Introduction

Before we start comparing these two policies we have to set out some ground rules.

Both products are marketed by different insurance companies. Senior Citizen Plan is sold by United India and myHealth Suraksha Silver is sold by HDFC Ergo. So any meaningful comparison should include a comparison of the product alongside the insurers themselves.

Second, we know that both products have massive differences in their core structure. Senior Citizen Plan is specifically designed for senior citizens. However, myHealth Suraksha Silver is quite comprehensive. It offers considerable protection and it doesn’t impose as many restrictions. So in many ways, you’re comparing apples and oranges here.

And finally, any comparison is ultimately futile without considering the use case. Who are you buying this policy for? You, your family, your parents?

That’s something you’ll need to answer before using this guide. So with that introduction out of the way, we can get to comparing the actual policies themselves.


Let’s start with Senior Citizen Plan. The product comes from United India’s stable:

United India General Insurance company is an amalgamation of 22 different entities. The insurer has played an integral part in underwriting numerous government insurance schemes like - Maharashtra Government’s Mahathma Jyothiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana Health Insurance Scheme (2020) & Prime Minister Suraksha Bima Yojana.

However, since it is a government-owned insurance firm, it’s not the most nimble insurance company out there.


myHealth Suraksha Silver meanwhile comes from HDFC Ergo’s stable:

Founded in the year 2002, the company is a joint venture between India’s HDFC and Germany’s ERGO International AG. It offers policies across motor, travel, health and other sectors. And it also happens to be one of the largest insurers in the country.

More importantly, HDFC Ergo boasts a claim settlement ratio of 97.55%, with a network of 12,000+ hospitals

All in all, an impressive resume.

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Compare Insurances

Network hospitals3,04312,000+
Claim settlement ratio

(avg. of last 3 years)

94.94%97.55%
Co-payment

No

No

Room rent

Any Room

(up to 1% of sum insured)

Any Room

Disease sub-limit

Yes

No

Pre existing diseases waiting

4 years

3 years

Pre/Post hospitalization

30/60 days

60/180 days

No claim bonus

10% per year

(up to 100%)

Domiciliary
Ayush treatments
Restoration benefit

100% restoration

(once for any illness)

Health check-up
Once every 3 years
Once every year
Maternity
Out Patient Department
Day care

Feature Comparison

co_pay

Co payment

With a co-payment clause, the insurer will mandate that you pay a part of the bill. So if the bill adds up to Rs. 2,00,000 and the co-payment is set at 20% then you could be asked to pay Rs. 40,000 from the bill. In this case, however, Senior Citizen Plan doesn’t impose a co-payment clause. And neither does myHealth Suraksha Silver.

room_rent

Room rent

If the policy does impose room rent restrictions then the insurer may only let you stay in a room of a certain specification or impose a cap on the total room rent. If you were to breach either criterion then the insurance company may ask you to pay a portion of all the expenses you incurred while staying in the room. In this case, however, Senior Citizen Plan only lets you stay in a room whose rent doesn’t exceed 1% of the total sum insured but you can pick any room you want with myHealth Suraksha Silver.

disease_sublimit

Sub limits

Some policies will tell you that they will cover all medical expenses up until the sum insured, but then impose caps on the total costs you can incur while dealing with a very specific list of diseases. We call these caps “Disease Wise Sub Limits.” In this case, Senior Citizen Plan imposes disease-wise sub-limits on Heart diseases, Major surgeries whereas myHealth Suraksha Silver doesn’t impose a disease wise sub-limit.

ped

Waiting periods for pre-existing diseases:

If you’re suffering from a lifestyle condition or if you’ve had surgery in the past, or if you’re dealing with an acute or chronic illness at the time of buying the policy, then the insurer may classify this as a pre-existing disease. And they may tell you that they will only cover these illnesses after some time. In this case, Senior Citizen Plan imposes a waiting period of 4 years on pre-existing diseases while myHealth Suraksha Silver extends a waiting period of 3 years on existing conditions.

pre_post

Pre and post Hospitalization expenses

Most people aren’t hospitalized right off the bat. Instead, they’ll have to go through a whole series of diagnostic tests before hospitalization and take medication post-discharge. These costs are outlined as pre-hospitalization expenses and post-hospitalization expenses respectively. In this case, Senior Citizen Plan covers expenses incurred 30 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred 60 days post-hospitalization. Meanwhile, myHealth Suraksha Silver covers expenses incurred 60 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred 180 after hospitalization, although there may be different sub-limits

ncb

No claim bonus

Some policies will tell you that they will incentivize you for not making a claim in any given year. And they offer such incentives by offering extra cover on top of the existing sum insured. This extra cover is categorized as a no-claim bonus. In this case, however, Senior Citizen Plan doesn’t offer a no-claim bonus whereas myHealth Suraksha Silver offers a no-claim bonus.

domiciallary

Domiciliary

Imagine you are forced to treat yourself at home because you don’t find a hospital bed, or you have a chronic condition that prevents you from visiting one, then, insurers may choose to cover your treatment even if you’re hospitalized at home. And such costs are collectively categorized as domiciliary treatment costs. In this case, however, Senior Citizen Plan offers domiciliary cover. And myHealth Suraksha Silver also coves domiciliary expenses.

ayush

Ayush treatments

Most policies only cover treatments administered in a registered medical facility. However, on some occasions, you may want to pursue alternative treatments including homoeopathy, Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. These treatments are collectively categorized as Ayush treatments. And in this case, Senior Citizen Plan covers Ayush procedures and myHealth Suraksha Silver also extends coverage for Ayush treatments.

maternity

Maternity benefits

If you’re hospitalized during childbirth, then you may have to incur significant costs during delivery of your newborn, child care and other related matters during the course of the hospitalization. These costs are collectively termed maternity costs. And in this case, neither Senior Citizen Plan offers maternity cover nor does myHealth Suraksha Silver.

opd

Out Patient Department (OPD)

Doctor visits and regular consultations aren’t usually covered by health insurance policies. They are categorized as Outpatient consultations (or OPD treatments) and patients have to bear the cost on their own. In this case, however, neither Senior Citizen Plan extends coverage for outpatient consultations, nor does myHealth Suraksha Silver.

Final Conclusion

Since this isn’t a fair comparison, to begin with, we will only tell you this much. If you want something that’s comprehensive, you could go for myHealth Suraksha Silver. However, if you are specifically looking to buy a policy for senior citizens, then you may want to consider Senior Citizen Plan.

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