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Insurance Plans Comparison

HDFC ERGO Critical Illness Silver Plan vs ICICI Lombard Golden Shield

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

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HDFC ERGO

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Affordable lump-sum cover for 8 major critical illnesses

What Makes It Special:

The Silver Plan pays the sum insured as a single lump sum on first diagnosis of any one of 8 listed critical illnesses after the chosen survival period of 15 or 30 days, and at every age band and sum insured its premium is lower than the Platinum Plan's, which...

Best For:

  • Buyers topping up an existing critical illness benefit from an employer or a life insurer with additional standalone cover

  • Younger applicants looking to start critical illness cover early, since entry is permitted from 5 years of age

  • Buyers who already hold a hospitalisation policy and want a separate lump sum for income loss and non-medical costs

  • Buyers whose main concern is the four most common critical illness categories — heart, cancer, stroke and kidney failure

  • Buyers who want critical illness cover at the lowest premium within this product and accept a shorter list of covered conditions

VS
ICICI Lombard

Golden Shield

Cover hospital care for seniors, with a twin-sharing room below ₹10 lakh and a single private AC room from ₹10 lakh, a 50% co-pay on every admissible claim, and 60 days before admission plus 180 days after discharge.

What Makes It Special:

ICICI Lombard Golden Shield is designed for senior citizens and offers hospitalisation cover through individual and family floater options. Benefits include inpatient treatment, daycare procedures, AYUSH hospitalisation, pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses, domiciliary treatment and a Reset Benefit. The policy also offers a Loyalty Bonus and optional features such as Claim...

Best For:

  • Buyers seeking additional features such as Claim Protector or Care Management Plus, subject to availability and eligibility.

  • Customers who want to evaluate options for reducing the policy's standard co-payment.

  • Buyers who want a reset feature for eligible subsequent hospitalisation claims.

  • Older couples looking for a shared family floater or individual cover options.

  • Senior citizens seeking health insurance for eligible hospitalisation expenses.

Insurance Plans Comparison

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

  • Set the sum insured against the income and costs you would need to replace during treatment rather than against expected hospital bills, because the payout is a fixed benefit and not a reimbursement.

  • Pre-existing conditions carry a 48-month waiting period, so if you have a declared condition, weigh whether the Silver Plan's lower premium still meets your need over that delay.

  • The benefit is payable once, so treat this as a supplement to a hospitalisation policy and not a substitute for one.

  • The plan pays only on first diagnosis of a listed condition as defined in the policy, so read the severity thresholds on heart attack, cancer and stroke before assuming a diagnosis will qualify.

  • Compare the 8-illness list against the Platinum Plan's 15 before choosing, since the Silver Plan excludes Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, benign brain tumour, end-stage liver failure, surgery of aorta, primary pulmonary hypertension and heart valve replacement or repair.

  • Compare the disease-specific sublimits with your healthcare needs, especially for cataract, cardiovascular treatment, cancer and renal conditions.

  • Review the 24-month PED and specified-disease waiting periods, along with the separate 90-day exclusion for hypertension, diabetes and cardiac conditions.

  • Check the room category linked to your sum insured to avoid unexpected proportionate deductions.

  • Review the base 50% co-payment carefully and compare the additional premium for reducing it to 40%, 30% or 20%.

  • Select a sum insured based on expected medical expenses and confirm that the desired option is available for your age and health profile.

Insurance Plans Comparison

Detailed Features Comparison

Compare the key features of different health insurance plans

Critical Illness Silver Plan
Critical Illness Silver Plan

Health Insurance Plan

VS
Golden Shield
Golden Shield

Health Insurance Plan

Brochure

Room Rent

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not applicable.

VS

Golden Shield

ICICI Lombard's Health Shield plan offers comprehensive coverage with no specific capping on room rent or ICU charges.

ICU Charges

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not applicable — hospitalisation expenses are not indemnified under this policy

VS

Golden Shield

Covered under eligible inpatient hospitalisation, subject to the annual sum insured and applicable policy conditions.

Advanced Treatments

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Information Unavailable

VS

Golden Shield

The plan covers advanced treatments like robotic surgeries, immunotherapy, oral chemotherapy, stem cell therapy, and minimally invasive procedures for various conditions.

Co-payment

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not applicable

VS

Golden Shield

The ICICI Lombard Golden Shield plan includes a mandatory 50% co-payment, meaning policyholders are responsible for half of the admissible claim amount, while the insurer covers the remaining 50%. This co-payment applies to all claims made under the policy.

