Health Insurance Portability: How to Transfer Online?

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How to Apply for Health Insurance Portability?

Documents Required for Health Insurance Portability

Health Insurance Portability Benefits

Health Insurance Portability Rules

Reasons for Health Insurance Portability Rejections

Top Reasons to Choose Health Insurance Portability

Things to Consider Before Porting Health Insurance

Health Insurance Portability FAQs

What is Health Insurance Portability?

Portability in health insurance refers to the process of switching the existing health insurance policy to a new policy from another health insurance company without losing the accrued benefits like the No Claim Bonus (NCB), waiting period credit, free medical check-ups, etc. It provides customers with the freedom to switch to a better health insurance provider in case they are unhappy with their existing insurance company. Every policyholder can opt for the portability facility provided the previous health insurance policy was renewed without any breaks.

How to Port Health Insurance Portability Online?

The process to apply for health insurance portability online is given below:

Step 1: Send a portability request to the insurance company you want to switch to at least 45 days before your existing policy is due for renewal

Step 2: On receiving the portability request, the new insurer will provide proposal & portability forms and give details of the various health insurance plans available

Step 3: Select the health plan you wish to port to and submit the duly filled proposal & portability forms to the new insurer

Step 4: After receiving all the forms, the new insurer will approach your previous insurer to get details like your claim history, medical records, etc. The new insurer can also access these details from the IRDAI’s website.

Step 5: The existing insurer will provide all requested details through the IRDAI’s common data-sharing portal within 7 working days. In case there is any delay in sharing this information, the new insurer can hold the decision of accepting your porting request.

Step 6: After receiving all the information, the new insurer will decide on accepting or rejecting your portability request within 15 days. If the decision is made within this period, they will have to accept your portability application.

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List of Documents Required for Porting a Health Insurance Policy

Given below is the list of documents required for health insurance portability:

Identity proof
Address proof

From the Previous Insurer:

Previous years’ policy certificates
Latest renewal notice with a clear mention of continuity in coverage
Self-declaration by the policyholder in case of no claim
Documents like discharge summary, investigation report, etc. if any claims have been filed

From the New Insurer:

Proposal form
Portability form

What is the Benefit of Porting a Health Insurance Policy?

Here are some of the most common health insurance portability benefits:

Protection of No Claim Bonus

The policyholder does not lose the accumulated no claim bonus (NCB) on porting the existing health insurance policy to another insurance company.

For instance, if the policyholder has accumulated an NCB of 30% under their existing health insurance for parents, the same will be transferred to the new policy after portability.
Carry Forward of Waiting Period Credit

The waiting period served under the existing health policy will be carried forward to the new policy after portability.

For example, if the first policy has a waiting period of 2 years for joint replacement surgery and the new policy covers it after 3 years, then the policyholder will have to serve only 1 year of additional waiting period if he/she port the policy after 2 years.
Lower Premiums

Health insurance portability helps policyholders to switch to a health plan that offers coverage similar to the existing plan but for a lower premium. This is especially helpful for elderly people, as the premiums of senior citizens health insurance increase once a claim is raised.

Health Insurance Portability Rules

The IRDAI has laid down a few rules for health insurance portability that needs to be followed by both policyholders and insurance companies. Take a look at the various health insurance portability rules in India:

Categories	Health Insurance Portability Rules
Types of Health Insurance Policies Permitted	Only similar health policies can be ported. For instance, a policyholder can port from one reimbursement health plan to another reimbursement plan or from one top-up plan to another top-up insurance plan. However, both family as well as individual health policies can be ported.
Company Type	Policyholders can port policies from any general/specialized insurance company to another specialized/general insurance company.
Health Insurance Portability Time	Health insurance portability can be done only at the time of current policy renewal and not in between the policy period.
Existing Health Insurance Policy Renewal	Policyholders must renew their health policies without any breaks to avail the portability facility. However, if there is any gap in the policy due to any delay from the insurance company’s side, it will not be considered as a break-in policy, and porting will be allowed.
Portability Intimation	Policyholders must file a portability request with the new insurance company at least 45 days before their existing policy renewal date. Also, notify the current insurance company in writing about the portability request by mentioning the new insurer.
Acknowledgement	Health insurance companies must acknowledge a portability application within 3 days of receiving it.
Porting Charges	No porting charges are applicable
Premiums	Premiums will be charged as per the underwriting norms of the new insurer and hence, premiums may not remain the same even for similar coverage. Moreover, people in the high-risk category, like senior citizens, may have to pay a higher premium after porting.
Sum Insured	Policyholders can opt to increase their sum insured amount when they port. As per the IRDAI’s guidelines, new insurers have to provide a minimum sum insured equal to the old policy’s original sum insured. However, the approval of the increased sum insured is subject to acceptance by the new insurer.
Pre-existing Diseases Waiting Period	If a person ports to a new policy with an increased pre-existing disease waiting period, then the entire waiting period has to be served minus the period already served under the previous policy. For example, if the policyholder has already served a 2-year waiting period under the previous health policy and the new policy has a waiting period of 3 years, then only one additional year needs to be served to get pre-existing disease coverage under the new policy.
Shifting Plans Within the Same Company	Policyholders can migrate from one health insurance plan to another plan within the same company.

