you need not pay anything from your pocket.

No Room Rent Capping

No Room Rent Capping

Everyone has different preferences and we understand that. That’s why, we have no room rent restrictions. Choose any hospital room you prefer.

2X Sum Insured

2X Sum Insured

If you exhaust your sum insured and unfortunately need it again during the year, we refill it for you.

Cumulative Bonus

Cumulative Bonus

Continue to get rewarded for staying healthy with our yearly Cumulative Bonus.

Get Treated at any Hospital

Get Treated at any Hospital

Choose from 6400+ of our network hospitals in India for cashless claims or opt for a reimbursement.

What is the process of porting my Health insurance Policy to Digit?

What all can you port in your Health Insurance Policy?

  • All Current Insured Members
  • Current Sum Insured
  • Your Accumulated Cumulative Bonus
  • Your Pre-Existing Disease Waiting Period
  • Your Specific Disease Waiting Period
  • Your Maternity Benefit Waiting Period (if opted for)

Rights of a policyholder (a.k.a YOU!) for Porting a Health Insurance Policy

  • According to the IRDAI, every policyholder has the right to port their policy (applicable to both individual and family health insurance policies) from one general or specialized health insurance provider to another. 
  • As per the IRDAI guidelines, the new health insurance provider is liable to at least provide for the same sum insured to the policyholder. 
  • Most importantly, the new health insurance provider is liable to provide their policyholder benefits for which the waiting period has already passed, i.e. in a health insurance portability- one also gets to transfer their accumulated no claim bonus and waiting periods.
  • It is the responsibility of the new and old insurer to ensure the respective health insurance policy has been transferred successfully, as per the IRDA guidelines.

Health Insurance Portability Rules as set by the IRDAI - simplified for you

On type of policy

You can only port your insurance policy to a similar type of policy. This means you cannot completely change the coverage, plan or type of policy while making the switch.

On the insurance company

Insurance companies are usually classified as either life insurance companies or general insurance companies. When you port, you need to make sure you port to a similar type of company. By the way, Digit is a general insurance company.

On gaps

If you are looking to port your health insurance, you have to port during renewal, and you cannot have lapsed policy periods in between as this may lead your proposal to port to be rejected.

On informing your insurance company

Goodbyes are important. That’s why, it’s important for you to notify your current insurance company that you plan on porting your policy. The same must be done in writing, and at least 45-days before your policy is supposed to renew.

On response from your current insurance company

Once you have done your job and informed your current insurance company, they have three days to acknowledge your request on porting your health insurance.

On charging porting fees

As per the IRDAI regulations, no insurance company (neither your current one nor the new one you wish to port to) can charge any fee for the process of porting your health insurance policy.

On changes in premium

The premium for any health insurance is decided by an insurance company based on different factors since every insurer comes with their own service benefits. So, it may happen that there is a change in premium from your current insurer to your next – even though it is for a similar policy.

On grace periods

You are allowed to get an additional grace period once your health insurance portability is still under process, i.e. your health insurance premium will be charged basis the number of days your old policy was active.

On your sum insured and extent of coverage

You can opt to increase your sum insured coverage while porting your policy. However, it would have to be approved by your new health insurance provider. 

On waiting periods

Usually, waiting periods are not affected while porting your policy unless you have opted for a new coverage that comes with a different waiting period than your earlier insurer. For example- your waiting period for specific illnesses or pre-existing diseases may not be affected since that is part of most health insurance plans. However, if you have only now opted for a maternity cover during porting then you will have to complete the waiting period for the same with your new insurer.

When should you port your Health Insurance Policy?

3 Things to know before you port your Health Insurance

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of porting your Health Insurance?

Advantages

Disadvantages

Enjoy continuity benefit - One of the greatest benefits of porting your health insurance plan is that you don’t need to give up on any benefits. For example: If your new health insurer has a waiting period of 3-years for specific diseases and you already had your previous plan for 2 years – you will only need to wait one more year to claim for those specific diseases unlike when you buy a new plan wherein you would have to start waiting periods all over again!

You can only port during renewal - So, while porting is great and all – one of the downfalls is that you can only port your health insurance when it’s time to renew your health insurance policy. However, here’s a tip to share – if you’d like to port your health insurance, start researching and evaluating your options 2-months before your renewal so you have enough time on your hands to make a decision and then apply to port your health insurance policy.

Keep your no claim bonus - Nobody wants to let go of their no claim bonus and I guess insurance providers get that! That’s why, one of the benefits of porting your health insurance is that you don’t need to let go of your no claim bonus, it will be added to your new health insurance policy, just as it is.

Limited changes in your plan - While you can port your health insurance plan to a better health insurer and plan- you cannot make too many changes and will have to go for a similar plan. For more changes or customizations in plan and coverage – your health insurance premium and the terms and conditions attached to it too will be changed accordingly.

Your waiting period is not affected despite change in insurer - As mentioned above, since you enjoy continuous benefits whilst porting, your waiting periods are not affected when you port your health insurance. They’re added based on how much time you’ve completed with your previous health insurance provider.

Higher premium if you want extensive coverage as compared to your earlier plan - In case you’ve decided you want to go for a very different plan and higher coverage than the one with your previous insurer, your premium too may differ accordingly.

FAQs about Health Insurance Portability in India