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Health Insurance Porting Calculator — Switch Insurer, Keep Your Benefits

Calculate your savings from porting health insurance: compare current vs new insurer premiums with 10-year projection, see exactly which waiting period credits (PED, initial, specific disease) and NCB carry over under IRDAI portability rules, and get a personalised porting checklist with your 45-day deadline. Free instant results. Updated for FY 2025-26.

Your current health insurance premium per year
Annual premium quoted by the insurer you want to port to
Total health cover amount (keep same or higher when porting)
years
Age of the eldest insured member
Your existing health insurance company
The insurer you want to switch to

How to Use This Calculator

Port Savings tab

Enter your current annual premium, the new insurer's quoted premium, your sum insured, and age. The calculator shows your annual saving, monthly saving, and a 10-year premium projection assuming ~5% annual escalation. It also compares Claim Settlement Ratios (CSR) between your current and new insurer — because a cheaper premium with a lower CSR may not be a good trade.

What You Keep tab

Enter your years with current insurer, pre-existing condition (if any), and NCB percentage. The calculator shows exactly what transfers to the new insurer (PED waiting period credit, initial waiting, specific disease waiting, continuous coverage) and what does NOT transfer (features, riders, sub-limits, co-pay terms). For example: "Your 3-year diabetes waiting = 36/48 months served. Only 12 months remaining with the new insurer."

Porting Checklist tab

Select your policy renewal month and the calculator generates your personalised 45-day deadline, a step-by-step porting process, the complete documents checklist, and 8 expert tips on what to check before porting (CSR, network hospitals, room rent sub-limits, co-payment, restoration benefit, NCB treatment, day care list, and new disease waiting periods).

Share your result

Every input is encoded in the URL. Click Share to send your porting analysis to a family member, insurance advisor, or save it for reference when calling the new insurer.

Health Insurance Porting at a Glance — FY 2025-26

What is portingSwitching health insurer while retaining waiting period credits
IRDAI mandateMandatory for all health insurers since 1 October 2011
RegulationIRDA/HLT/REG/034/2011-12 (amended 2020)
Deadline to applyAt least 45 days before policy renewal date
Apply toThe NEW insurer (not your current insurer)
What transfersPED waiting credit, initial waiting, specific disease waiting, continuous coverage
What doesn't transferFeatures, riders, room rent sub-limits, co-pay terms, OPD cover
NCB transferDepends on new insurer (not IRDAI-mandated) — confirm in writing
Can insurer reject?Yes, but must provide written reasons. Cannot reject solely for claims history.
PED waiting periodStandard 48 months (4 years) — credit carries over when porting
Typical premium range₹8,000–₹20,000/yr for ₹10L cover, age 35 (varies by insurer)

How Health Insurance Porting Works

Step 1: Decide to Port (2–3 months before renewal)
Compare your current insurer with alternatives on: CSR, premium, network hospitals, sub-limits
Get quotes from 2–3 new insurers for the same sum insured

Step 2: Apply to New Insurer (45+ days before renewal)
Fill the new insurer's proposal form with porting request
Submit policy copy, claims history, PED documents, ID proof

Step 3: Data Transfer (7 working days)
New insurer requests portability data from current insurer via IRDAI portal
Current insurer MUST provide data within 7 working days (IRDAI mandate)

Step 4: Underwriting (15 days)
New insurer reviews your health data, may ask for medical tests
Issues acceptance/rejection within 15 days of receiving data

Step 5: Switch
Pay premium to new insurer before renewal date
New policy starts from the renewal date of old policy
DO NOT pay renewal premium to old insurer

Savings formula:
Annual Saving = Current Premium − New Premium
10-Year Saving = Σ(Current Premium × 1.05^n) − Σ(New Premium × 1.05^n) for n=0 to 9
Where 5% = typical annual premium escalation

Example: Priya, 35-year-old with Diabetes (₹10L Cover)

Priya is 35, has a ₹10 lakh family floater policy with Star Health at ₹15,000/year. She was diagnosed with diabetes 3 years ago (declared as PED). She got a quote from Niva Bupa for ₹10,000/year for the same ₹10L cover.

Port Savings

Current premium (Star Health)₹15,000/year
New premium (Niva Bupa)₹10,000/year
Annual saving₹5,000/year (33% less)
10-year total saving₹62,889 (with 5% escalation)
CSR comparisonStar Health ~72% → Niva Bupa ~96% (better)

What Transfers

PED (diabetes) waiting3 years served = 36/48 months. Only 12 months remaining.
Initial waiting (30 days)Already served — carries over
Specific disease waitingAlready served (3yr > 2yr) — carries over
NCB (20%)Check with Niva Bupa — may or may not transfer
Features / ridersDo NOT transfer — new policy's terms apply

Porting Timeline

Renewal date1 June 2026
Apply by17 April 2026 (45 days before)
VerdictSave ₹5K/yr + better CSR + PED credit carries = strong case to port

Priya ports and saves ₹5,000/year while upgrading to an insurer with ~96% CSR (from 72%). Her diabetes PED waiting credit of 3 years carries over — she only needs 1 more year for full PED coverage. The 10-year saving is over ₹62,000.