As per the IRDAI’s guidelines, health insurance companies must accept portability requests at policy renewal or the end of the specified exit age by offering suitable credits for all previous policy years, provided the policy has been renewed without any breaks.

Disadvantages of Health Insurance Portability

Take a look at the disadvantages of porting a health insurance policy:

Possible Only at Renewal

Portability can be done only when the existing health insurance policy is due for renewal and not throughout the policy year.
Applicable to Similar Plans

Policyholders can only port to similar kinds of health policies and not all types of plans. For example, a top up plan cannot be ported to a critical illness insurance plan.
Higher Premiums

Sometimes, policyholders may have to pay a higher premium to avail additional coverage and benefits under the new health policy after porting.
Loss of Benefits

Policyholders who decide to port from group insurance policies to individual policies may lose some of the benefits included in the previous policy.

Rejection of Health Insurance Portability Requests

While the IRDAI has empowered all policyholders with the right of portability, it has also given health insurance companies the right to reject any portability requests. As a result, all requests for portability are treated as new and are subject to scrutiny by the underwriter.

When a health insurance company receives a portability request, the underwriter assesses the risk exposure to determine the premium that needs to be charged. The insurer can reject the proposal if it is deemed unfavourable. In that case, the policyholder will have no other option but to continue with the existing insurance provider.

Top Reasons for Rejection of Health Insurance Portability Requests

Some of the most common reasons for the rejection of health insurance portability requests are:

Inadequate information
Delay in document submission
Poor claim history (i.e. if multiple health claims have been made recently)
Major differences between inclusions, exclusions and other features of the current policy and new policy
Non-availability of previous policy documents
Break-in policy renewal
Higher age (especially in the case of senior citizens)
Poor medical history
Porting from a floater policy to an individual cover

Common Reasons to Opt for Health Insurance Portability

Take a look at some of the common reasons to opt for health insurance portability:

Poor service quality
Inadequate cover for specific health issues
Slow and cumbersome claim settlement process
Late reimbursements
Hiked premium after a claim is made
Hidden clauses and conditions leading to a lack of transparency
Unacceptable co-payment clauses
Room rent limits
Better deals from another health insurance provider
Lack of personalized services from a general health insurance company

Choose Health Insurance Company for Portability

Aditya Birla Health Insurance Portability

Bajaj Health Insurance Portability

Care Health Insurance Portability

Cholamandalam Health Insurance Portability

Digit Health Insurance Portability

Future Generali Health Insurance Portability

HDFC ERGO Health Insurance Portability

IFFCO Tokio Health Insurance Portability

Expand

Things to Consider Before Porting a Health Insurance Policy

Here are some things to consider before applying for health insurance portability:

Analyze the coverage & benefits of the new health insurance plan and compare features like waiting periods, exclusions, co-payments etc. with the existing plan before porting.
Make sure to check the Incurred Claims Ratio (ICR) and the Claims Settlement Ratio (CSR) of the preferred health insurance provider before porting.
Remember to cross-check the terms and conditions of the new policy for any imposed waiting period or permanent exclusion beforehand so that there are no surprises at the time of claim.
Start looking for new health plans for porting at least 3 months before the due date of the existing policy so that the policyholder has enough time to find the right plan.
If the existing health policy is ridiculously overpriced or the insurer has a poor claim settlement ratio or has imposed a wide range of inhibitory clauses, then porting the policy is better than holding on to the accumulated no claim bonus.
The underwriting norms, terms and conditions and the reasons for portability rejection may vary from one insurance company to another.

Porting from Group Health Insurance to an Individual Health Cover

People covered under group health insurance policies can port to an individual health cover. However, to switch to another insurer, they first need to switch to an individual health plan offered by their current insurer. Switching to a new insurer of the policyholder’s choice is permitted only after one year.

Health Insurance Portability: FAQs

Q1. Can I transfer my health insurance policy from one company to another?

