Many buy health insurance - but DON'T KNOW their rights.

🚨 Many buy health insurance - but DON'T KNOW their rights.

Not because they’re careless.

Because no one tells them.

IRDAI has listed 11 rights every policyholder is entitled to.

Check how many you know. Understand the exceptions

1/ Right to lifelong renewability

Your insurer can’t deny renewal just because you aged or made claims or have a new disease.

⚠️ Exception:

Insurers can only refuse renewal if they can prove fraud or intentional misrepresentation.

2/ Right to portability

Unhappy with your insurance plan or insurer?

You can shift to a new one and still keep your waiting period credits.

⚠️ Exception:

Porting is not guaranteed. The new insurer can evaluate and decline your application. Ensure you port while you are young & healthy!

3/ Right to no claim-based loading

Insurers cannot hike premiums based on a claim you made, or a new disease you suffer from - even a critical illness.

Since 2013, insurers are barred from using claim history to penalise you at renewal.

⚠️ Exception:

Some insurers are now hiking premiums and then rewarding no claim customers with discounts - to some effect this is penalizing those who claim. Work around that insurers are using recently.

4/ Right to a moratorium period

If your policy runs for 5 continuous years, insurers can’t reject claims for minor non-disclosures.

⚠️ Exception

Note, if there is a major miss from your side, insurer can still call it out as a fraud and cancel your policy and claim.

5/ Right to free-look period

You have 30 days to cancel your policy after receipt of the policy - if you have second thoughts, and you think it doesn’t meet your needs.

Insurers can deduct stamp duty, medical tests, and pro-rated premium but must refund the rest.

6/ Right to timely cashless claims

From July 31, 2024, insurers must approve or reject cashless authorisation within 1 hour.

Delays can be escalated. Companies must have systems in place to comply.

7/ Right to payment for delayed discharge

If discharge gets delayed because the insurer takes more than 3 hours, they must bear cost of extra time in the hospital.

Also this payment must come from their shareholders' funds, not from the premiums they collect.

8/ Right to pay premium only after acceptance

Similar to how IPO applications operate, with Bima-ASBA (since March 2025), your premium won’t be deducted upfront.

It stays blocked in your account and is only paid if the policy is issued. Else, auto-refunded.

⚠️ Exception:

Some insurers are still building for this.

9/ Right to advance notice on policy changes

If your insurer changes terms or hikes premiums, they must inform you at least 3 months in advance.

⚠️ Exception:

Many don’t. But you can and should file a complaint if this is violated.

10/ Right to file a grievance

You can escalate step-by-step: insurer, grievance officer, IRDAI, ombudsman, consumer court.

11/ Right to receive claim post-ombudsman in 30 days

If the Ombudsman rules in your favour, the insurer must pay within 30 days. Every day of delay beyond this attracts a ₹5000/day penalty.