Health Insurance for senior citizens is for those people who are 60 years old. It is Health Insurance for older adults to cover their medical expenses due to aging and hospitalization. Senior citizen health insurance offers many benefits, like periodic health check-ups for older people. 

Health insurance for senior citizens is available on an individual or family basis. A senior citizen’s health insurance protects older adults against any medical emergency/need. 

Under the senior citizen health insurance, many facilities are provided to senior citizens, from cashless hospitalization to the coverage of pre-existing illnesses/diseases or any critical illness. 

Some senior citizen health insurance also includes Covid-19 treatment in their insurance policies. The health insurance for senior citizens in India also consists of the expenses due to pre and post-hospitalization. 

These senior citizen health insurance policies are designed to cater to the needs of the senior citizens and provide additional benefits like tax benefits on the premiums. With the help of the best health insurance for senior citizens in India, one can reduce the financial and physical burden of oneself in the case of an emergency hospitalization or any medical treatment. 

Top 10 Best Senior Citizen Health Insurance in India

Why is it important to buy health insurance for senior citizens?

We all know that older adults are more prone to critical illness/ diseases due to their old age. This can lead to hospitalization in emergency cases. Due to their old age, this can result in heavy financial strain on the elderly / family members of the older adults. 

 This financial strain is reduced with the help of senior citizen health insurance policies. It helps citizens reduce their medical bills in emergency medical cases and provide quality medical services to older adults.

The Senior citizen’s insurance policies can also help those older adults diagnosed with critical diseases or some long-term illness that needs medical attention for an extended period. 

Health insurance for senior citizens can help old aged people with their medical expenses. This health insurance for senior citizens covers medical bills extensively. 

It does not matter if your employer provides you with a family health plan or a group health insurance policy that guarantees to cover the medical expenses of older adults. There may need to be more than these insurance policies for uncertain medical emergencies for old aged people. 

That is why purchasing pocket-friendly best health insurance for senior citizens in India is advisable. The best health insurance in India provides coverage against any unseen medical emergency in the future. 

What is covered in senior citizen health Insurance?

Although all the senior citizen health insurance policies provide different facilities under the Senior citizen health insurance here are some common subjects that are covered by almost every Health insurance for senior citizens in India.

Hospitalization coverage– Most senior citizen health insurance policies provide coverage against the hospitalization cost, including the charges of the patient room, doctor fee, Charges of ICU, Surgical appliances cost, Medicine cost, Nursing fee, etc. Most of the health insurance for senior citizens in India also include Test is done for diagnosis purpose, orthopedic implants, etc., and is compulsory for hospitalization purpose of senior citizens. 

Daycare– Some medical treatments require the daytime without hospitalization for more than 24 hours. These treatments are covered under most Senior citizen health insurance policies. 

Pre and Post-Hospitalization Cost- The medical expenses under the senior citizen insurance policies are also provided. This provides financial aid to the policyholders.

Cost of Organ Donor- There are many instances when elderly people require a specific organ transplant. These transplants will be aided with the help of the best health insurance for senior citizens in India.

Ambulance– The ambulance charges in case of emergency circumstances are also covered under most of the health insurance policies for senior citizens in India. 

Pre-diagnosed ailment– If a senior citizen is diagnosed with a disease before buying the Senior citizen health insurance, then it is also covered under the Senior citizen health insurance policies. 

AYUSH– Some of the best health insurance for senior citizens also cover the medical expenses that occurred under the AYUSH medical treatment. 

In-House medical treatment coverage– under the best health insurance for senior citizens in India, the facility to cover the cost of house expenses is also covered. 

What is not covered under the best health insurance plans for senior citizen

The expenses not covered under specific health insurance for senior citizens strictly depend on the terms and conditions of respective health insurance for senior citizens in India. This can help you ensure that the coverage under the senior citizen health insurance does not get denied to you. The list is mentioned below- 

Cosmetic surgery– the cosmetic surgery-related expenses are not covered under Health insurance for senior citizens. If the surgery is due to unfortunate events, it might get claimed; otherwise, coverage against cosmetic surgery is not applicable for beauty enhancement. 

