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Insurance Plans Comparison

Star Special Care Gold vs Care Joy

Make an informed decision with our detailed side-by-side comparison of top health insurance policies. Compare...

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Star

Special Care Gold

Special Care Gold

What Makes It Special:

Special Care Gold is designed for persons with disabilities and individuals with HIV/AIDS. The product provides individual indemnity and benefit coverage, with defined eligibility requirements, hospitalisation cover, daycare treatment, AYUSH treatment, modern treatment coverage and a 20% co-payment that can be waived through an optional benefit.

Best For:

  • Customers who need defined coverage with optional co-payment waiver

  • Customers looking for AYUSH hospitalisation coverage

  • Families seeking specialised health insurance for eligible members

  • Eligible individuals living with HIV/AIDS

  • Eligible persons with disabilities

VS
Care

Joy

Maternity and newborn cover with a 9-month maternity waiting period

What Makes It Special:

Care Joy is a hospitalisation plan with built-in maternity and newborn cover. The Joy Today variant is the faster-access option, with a 9-month waiting period for maternity claims. The other variant, Joy Tomorrow, has a 24-month wait. Maternity benefits are capped at ₹35,000 on a ₹3 lakh sum insured and ₹50,000...

Best For:

  • Long-term peace of mind with 3-year policy term

  • Cashless treatment across 8,000+ hospitals

  • Comprehensive family protection during pregnancy

  • Maternity and Newborn health coverage

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Get Personalized Advice

Our insurance experts are here to help you make the right choice. Get personalized recommendations based on your specific needs and budget.

Quick Decision Guide

  • No pre-policy medical test is required, subject to submission requirements.

  • A co-payment waiver is available for additional premium.

  • AYUSH inpatient treatment is covered up to 100% of Sum Insured.

  • Sum Insured options of ₹4 Lakh and ₹5 Lakh are available.

  • The product is specifically structured for disability and HIV/AIDS-related eligibility.

  • You want cashless access to 8,000+ hospitals across India

  • You prefer short waiting period for maternity benefits (9 months)

  • You want maternity and newborn cover under one plan

  • You’re planning for pregnancy or expanding your family soon.

Insurance Plans Comparison

Detailed Features Comparison

Compare the key features of different health insurance plans

Special Care Gold
Special Care Gold

Health Insurance Plan

VS
Joy
Joy

Health Insurance Plan

Brochure

Room Rent

Special Care Gold

Up to 1% of Sum Insured per day

VS

Joy

Covers a Single Private Room with AC. A higher room category means room, boarding, nursing, OT and doctor/surgeon fees are reduced in proportion to the difference in room rent.

ICU Charges

Special Care Gold

Up to 2% of Sum Insured per day

VS

Joy

ICU charges (ICU bed, monitoring devices, critical care nursing and intensivist charges) are payable as part of in-patient hospitalisation up to the sum insured. There is no separate ICU sublimit.

Disease-wise sublimits

Special Care Gold

Specified treatment limits apply


VS

Joy

No disease-specific caps apply to general hospitalisation, which is payable up to the sum insured. Fixed limits apply to maternity (₹35,000/₹50,000), newborn baby (₹30,000/₹50,000) and ambulance (₹1,000 per claim).

Co-payment

Special Care Gold

20% on all claims; waiver available for additional premium


VS

Joy

20% of each admissible claim applies if the insured's entry age (eldest member for a floater) is 60 years or above. No co-payment applies for entry ages below 60.

Restoration Benefit

Special Care Gold

Not specified

VS

Joy

Not available. Once the sum insured is used, it is not restored within the same policy year. The optional No Claim Bonanza is a bonus for claim-free years, not a restoration benefit.

Cashless Healthcare Providers

Special Care Gold

Cashless treatment available at network hospitals


VS

Joy

Cashless treatment is available at 11,400+ Care network hospitals across India. Pre-authorisation is required, and the network list can change, so check the hospital list before admission.

Cumulative Bonus

Special Care Gold

Not specified

VS

Joy

Optional "No Claim Bonanza", available for an additional premium. After three consecutive claim-free policy years, the sum insured increases by 100% of the expiring sum insured. The accrued bonus cannot exceed 100% of the sum insured in the renewed policy. If a claim is made, the accrued bonus is not carried to the next renewal, but the base sum insured is never reduced. The bonus is lost if the policy is not renewed within the grace period.

Daycare Treatment

Special Care Gold

All daycare procedures covered

VS

Joy

Covers a long list of procedures that need less than 24 hours of hospitalisation (for example cataract, dialysis, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, lithotripsy, tonsillectomy and arthroscopy). Cover is up to the sum insured and subject to waiting periods.

Consumable Cover

Special Care Gold

Not specified

VS

Joy

Not covered. Non-medical items (for example gloves, masks, diapers, kits, belts, surcharges and similar items in the policy's non-payable list) are excluded. Some items, such as admission and registration charges, are treated as part of room or procedure charges and are not paid separately.

