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Term insurance plans provides financial protection to your family members in case of your absence, helping them to live their lives you have planned for them. Also, term insurance with critical illness cover secures you by offering you protection for the treatment costs of medical illnesses. You can include a critical illness rider in your base plan and receive the rider sum assured on the diagnosis of any of the critical illnesses covered under the plan. Let us understand what critical illness rider is and some of the term insurance with critical illness cover available in India.
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A Critical illness rider is a popular rider that helps the policyholder in providing financial support in case they are diagnosed with a critical illness during the plan term. Critical illness is a dangerous and life-threatening ailment such as stroke, kidney failure, cancer, and others. This rider enhances the cover. When you buy term insurance plan with critical illness cover option, you can claim the sum assured amount on the diagnosis of a critical illness covered under your plan. The payout money can then be used to pay off ambulance charges, the fees of doctors, or medical expenses.
The term insurance with critical illness rider can be bought during the inception of the policy or any subsequent policy year of the base plan. This additional benefit can be availed by including the term rider in the base plan at nominal premiums payable with the base premiums.
Note: Now that you know that what is Critical Illness Rider, you should also get to know about what is term insurance to buy a term plan for your loved ones.
Term Plans
Here is a list of all best term insurance plans with critical illness cover available in India in 2025.
| Life Insurance Company | Term Insurance with Critical Illness | Entry Age | Critical illnesses Covered | |
| ICICI Pru Life Insurance | ICICI Pru iProtect Smart | 18 – 65 years | 34 | |
| HDFC Life Insurance | HDFC Life Click 2 Protect Super | 18 – 65 years | 60 | |
| Axis Max Life Insurance | Axis Max Smart Term Plan Plus | 18 – 60 years | 64 | |
| Tata AIA Life Insurance | Tata AIA Sampoorna Raksha Promise | 18 – 65 years | 40 | |
| Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance | Bajaj Allianz Life eTouch II | 18 – 65 years | 60 | |
| Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance | ABSLI DigiShield Plan | 18 – 65 years | 42 |
*Disclaimer: ˜Top 5 plans based on annualized premium for bookings made on https://www.policybazaar.com in the first 6 months of FY 24-25. The above plans and premiums are for *1 Cr sum assured for 18 years old with 20 years policy term. Standard T&C Apply. Price would vary basis your profile. Prices offered by the insurer are as per the IRDAI-approved insurance plans. Policybazaar does not endorse, rate or recommend any particular insurer or insurance product offered by any insurer. This list of plans listed here comprise of insurance products offered by all the insurance partners of Policybazaar. For a complete list of insurers in India refer to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India website, www.irdai.gov.in
Disclaimer: Policybazaar does not rate, endorse or recommend any specific insurance provider or insurance product offered by any insurer.
Here is a list of all the ailments covered under a term insurance with critical illness rider included in it. The accurate list of critical illnesses covered under each plan differs with different insurance companies, thus it is advised to go through the policy documents to get a better understanding of all the illnesses covered under a specific plan.
| Angioplasty | Major Organ/Bone Marrow Transplant | Benign Brain Tumor | Permanent Paralysis of Limbs | Systematic Lupus Erythematosus with Renal Involvement |
| Myocardial Infarction | End-stage Liver Failure | Motor Neurone Disease | Primary Pulmonary Hypertension | Deafness |
| Heart Valve Surgery | Major Organ Benefit | Multiple Sclerosis | End-stage Lung Failure | Loss of Independent Existence |
| Cancer of Specified Severity | Muscular Dystrophy | Third-degree Burns | Medullary Cystic Disease | Kidney Failure Requiring Dialysis |
| Open Chest CABG | Poliomyelitis | Loss of Limbs | Aplastic Anaemia | Parkinson’s Disease |
| Blindness | Major Head Trauma |
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Let us understand the critical illness rider in a term insurance plan using an example. Suppose two people, Niharika and Sania have purchased a term insurance plan.
