Insurance · Switch insurers without losing waiting-period credit
Insurance Portability Guide
Stuck with a poor-service insurer but worried you will lose 4 years of waiting-period credit? Portability lets you carry forward your accrued benefits — waiting periods served, no-claim bonus, sum insured — to a new insurer. IRDAI mandated this in 2011; updated rules effective 2020 made the process tighter (insurers must respond in 15 days). 80% of Indian policyholders do not know portability exists; the 20% who do save lakhs over their lifetime. Here is exactly how it works.
Who needs this
Anyone unhappy with current insurer (slow claims, premium hikes, poor service). Anyone whose insurer's network hospital is no longer convenient. Anyone whose insurer-rated product is being discontinued. Anyone moving cities + finding new insurer with better local presence. Pre-existing condition holders who have waited 3+ years and do not want to restart the clock.
Key decisions
- Q1
What exactly transfers when I port my insurance?
TRANSFERS: (1) Waiting periods served — if you have served 3 of 4 years PED waiting at Insurer A, only 1 year remains at Insurer B (no restart). (2) Initial 30-day waiting period (carries — does not restart). (3) Specific illness waiting (cataract, hernia, knee replacement — typically 2 years). (4) Cumulative no-claim bonus (NCB) — typically 10-50% additional sum insured. (5) Maternity benefit waiting (if served at Insurer A, continues at Insurer B). DOES NOT TRANSFER: (a) Premium amount (Insurer B may charge more for same coverage). (b) Specific Insurer A perks (cashback / lifestyle benefits unique to old plan). (c) Sum Insured INCREASE — you can port at the SAME sum insured. To increase, you can request higher cover at Insurer B but the INCREASED portion has fresh waiting periods.
- Q2
When can I port — and what is the exact 45-day window?
ELIGIBILITY: only at policy RENEWAL (not mid-term). You must initiate the port at least 45 DAYS BEFORE current policy expires, and not more than 60 days before. Outside this window = Insurer B can refuse to honour portability. STEPS: (1) Notify Insurer A in writing (email or letter) at least 45 days before renewal. Request portability certificate + claim history. (2) Apply to Insurer B with portability form + Insurer A's documents. (3) Insurer B has 15 DAYS to accept/reject (silence = deemed accepted). (4) If accepted, new policy starts on Insurer A's expiry date — ZERO break in coverage. CRITICAL: do not let policy lapse during transition. A lapse > 30 days = waiting periods restart from zero at new insurer.
- Q3
Can the new insurer reject my portability request?
YES, but only on these grounds: (1) Mis-declaration of medical history (caught via claim history review). (2) Adverse claim history — if you made 4+ claims in last 2 years, new insurer may decline OR offer with premium loading. (3) Age > maximum entry age at new insurer (typically 65 for fresh, but porting often allowed up to 70). (4) Existing critical illness diagnosed AFTER current policy start (not pre-existing) — new insurer may exclude that specific condition. WHAT INSURER B CANNOT DO: charge higher premium 'because porting'. They CAN charge their standard rate (which may be higher than Insurer A) — but cannot add 'porting surcharge'. If rejected, you must renew with current insurer or buy fresh policy (and restart waiting period clock).
- Q4
Does porting reset my No-Claim Bonus (NCB) or sum insured?
NO. NCB transfers in full. Example: ₹10L sum insured at Insurer A with 50% NCB = effective ₹15L cover at renewal. When you port, Insurer B issues ₹15L policy (base ₹10L + ₹5L bonus). You keep the ₹5L bonus. HOWEVER: future NCB accrual follows Insurer B's NCB structure (some give 10%/year, some 20%, some uncap at 50%, some uncap at 100%). Compare NCB curves before porting — over 10 years of claim-free renewals, NCB diff between insurers can mean ₹5-15L extra coverage. ALSO: SUM INSURED is preserved at the PORTED amount; if you want HIGHER cover, the increase has fresh waiting periods. RECOMMENDED: port at current sum, build claim history with Insurer B for 1-2 years, then increase cover.
- Q5
Health insurance portability vs term insurance portability — same?
DIFFERENT. HEALTH portability is well-defined + commonly used (IRDAI 2011 + 2020 regs). TERM/LIFE portability is essentially NOT AVAILABLE in India — you cannot transfer term insurance from one insurer to another while keeping medical underwriting. Why: term premium is based on age at PURCHASE (locked for policy term). Porting would mean re-underwriting at current age = much higher premium = no savings. PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVE for term: buy new term plan at new insurer (current age underwriting), KEEP old term plan paid up for legacy underwriting. Now you have BOTH covers stacked. Slight extra premium but maximum protection. MOTOR insurance: free to switch insurer at every renewal (no portability needed — no accrued waiting periods to transfer; NCB transfers via NCB certificate). HOME insurance: similar to motor (free switching, no waiting periods).
Top insurers ranked by claim settlement
Insurance Portability Guide — Claim Settlement Ratio
Source: IRDAI Annual Report 2024-25 · published values
- ICICI Lombard96.71%
- HDFC Ergobest95.35%
- Star Health92.85%
- Niva Bupa90.45%
- Care Health88.06%
- HDFC Ergo:Easiest portability acceptance; digital portability via app in 7-10 days.
- Niva Bupa:Strong portability program; accepts up to age 65 + transparent waiting-period acknowledgment.
- Star Health:Senior-citizen portability acceptance up to age 75 (industry-leading); good for elderly switchers.
- Care Health:Generous NCB structure (up to 150% bonus over 10 years); attractive port-in destination.
- ICICI Lombard:iL TakeCare app digital portability flow; 7-day average processing.
IRDAI rules + scheme specifics
- IRDAI Health Insurance Regulations 2013 + 2016 amendments: mandatory portability between health insurers.
- IRDAI 2020 update: 15-day insurer response window for portability requests (silence = deemed accepted).
- Application window: 45-60 days before current policy expiry. Outside window = portability may be refused.
- Portability is between INSURERS, not between PRODUCTS within same insurer (intra-insurer plan changes are upgrades, not ports).
- Sum Insured: portable at same amount; INCREASE has fresh waiting periods for the incremental portion.
- Term/life insurance: portability not available in India (re-underwriting at current age defeats premium savings).
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