AYUSH Treatment

Special Care Gold

Covered up to 100% of Sum Insured

VS

Joy

Not offered as a standard benefit. Treatment under Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy, and other non-allopathic treatment, is excluded.

Initial Waiting Period

Special Care Gold

30 Days for indemnity basis; 90 Days for HIV/AIDS benefit basis


VS

Joy

30 days

Specific Waiting Period

Special Care Gold

24 Months

VS

Joy

24 months of continuous coverage for listed conditions and procedures. These include arthritis and spinal disorders, joint replacement, benign ENT disorders, benign prostatic hypertrophy, cataract, piles/fissure/fistula, hernia and hydrocele, hysterectomy for fibroids, kidney or gall bladder stones, and varicose veins. Accident-related claims are exempt. Prior continuous coverage can reduce the waiting period. If a listed condition is also pre-existing, the longer waiting period applies.

PED Waiting Period

Special Care Gold

36 Months for PEDs other than specified disability and HIV/AIDS; 24 Months for pre-existing disability


VS

Joy

36 months of continuous coverage from the first policy with Care. Pre-existing conditions must be declared at proposal. If the sum insured is increased, the waiting period applies afresh to the increased amount. Continuous prior coverage with another insurer can reduce the waiting period on porting.

Modern Treatment

Special Care Gold

Covered up to 50% of Sum Insured for listed modern treatments

VS

Joy

Covers 12 listed advanced treatments within the sum insured: uterine artery embolization and HIFU, balloon sinuplasty, deep brain stimulation, oral chemotherapy, monoclonal antibody immunotherapy (injection), intravitreal injections, robotic surgeries, stereotactic radio surgeries, bronchial thermoplasty, laser prostate vaporisation (green laser or holmium laser), intra-operative neuro monitoring (IONM), and hematopoietic stem cell therapy for bone marrow transplant in blood disorders. Advanced methods outside this list are not covered.

Annual Health Checkup

Special Care Gold

Not specified


VS

Joy

Not available as a benefit. Depending on age and sum insured, Care may ask for pre-policy medical tests at its own cost. If the proposal is declined or the policy is cancelled in the free-look period, the test cost is deducted from the refund.

Pre-Hospitalisation

Special Care Gold

Up to 30 Days

VS

Joy

30 days before admission. Expenses must relate to the same illness or injury and the hospitalisation claim must be admissible.

Post-Hospitalisation

Special Care Gold

Up to 60 Days

VS

Joy

60 days after discharge. Expenses must relate to the same illness or injury and the main hospitalisation claim must be admissible.

Outpatient Department Cover (OPD Expense)

Special Care Gold

Not a standard OPD benefit


VS

Joy

Not covered. Routine consultations, tests and pharmacy bills without hospital admission are not payable. Pre- and post-natal expenses are covered only within the maternity limit and as part of the delivery hospitalisation claim.

Deductible Option

Special Care Gold

Not specified

VS

Joy

No deductible applies. This is a base indemnity plan, not a top-up.

Coverage Options

Special Care Gold

₹4 Lakh and ₹5 Lakh, individual basis


VS

Joy

Sum insured of ₹3 lakh or ₹5 lakh, on an Individual or Family Floater basis. Policy term is 3 years. Entry age is 18 to 65 years for adults, 1 day to 24 years for children, and 1 day to 90 days for newborns. Lifelong renewability. Maternity cover is available only for insured women aged 45 or below.

Claim Settlement Ratio

Special Care Gold

Not specified


VS

Joy

96.74% for FY 2024-25 (insurer-level, based on IRDAI public disclosures). This reflects Care Health Insurance overall, not Care Joy specifically.

Maternity Cover

Special Care Gold

Not specified as a standard maternity benefit

VS

Joy

Covers delivery hospitalisation (normal and C-section) including pre-natal and post-natal expenses: up to ₹35,000 on a ₹3 lakh sum insured and up to ₹50,000 on a ₹5 lakh sum insured. Waiting period is 9 months of continuous coverage. Newborn baby cover applies if the maternity claim is admissible. Voluntary termination of pregnancy in the first 12 weeks and miscarriage (unless caused by an accident) are not covered. Ectopic pregnancy is covered under regular hospitalisation, not the maternity limit.

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Explore Insurance Category

Senior Citizen Health Plan

Senior Citizen Health Plan

  • Secure against age-related medical costs

  • Tailored for seniors healthcare needs

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Family Health Plan

Family Health Plan

  • One policy covers the entire family

  • High sum insured with cashless care

  • Multiple coverage options based on your family needs

Maternity Health Plan

Maternity Health Plan

  • Covers delivery, newborn care, and maternity expenses

  • Reduces financial stress of childbirth costs

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