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HDFC ERGO EquiCover vs Niva Bupa Health Companion Variant 1

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

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HDFC ERGO

EquiCover

Get inpatient hospitalisation for a certified disability or for people living with HIV/AIDS, excluding anti-retroviral treatment, plus AYUSH care up to the sum insured and a 20% co-pay on every claim.

What Makes It Special:

EquiCover is an indemnity health insurance product specifically filed for applicants who are routinely declined or heavily loaded on standard plans: persons certified with not less than 40% of a specified disability under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 or the Mental Healthcare Act 2017, and individuals with...

Best For:

  • Families covering a dependent child with a certified disability, since children can be enrolled on an individual policy of their own

  • Buyers who want a first layer of hospitalisation cover and are willing to pay extra to remove the standard 20% co-payment

  • Applicants with one of the 21 listed disabilities — including blindness, locomotor disability, thalassemia, haemophilia, sickle cell disease, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, mental illness and Parkinson's disease

  • Individuals living with HIV/AIDS seeking in-patient hospitalisation cover for medical conditions generally

  • Persons holding a disability certificate for not less than 40% of a specified disability from a government-appointed medical board, who cannot obtain standard health cover

VS
Niva Bupa

Health Companion Variant 1

Add 20% of the base sum insured each claim-free year up to 100%, refill the base sum insured once for a different illness, and get animal-bite vaccination up to ₹2,500 with a check-up once every 2 years.

What Makes It Special:

Health Companion Variant 1 is a Niva Bupa floater covering hospitalisation, day care, AYUSH and domiciliary treatment, with a refill benefit and no-claim bonus. Variant-specific terms are not separated in the prospectus.

Best For:

  • Buyers who do not need maternity or OPD cover

  • Buyers who need hospitalisation, day care and AYUSH cover

  • Buyers who want optional daily hospital cash

  • Buyers who want a no-claim bonus that builds to 100%

  • Families who want a floater with a refill benefit

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

  • If you are being covered for HIV/AIDS, note that antiretroviral treatment costs are excluded, so budget for that medication separately.

  • A disability certificate from a government-appointed medical board is a condition precedent to the disability cover, so obtain and keep it before applying.

  • The sum insured is limited to ₹4 lakh or ₹5 lakh, so treat this as a base layer and consider whether a separate top-up or group cover is available to you for larger claims.

  • Room rent is capped at 1% of sum insured per day and ICU at 2%, which on a ₹5 lakh cover is ₹5,000 and ₹10,000 a day, so check those limits against room rates at the hospitals you would use.

  • Price the optional co-payment waiver before buying, because without it you bear 20% of every admissible claim — ₹1 lakh on a ₹5 lakh claim at the maximum sum insured.

  • Buyers who do not need maternity or OPD cover

  • Hospital cash requires at least 48 hours in hospital.

  • Maternity is not covered, so plan separately if needed.

  • The refill applies only once a policy year.

  • The 36-month PED wait applies, so buy early if you have an existing condition.

Insurance Plans Comparison

Detailed Features Comparison

Compare the key features of different health insurance plans

EquiCover
EquiCover

Health Insurance Plan

VS
Health Companion Variant 1
Health Companion Variant 1

Health Insurance Plan

Brochure

Room Rent

EquiCover

Normal: Up to 1% of Sum Insured per day

ICU: Up to 2% of Sum Insured per day

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

  1. Room Rent Limit: No limit on room category, allowing flexibility in choosing any hospital room.
  2. ICU Limit: No capping on ICU charges, ensuring full coverage for intensive care treatments as per the sum insured.
ICU Charges

EquiCover

Up to 2% of Sum Insured per day

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Covered up to the sum insured as part of in-patient care

Advanced Treatments

EquiCover

Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE)

HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound)

Balloon Sinuplasty

Deep Brain Stimulation

Oral Chemotherapy

Immunotherapy (Monoclonal Antibody Injection)