| For Term Insurance | For Term Insurance with Critical Illness |
| Niharika is a 20 year old non-smoker who buys a 1 Crore term insurance till 50 years of age | Sania is a 30-year-old non-smoker who purchased a 1 Crore term insurance with a critical illness rider of 25 Lacs for 30 years |
| She pays the premiums for the regular term on a monthly basis | She pays the premiums for the entire policy term on a monthly basis |
| She unexpectedly suffers an unforeseen death in the 7th policy year and the nominee is eligible to receive the sum assured | A few years later she is diagnosed with a critical illness specified under the plan and receives the rider sum assured of Rs. 25 Lacs while the policy cover of 1 Crore continues as usual |
| The nominee submits the required documents with the claims form and receives the Rs. 1 Crore sum assured in her bank account | On Sania’s unfortunate death during the policy term, her nominee receives the 1 Crore sum assured and the policy terminates |
As seen above in Niharika’s case, the term plan pays out only in case of an unfortunate death. If Niharika had been diagnosed with a critical illness, she would not have received any benefit amount because her term insurance did not have the critical illness rider included in it. On the other hand, Sania received the rider sum assured on diagnosis of a critical illness and her nominee will be eligible to receive a death benefit in case of her untimely death because she purchased a term plan with critical illness rider. Sania can use the rider sum assured to pay for her medical treatments and recover in peace without worrying about the payment of hospital bills.
Note: You can calculate the premiums for your term of choice using the term insurance premium calculator.
Before purchasing the most suitable term insurance with critical illness cover, you need to make sure you are choosing the right cover amount for your critical illness rider benefit. Since the insurer will pay this rider sum assured in case of diagnosis of a critical illness, you need to make sure that the cover amount is enough to help you cover your medical bills in the future (keeping in mind the increasing costs of medical bills due to the rising inflation) and your family’s needs in case you lose your job due to ailment.
A lot of insurance companies also offer the option of including a waiver of premium on critical illness rider, which waives off any remaining premiums in case you are diagnosed with a critical illness. This way you can be relieved from the stress of having to pay the remaining premiums while recovering from the critical illness.
Critical illness term insurance offers the following benefits:
Lump sum benefit- One go
Critical illness rider benefit helps the life assured to manage the expenses related to treatment by paying a lump sum amount. The policyholder receives all the money at one time which helps the policyholder pay for the treatment expenses without any worry.
Income replacement:
In the event of your job loss due to a critical illness, the claim received from the term plan with critical illness rider can be used as replacement for your income. You can use this amount to pay your monthly bills like rent or children’s fees and other requirements.
No change in premium amount
The premium amount for your term insurance with critical illness cover will remain the same even on the critical illness diagnosis. This means there will be no increase in premium rate within the same plan due to a new critical illness. Furthermore, if the plan offers a Waiver of Premium (WOP) on Critical Illness (CI) then all the remaining premiums for your term plan will be waived saving you the worry of having to pay the remaining premiums.
Large Cover
The cost of treatment for critical illnesses such as heart attack, kidney failure, cancer, and others is very high in India that can burn your pocket in no time. The critical illness rider with term plan offers comprehensive coverage against various critical illnesses at a nominal additional premium rate.
Dual Tax Benefit
Term insurance with critical illness cover allows policyholders to get tax benefits as per the prevailing laws u/s 80C and 10(10D) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Buying a critical illness rider along with a base term plan doubles the tax benefit as it adds tax benefit under section 80D, thus increasing their benefit.
Increase in Survival Chances
With the rising cost of critical illness treatment in India, there are many individuals who leave treatment in middle because of insufficient funds. Opting for a critical illness rider to support you over your term plan will make sure that you will never be in a position to compromise your treatment due to lack of funds. Simply put, this rider payout can help you increase your survival chances by allowing you to pay for your medical expenses and allow you to focus on your stress-free recovery.
Following are the types of individuals who could benefit from a critical illness rider added as their base term insurance add-on.
Individuals with a history of critical illnesses in the family: If you have any serious ailments running in the family there is a slight chance of you suffering from the same illness in the future. Therefore if you purchase the term insurance plan while you are still healthy and young, you can get coverage against these illnesses at an affordable premium rate.
Sole Income earners: People who are the only breadwinners of the family will be majorly affected by the loss of income in case they get diagnosed with a critical illness. They will not only be burdened with expensive hospital bills but also find it difficult trying to stay above their rent and child’s fees. Term insurance with critical illness cover can help the family take care of these expenses while the policyholder focuses on their speedy recovery.
People above 40 years of age: People often start developing more ailments as their age increases. Term plan with critical illness rider can help people over the age of 40 secure their future in case they are diagnosed with a critical illness.
People within high-pressure jobs: Stress and an unhealthy lifestyle are one of the leading causes of a lot of critical illnesses. Now it may not be possible to change the high-pressure job but as a preventive measure, you can buy term plan to protect yourself in case of an eventuality.
Let us take a look at the eligibility conditions for critical illness term insurance:
| Parameter | Minimum | Maximum |
| Entry Age | 18 years | 65 years |
| Maturity Age | - | 75 years |
| Sum Assured | Base sum assured | Depends on policy T&Cs |
| Waiting Period | 90 days | |
| Survival Period | 30 days | |
| Cover Period | As specified in the plan | |
| Premium Payment Term | Regular, Limited, or Single Pay | |
| Premium Payment Mode | Same as the base term plan | |
Follow the below steps to buy a term plan with critical illness from the comfort of your home in just a few minutes.