Self-inflicted injuries- If the intention of self-harm causes any of the injuries, then coverage is not provided in such cases. This can include suicide attempts and any activity that can be counted as self-inflicted. 

Accidents due to adventurous activities– No coverage is provided to senior citizens when they are injured due to extreme sports activities such as paragliding. 

Intoxication/Drug– under the senior citizen health insurance, medical coverage is not provided to those elderly who get health issues due to drug or alcohol abuse, tobacco chewing, smoking, etc.

Weight control treatment– Your medical coverage can not be claimed under a weight control treatment like bariatric surgery, obesity treatment, etc. 

Many other conditions involve the medical diagnosis done within 30 days of buying health insurance for senior citizens, any injury caused by the foreign army, or civil war. Any dental /lenses or spectacles-related coverage is not provided unless it arises due to an accident. The treatment of AIDS is also not included under the Health insurance for senior citizens in India. 

Best Health Insurance for Senior Citizens in Details

Here are some best health insurance policies for senior citizens in India that you can benefit from- 

1) Bajaj Allianz Senior Citizen Health insurance

Bajaj Allianz health insurance for senior citizens is also known as the silver health plan for senior citizens. Bajaj Allianz is famous for its customer-oriented approach. The silver health plan for senior citizens is also such customer-friendly old citizen health insurance. 

Key features of this health insurance for senior citizens-

• The insurer bears the in-hospitalization cost
• Pre and post-hospitalization costs are covered under this health insurance for senior citizens.
• The insurer covers the emergency ambulance charges under this senior citizen’s health insurance.
• The administration team for the in-house hospitalization is functional.
• The additional bonus of 5% is added to the limit of indemnity in case of no claim 
• A unique family discount of 5 % is available under this health insurance for senior citizens. 

Limitations:

• Waiting period- the pre-diagnosed ailments only get covered from the second year since the senior health insurance plan was purchased. 
• No coverage is given under this health insurance for senior citizens before the 30 days initially.
• A waiting period is required in case of joint replacement surgery. The waiting period is 4 years under this health insurance for senior citizens. 
• The proposer bears all the costs related to the pre-medical screening. 
• A co-payment of 20 % is necessary in case the medical treatment is provided in a non-network hospital under this senior citizen health insurance policy. 

Aditya Birla Senior Citizen Health Insurance

Aditya Birla Health Insurance provides this health insurance for senior citizens. Many health insurance policies can confuse us. However, Health insurance for senior citizens under this policy benefits the insured. The benefits and the limitations are mentioned below – 

Key features of this health insurance for senior citizens 

• One of the best health insurance policies as the coverage amount is pocket friendly (3 lakhs to 25 lakh)
• This is ideal health insurance for senior citizens as the minimum age starts from 55 and goes up to 80 years.
• Under this best health insurance for senior citizens in India, coverage for home treatment after post-hospitalization is also available.
• Under this best health insurance for senior citizens in India, the coverage for post-hospitalization oxygen cylinders is also provided
• This health insurance for senior citizens provides a paid 586 daycare.
• International /domestic emergency air ambulance services are offered under this health insurance for senior citizens, making it one of the best health insurance plans.   

Limitations:

• A waiting period of 24 months is necessary for the coverage of pre-diagnosed ailments.
• Under this health insurance plan for senior citizens, a co-pay is applicable.

National Health Insurance

National Insurance is one of the most known best health insurance plans for senior citizens. National Insurance has been one of the most trustworthy insurance providers for a long time. The name and reputation of National Insurance are enough for the people to trust national insurance’s facilities and services. 