Intra Vitreal Injections

Robotic Surgeries

Stereotactic Radio Surgeries

Bronchial Thermoplasty

Vaporisation of Prostate

IONM (Intra Operative Neuro Monitoring)

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Therapy for Bone Marrow Transplant

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

  1. Robotic and CyberKnife Surgery.
  2. Bariatric Surgery.
  3. Modern Cancer Treatments
  4. Organ Transplant Coverage
Co-payment

EquiCover

20% Co-payment on every admissible claim

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Niva Bupa Health Companion Variant 1 does not have a mandatory co-payment for policyholders below 65 years. However, for individuals aged 65 and above, a 20% co-payment applies to all claims.

Disease-wise sublimits

EquiCover

Yes — cataract treatment limited to ₹40,000 per eye per policy year; modern treatment capped at 50% of Sum Insured; emergency ground ambulance limited to ₹2,000 per hospitalisation

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

No disease sublimit schedule in the prospectus

Waiting Period

EquiCover

Initial Waiting Period: 30 Days

Pre-existing Disease Waiting Period:

  1. 24 Months for pre-existing disability
  2. 36 Months for other pre-existing conditions

Specific Disease/Procedure Waiting Period: 24 Months

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Information Unavailable

Cashless Healthcare Providers

EquiCover

Cashless treatment available through network providers

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

10,000+ network hospitals.

Restoration Benefit

EquiCover

Not specified — no restoration, recharge or reinstatement of sum insured is provided in the policy document

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Information Unavailable

Daycare Treatment

EquiCover

Covered

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Covered under the policy. 

Cumulative Bonus

EquiCover

Not specified — no cumulative bonus or no-claim increase in sum insured is provided in the policy document

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

20% of the expiring base sum insured per claim-free year, up to 100%

Consumable Cover

EquiCover

Not specified

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Prescribed medicines and consumables during treatment are covered. Annexure II items are not.

AYUSH Treatment

EquiCover

Covered up to 100% of Sum Insured

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Covered under this policy

Initial Waiting Period

EquiCover

30 days for all claims except those resulting from an accident; not applicable after twelve months of continuous coverage

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

30 days, except accidents

Specific Waiting Period

EquiCover

24 months for listed conditions and surgical procedures; not applicable to accident claims

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

24 months for listed conditions

PED Waiting Period

EquiCover

24 months for the covered pre-existing disability; 36 months for other pre-existing conditions, excluding the covered disability and HIV/AIDS

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

36 months

Modern Treatment

EquiCover

Listed procedures covered up to 50% of Sum Insured, as in-patient or day care treatment

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Covered up to the sum insured

Annual Health Checkup

EquiCover

Not specified. A pre-policy check-up may be required based on age and sum insured, with 100% of the expense reimbursed on acceptance of the proposal

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Annual from day one, for defined tests. Up to ₹500 per ₹1 lakh of base sum insured. Cashless only.

Pre-Hospitalisation

EquiCover

Information Unavailable

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

60 days before admission

Post-Hospitalisation

EquiCover

60 days from the date of discharge; claimable on a reimbursement basis only

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

180 days after discharge

Outpatient Department Cover (OPD Expense)

EquiCover

Not specified

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Not covered

Deductible Option

EquiCover

Not specified

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Annual aggregate deductible from ₹10,000 to ₹10 lakh

Coverage Options

EquiCover

Information Unavailable

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Individual or floater, with optional hospital cash, personal accident and deductible

Claim Settlement Ratio

EquiCover

97.45%

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Claim Settlement Ratio (CSR) of 93.3% as a three-year IRDAI weighted average, and 95.6% in recent quarterly company disclosures (Q1 FY 2026-27).

Maternity Cover

EquiCover

Information Unavailable

VS

Health Companion Variant 1

Not covered

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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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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

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Explore Insurance Category

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Senior Citizen Health Plan

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  • 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

Insurance Plans Comparison

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Equicover Vs Health Companion Variant 1

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