Visit the Term insurance page
Enter your basic information like name, gender, contact information, and date of birth
Fill in your annual income, occupation type, educational background, and lifestyle habits like smoking and drinking
Select the most suitable term insurance with critical illness cover and proceed to pay
You can claim the critical illness rider benefit of your base term insurance plan on the diagnosis of the listed critical illness during the policy term in the following way:
Step 1: Submit the insurance company’s claim form along with the medical certificate
Step 2: Attach the non-relation certificate for pre-existing illnesses or injury
Step 3: Provide the test reports of the respective critical illnesses
Step 4: Submit the latest statements, KYC, and other required documents
Let us take a look at some of the things to consider before buying term insurance with critical illness cover:
The amount of life cover selected under the policy is payable in case of the assured’s demise to the family of the policyholder.
On diagnosis of a critical illness covered under the plan, the amount of benefit payable will be equivalent to the rider sum assured of the critical illness chosen.
The benefit will be payable during the 1st diagnosis itself as there no minimum duration of survival is required.
Every term insurance with critical illness cover offers coverage against separate illnesses and has a distinct set of T&Cs for different plans.
The critical illness rider can enhance the policyholder’s survival chances by offering money to pursue the treatments available.
Make sure you are aware of any waiting period or survival period to avoid future confusion.
The payment of the premium can be done in a single lump sum, or regular installments for a limited period or the whole policy tenure.
You will be eligible to avail of tax benefits under sections 80D and 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
Here is a list of all the documents you would need to claim your term insurance with critical illness rider:
Duly filled claims form
Original policy documents
Assured’s valid ID and address proof
All pre and post-hospitalization records
Medical test reports showing the diagnosis of the covered critical illness
Medical reports attending medical practitioner’s certificate
Assured’s copy of the canceled cheque or bank statement
Due to people’s hectic schedule these days, everyone is at the risk of getting diagnosed with critical illnesses like cancer or cardio-vascular ailments before they reach the age of 70. The treatments for these critical illnesses can lead to a massive financial burden on the family as the treatment costs for these diseases can easily run into lakhs. Opting for one of these term insurance with critical illness coverage in India will surely prove to be helpful for you in the long run.
Note: Check all the best term insurance plan in India.
˜Top 5 plans based on annualized premium for bookings made on https://www.policybazaar.com in the first 6 months of FY 24-25.
Policybazaar does not endorse, rate or recommend any particular insurer or insurance product offered by any insurer. This list of plans listed here comprise of insurance products offered by all the insurance partners of Policybazaar. For a complete list of insurers in India refer to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India website, www.irdai.gov.in
+Rs. 487/month (Rs.16/day) is starting price for a 1 crore term life insurance for an 18 year-old male, non-smoker, with no pre-existing diseases, cover upto 38 years of age.
Prices offered by the insurer are as per the approved insurance plans | #All savings and online discounts are provided by insurers as per IRDAI approved insurance plans | Standard Terms and Conditions Apply | **Tax Benefits are subject to changes in tax laws.| Policybazaar Insurance Brokers Private Limited
We will respond in the first instance within 30 minutes of the customers contacting us. 30-minute claim support service is for the purpose of giving reasonable assistance to the policyholder in pursuance of the claim. Settlement of claim (including cashless claim) is the responsibility of the insurer as per policy terms and conditions. The 30-minute claim support is subject to our operations not being impacted by a system failure or force majeure event or for reasons beyond our control. For further details, 24x7 Claims Support Helpline can be reached out at 1800-258-5881
For more details on risk factors, terms and conditions, please read the sales brochure carefully before concluding a sale
Policybazaar Insurance Brokers Private Limited | CIN: U74999HR2014PTC053454 | Registered Office - Plot No.119, Sector - 44, Gurgaon, Haryana – 122001 | Registration No. 742, Valid till 09/06/2027, License category- Composite Broker Visitors are hereby informed that their information submitted on the website may be shared with insurers. Product information is authentic and solely based on the information received from the insurers.
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+Rs. 820/month is starting price for a 2 crore term life insurance for an (NRI) 18 year-old male, non-smoker, with no pre-existing diseases, cover upto 38 years of age.
+Rs. 1,443/month is starting price for a 5 crore term life insurance for an (NRI) 18 year-old male, non-smoker, with no pre-existing diseases, cover upto 38 years of age.
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