Ans: Yes. You can transfer your health insurance policy from one company to another using the health insurance portability facility. However, portability is only possible at the time of existing policy renewal.
Q2. How do I transfer my health insurance policy from one company to another?

Ans: You can transfer your health insurance policy from one company to another by raising a portability request with the new insurer at least 45 days before your existing policy's due date. The new insurer will review the documents received from your current insurer before accepting or rejecting your portability request.
Q3. Can I switch health insurance companies in India?

Ans: Yes. You can switch health insurance companies in India with the portability facility.
Q4. Can I change health insurance companies anytime?

Ans: No. You can change your health insurance company only at the time of renewing your current policy.
Q5. What does portability of health insurance mean?

Ans: Portability of health insurance refers to the facility of changing your medical insurance policy from one insurer to another without losing renewal benefits like waiting period credit, no claim bonus, etc.
Q6. Can I port my existing mediclaim policy?

Ans: Yes. You can port your existing mediclaim policy, but only at the time of its renewal.
Q7. When should I apply for portability in health insurance as per IRDAI?

Ans: You should apply for porting your health insurance policy at least 45 days before your current policy's renewal date.
Q8. Are there any charges for portability?

Ans: No. There are no charges for health insurance portability.
Q9. What is the purpose of portability?

Ans: The purpose of health insurance portability is to change your existing insurer to another insurer with better policy, premiums, after-sales services, and claim support without losing any accrued renewal benefits, like NCB, waiting period credit, etc.
Q10. Can I port health insurance every year?

Ans: You can port your health insurance policy every year, provided the new insurer accepts your portability request.
Q11. Do I need to pay an extra premium to port my health insurance policy?

Ans: No. You do not have to pay any additional premium amount to port your health insurance policy, as portability does not involve any charges. You only need to pay the premium of the new health policy.
Q12. Can I port my group health insurance policy to an individual policy from another insurance company?

Ans: Yes. You can port your existing group health insurance policy to an individual health policy from another insurance company. But first, you need to convert your group health policy into an individual health policy offered by your current insurer. After one year, you will be eligible to port the policy to an individual health plan offered by another company.
Q13. How long does portability take for a health insurance policy?

Ans: As per the IRDAI's guidelines, a health insurance company must acknowledge a portability request within 3 days of receiving it. However, they need to either accept or reject a portability request within 15 days of receiving all requested documents. In case of any delay, they will have to accept your portability request.
Q14. Can I port my health insurance policy online?

Ans: Yes. You can port your health insurance policy online by visiting the website of the new health insurance company.
Q15. How many times can we port health insurance?

Ans: You can port your health insurance policy as many times as you like, provided the new insurance company accepts your portability requests. However, porting is possible only at the time of existing policy renewal.
Q16. How many days before we can port health insurance?

Ans: You can port your health insurance policy at least 45 days before the renewal date of your existing policy.
Q17. Can I port if I have pre-existing conditions?

Ans: Yes. You can port your health insurance policy even if you have a pre-existing condition, provided the new insurer accepts your portability request.
Q18. Is it a good idea to port health insurance?

Ans: Porting your health insurance policy is a good idea if you are unhappy with your current policy or your current insurance company. With portability, you can opt for a plan with better coverage and lower premiums or an insurer with better services and claim support without losing any of your continuity benefits.
Q19. Is porting allowed in health insurance?

Ans: Yes. Porting of a health insurance policy is allowed, but only at the time of renewal.
Q20. Can all health plans be ported?

Ans: Yes. You can port all health insurance plans, but with the same plan type. For example, you can port a family policy to another family policy only, and a top-up policy to another top-up policy only.
Q21. What is the deadline for porting health insurance?

Ans: The deadline to port a health insurance policy is around 45 days before the due date of your existing policy's renewal.
Q22. Can I switch from one health insurance to another?

Ans: Yes. You can switch from one health insurance policy to another, either within the same company or to another insurer, at the time of renewal.
Q23. What is the difference between migration and portability?

Ans: If you change your health insurance policy within the same insurance company, then it is called migration. However, if you switch your health policy to a policy from another insurance company, then it is known as portability.
Q24. What is the waiting period for health insurance portability?

Ans: There is no waiting period for health insurance portability. However, you can file a portability request with your current insurer around 45 days before your current policy's renewal date only.
Q25. What are examples of portability?

Ans: Some of the examples of health insurance portability are porting an individual health policy from one insurer to another or porting a group health insurance policy to a family floater policy.

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Disclaimer: The list mentioned is according to the alphabetical order of the insurance companies. Policybazaar does not endorse, rate or recommend any particular insurer or insurance product offered by any insurer. For complete list of insurers in India refer to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India website www.irdai.gov.in