What Transfers & What Doesn't When You Port

Pre-Existing Disease (PED) Waiting Period Credit — TRANSFERS

What it is: Health insurance policies typically have a 48-month (4-year) waiting period for pre-existing diseases. If you have served part of this waiting period, the credit carries over to the new insurer.

  • IRDAI mandate: The new insurer MUST honour your PED waiting period credit — this is a policyholder right under IRDAI portability regulations.
  • Example: If you have 3 years of continuous coverage with diabetes as declared PED, only 1 year of waiting remains with the new insurer.
  • Standard waiting: 48 months (4 years) for most policies. Some policies offer shorter PED waiting (e.g., 24 or 36 months) as a feature.
  • Important: The new insurer may ask for medical records proving when the PED was first declared/diagnosed.
No Claim Bonus (NCB) — MAY OR MAY NOT TRANSFER

What it is: NCB is a bonus (usually increased sum insured or premium discount) for each claim-free year. Unlike PED credit, NCB transfer is NOT mandated by IRDAI.

  • Not guaranteed: IRDAI does not mandate NCB portability. Each insurer has its own NCB transfer policy.
  • Treatment varies: Some insurers honour NCB as increased sum insured, some as premium discount, some do not transfer at all.
  • Tip: Ask the new insurer about NCB treatment IN WRITING before you commit to porting.
  • Typical NCB: 5% to 50% cumulative increase in sum insured for claim-free years (varies by insurer and policy).
Features, Riders & Sub-Limits — DO NOT TRANSFER

What it is: Policy-specific features, riders, and terms are unique to each insurer's product. They do NOT carry over when you port.

  • Room rent sub-limits: Your current policy may have no room rent limit, but the new policy might cap it at 1% of sum insured.
  • Co-payment clauses: The new policy may require 10–20% co-pay that your current policy doesn't.
  • Riders: Critical illness rider, personal accident rider, maternity rider — must be bought fresh.
  • Restoration benefit: One insurer may restore sum insured after a claim, another may not.
  • OPD cover: If your current policy covers outpatient expenses, the new one may not.
  • Day care procedures: The list of covered day care procedures varies widely between insurers.
Claim Settlement Ratio (CSR) — Key Metric to Compare

What it is: CSR is the percentage of claims settled by an insurer out of total claims received. Published annually by IRDAI.

  • Top CSRs (approx): Niva Bupa ~96%, HDFC ERGO ~93%, Tata AIG ~91%, Care Health ~90%
  • Lower CSRs: Star Health ~72% (high volume, high rejection rate)
  • Why it matters: Higher CSR = lower chance of claim rejection. A cheap policy with low CSR may cost you lakhs at claim time.
  • Source: IRDAI Annual Report 2023-24 (approximate figures, check latest report for current data).
  • Tip: CSR alone isn't enough — also check the insurer's incurred claims ratio and average claim amount.

FAQ

Health insurance porting (portability) means switching your health insurance policy from one insurer to another while retaining the waiting period credits you have built up. IRDAI made porting mandatory for all health insurers from 1 October 2011 under regulation IRDA/HLT/REG/034/2011-12. Any individual or family floater policyholder can port their health insurance at the time of renewal. You cannot port mid-term — it must be done at renewal. The process is free; you only pay the new insurer's premium.
Under IRDAI rules, you must apply to the new insurer at least 45 days before your policy renewal date. This gives time for data transfer between insurers (7 working days), underwriting (up to 15 days), and issuance. If you miss the 45-day deadline, you typically need to renew with your current insurer for one more year and try porting at the next renewal. However, some insurers may accept late porting requests — it's worth asking. Set a calendar reminder for 60 days before renewal to start the process.
NCB transfer is NOT guaranteed by IRDAI. Unlike PED waiting period credit (which must be honoured by the new insurer), NCB portability depends on the new insurer's own policy. Some insurers honour your NCB as increased sum insured, some as a premium discount, and some don't transfer it at all. Always confirm NCB treatment with the new insurer in writing before committing to the port. Ask: "Will my existing NCB of X% be honoured, and how?" Get the answer documented in your proposal acceptance.
Yes, the new insurer can reject or load premium, but with restrictions. Under IRDAI rules: (1) They cannot reject solely based on claims history; (2) They must provide written reasons for rejection; (3) They may charge a higher premium (loading) based on your age, health status, or claims. If rejected unfairly, escalate to the IRDAI Grievance Cell at igms.irda.gov.in or the Insurance Ombudsman. Your current policy continues if porting is rejected — just renew with your existing insurer.
Yes, porting with PED is one of the best use cases. Your PED waiting period credit carries over under IRDAI mandate. If you've served 3 out of 4 years of PED waiting, the new insurer must honour those 3 years — only 1 year remains. Port when: (1) the new insurer has better CSR (higher chance of claim settlement); (2) lower premium for the same cover; (3) better network hospitals in your city. Do NOT port if: (1) the new insurer has restrictive sub-limits on your PED condition; (2) you're very close to completing the 4-year waiting period — complete it first, then port with full coverage.

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