• National Insurance is famous for its innovative approach and hassle-free claim. Let’s see the essential features of National insurance-
• Under National Insurance’s VARISHTHA Mediclaim policy for senior citizens, all the costs related to the patient’s hospitalization to their medical and nursing-related expenses are covered. National insurance also covers the patient’s Medical Expenses, including diagnostic tests. 
• National insurance covers the costs related to the patient’s hospitalization, before and after. 
• The National insurance also provides the cost coverage for in-house medical treatments under its senior citizen health insurance policies. This is one of the most attractive parts of national insurance. 
• National insurance allows the policyholders to opt for critical coverage under its health insurance for senior citizens in India. 
• Under the National insurance’s health insurance for senior citizens, donor expenses are also covered.
• The national insurance also provides expense coverage against hypertension and diabetes. This applies to the start of the national insurance policy for senior citizens. 
• The national insurance provides a bonus of 5% in case of a claim-free year to its senior citizen health insurance policyholders. 
• The national insurance provides a reimbursement facility every three years to people who opt for periodic health check-ups.

Limitation

Every health insurance for senior citizens has its drawbacks and limitations; a national insurance policy is no exception; here are some limitations when it comes to national insurance-

• The waiting period under the national insurance is 1 year for pre-diagnosed ailments under its health insurance for senior citizens.
• Under the national insurance senior citizen health insurance policy, the waiting period is 30 days. No coverage is provided for any critical illness during this period. 
• Under the senior citizen health insurance provided by national insurance, 10% of charges will be paid by the policyholders of the age group of 76-80 years. 
• The national insurance provides a pre-acceptance check-up for the new health insurance policyholders for senior citizens. 

SBI Health Insurance- Arogya Top-Up Policy

This is among the best health insurance plans for senior citizens. This best health insurance in India is ideal for people who have yet to cross the age of 65. This best health insurance plan in India is provided by one of the significant financial institutions SBI.

Let’s have a look at the key features of this health insurance for senior citizens- 

• Daycare Coverage for 142 days 
• One of the best health insurance plans for senior citizens, as it covers the pre-hospitalization cost for 60 days and 90 days after the patient gets discharged. 
• All the treatment costs, including the medication and care facilities, are covered under this health insurance for senior citizens in India.
• Includes the coverage of physiotherapy to the policyholder. 
• Maternity costs are also covered under this senior citizen health insurance. 

Limitation:

• Under this senior citizen health insurance, the coverage for the pre-existing illness is covered only after four years of the Insurance Policy. 
• Under this health insurance plan for senior citizens in India, medical screening is compulsory. 

Frequently asked questions- 

Q1. Is it beneficial to buy senior citizen health insurance?

Yes, buying a health insurance policy for your parents would be advisable as the cost of medical expenses is rising continuously. This can help you handle the financial strain on your budget during financial emergencies. 

Q2. What are some of the best health insurance plans for senior citizens in India?

Some of the best health insurance for senior citizens are provided under SBI Health Insurance, National Health Insurance, Aditya Birla Health Insurance, Bajaj Allianz Health Insurance, Bharti AXA Health Insurance, Kotak Mahindra Health Insurance, Max Bupa Health Insurance, etc. 

Q3. What is national insurance?

National Insurance is one of the most prestigious insurance service providers, which provides one of the best health insurance plans for senior citizens. You can check the essential features of the policy in the article above. 

Q4. What is the maximum age limit for buying Senior citizen health Insurance?

The Maximum age limit for buying health insurance for senior citizens in India differs for every health insurance service provider. 

Q5. How much can I invest in a senior citizen health insurance plan? 

You can invest in a senior citizen health plan according to your need. Many health insurance plans for senior citizens provide a minimum amount limit of INR 1 lakh and can extend up to INR 1 crore. 

Q6. Does SBI provide health insurance for senior citizens?

Yes, the State Bank of India is one of the prominent health insurance providers for senior citizens. It provides health insurance from INR 3 lakh.