Disease-wise sublimits

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not applicable.

VS

Golden Shield

Yes. Cataract and specified cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, cancer, renal, long-bone/joint and robotic-surgery treatments have limits that vary by sum insured.

Cashless Healthcare Providers

Critical Illness Silver Plan

16,000 cashless healthcare providers (insurer-level, as of August 2025). Cashless hospitalisation is not the mechanism of this policy, which pays a lump sum on diagnosis

VS

Golden Shield

10,896+ hospitals across India.

Restoration Benefit

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not applicable — the benefit is payable once, on first diagnosis

VS

Golden Shield

Unlimited Reset Benefit of up to 100% of the annual sum insured for eligible subsequent claims. It does not apply to the first claim and has restrictions for the same illness or related complications.

Cumulative Bonus

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not specified

VS

Golden Shield

Loyalty Bonus accumulates under the policy's renewal rules; accrued bonus is not reduced merely because a claim is made.

Daycare Treatment

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not applicable

VS

Golden Shield

Covered under the policy. 

Consumable Cover

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not applicable.

VS

Golden Shield

Claim Protector is available as an optional cover for eligible non-medical items associated with an accepted inpatient claim.

AYUSH Treatment

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not applicable

VS

Golden Shield

Covered under this policy

Initial Waiting Period

Critical Illness Silver Plan

90 days

VS

Golden Shield

30 days for illnesses, except covered accident-related hospitalisation.

Specific Waiting Period

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not specified.

VS

Golden Shield

24 months for listed diseases and procedures.

PED Waiting Period

Critical Illness Silver Plan

48 months for all pre-existing conditions declared and/or accepted at application

VS

Golden Shield

24 months of continuous coverage for declared and accepted pre-existing diseases.

Modern Treatment

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not applicable — this is a fixed-benefit policy paying a lump sum, not an indemnity cover for treatment costs

VS

Golden Shield

Listed modern treatments are covered up to the annual sum insured, subject to specified sublimits.

Annual Health Checkup

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not specified. A pre-policy medical check may be required based on age and sum insured; 50% of standard medical test charges is reimbursed if conducted at an empanelled diagnostic centre, subject to acceptance of the proposal and policy issuance

VS

Golden Shield

Information Unavailable

Pre-Hospitalisation

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not applicable

VS

Golden Shield

60 days before hospitalisation, subject to policy terms and the accepted inpatient claim.

Post-Hospitalisation

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not applicable

VS

Golden Shield

Up to 7% of hospitalisation expenses, subject to a maximum of ₹5,000 for ₹3–5 lakh sum insured, ₹7,000 for ₹10–15 lakh, and ₹10,000 for ₹20–50 lakh.

Outpatient Department Cover (OPD Expense)

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not applicable

VS

Golden Shield

Not included as a general standard reimbursement benefit. Outpatient consultations may be available through the optional Care Management Plus Program.

Deductible Option

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not applicable

VS

Golden Shield

Optional voluntary deductible of 20% of the annual sum insured, applied on an aggregate basis during the policy year.

Coverage Options

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not specified — cover is written per insured person; no individual/floater structure is stated

VS

Golden Shield

Individual or family floater; optional Claim Protector, reduced co-payment, voluntary deductible and Care Management Plus Program.

Claim Settlement Ratio

Critical Illness Silver Plan

97% approximately

VS

Golden Shield

FY 24-25: ~84%

Maternity Cover

Critical Illness Silver Plan

Not covered.

VS

Golden Shield

Not covered under this senior-citizen-focused plan.

Insurance Plans Comparison

Still Confused? Get Expert Advice

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Why Choose Our Expert Consultation?

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Talk to experienced advisors at no cost, and make confident decisions

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24/7 Claim Assistance

Get a dedicated expert managing your claim end-to-end, from hospital admission to approval, including dispute resolution and support

What Our Experts Help You With

Personalised Recommendations

  • Every suggestion is backed by expert analysis of your life stage, goals, and budget

Expert-Led Policy Review

  • We decode the fine print—identifying risks, sub-limits, and gaps you may have missed. No surprises later

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  • From digital onboarding to real-time claim tracking, our platform makes insurance easy, accessible, and stress-free

Insurance Plans Comparison

Explore Insurance Category

Senior Citizen Health Plan

Senior Citizen Health Plan

  • Secure against age-related medical costs

  • Tailored for seniors healthcare needs

Most Popular

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

Insurance Plans Comparison

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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