A health insurance policy has become a mandatory part of financial planning amid the rising curve of disease and increasing medical inflation. Over two dozen companies in India offer a variety of health insurance plans that safeguard the individual from unforeseen events such as medical emergencies. However, it is advisable to not just blindly renew the policy periodically, but to evaluate the benefits and features available. If a customer is not satisfied with the benefits, premium or quality of service from the insurer, they can consider porting the health insurance policy.
What is health insurance policy portability?
In 2011, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) introduced health insurance portability, which allows a policy holder to switch to another insurer to get better services without losing the credit gained from pre-existing conditions and time-bound exclusions. Portability is limited to products with similar risk cover.
On accepting the proposal, the new insurer will give the policy holder the credit relating to the waiting period for pre-existing conditions that the individual has gained from the old insurer. The features of the existing policy cannot be ported to the new insurer — only the sum insured (including no-claim bonus) can be ported.
When to port?
An individual can port if the insurance provider does not deliver the promised quality of service. If the existing insurance provider does not offer sufficient cover against specific health issues, then the policyholder may consider porting to another service provider. Another factor that can lead to porting is slow claim settlement by the insurance provider. A policyholder can also opt for health insurance portability if another service provider is offering better services for the premium that he is paying for the existing policy.
Pros and cons
A policyholder can modify the policy while porting to suit their current health requirements.
Some of the other advantages are:
Some of the disadvantages of porting are:
How to port?
The policyholder has to inform the existing insurer about his intentions of porting at least 45 days before the expiry of the current policy. They will also have to specify the insurance company to which he wants to shift the policy.
The policyholder will have to fill the portability form and provide the existing insurance details such as name and age of the insured.
They will also have to fill up the proposal form with complete details for the new insurer and submit the essential documents along with it.
Within 15 days, the insurer will inform the policyholder if the proposal is accepted or rejected.
If it is rejected, the policyholder can approach another insurer to renew the existing policy. If the new insurer is unable to inform the policyholder on time, they will have to accept the application.
