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Insurance Plans Comparison

ICICI Lombard Golden Shield vs Niva Bupa HeartBeat Platinum

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

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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.

VS
Niva Bupa

HeartBeat Platinum

Niva Bupa Heartbeat Platinum Plan Health cover from ₹15 lakh to ₹1 crore with OPD benefits, maternity cover, international emergency protection and up to 100% Loyalty Additions.

What Makes It Special:

Premium family health insurance with OPD benefits, international emergency coverage, maternity and newborn benefits, annual health check-ups, a 24-month pre-existing disease waiting period and Loyalty Additions of up to 100%.

Best For:

  • Customers who value additional benefits beyond hospitalisation: Platinum includes annual health check-ups, second medical opinions for specified conditions or procedures, Loyalty Additions and a Re-fill benefit.

  • People who want international emergency protection: The plan includes specified international emergency benefits, with an optional enhanced geographical scope for the USA and Canada.

  • Couples planning to have children: Eligible policy structures include maternity benefits, newborn cover and first-year vaccinations, subject to waiting periods and limits.

  • People who use outpatient healthcare regularly: The plan includes OPD treatment, diagnostic tests and prescribed medicines within the applicable annual limit.

  • Families seeking higher health cover: Platinum offers Individual/Family Floater Sum Insured options from ₹15 lakh to ₹1 crore, helping families plan for potentially expensive hospitalisation.

Insurance Plans Comparison

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Quick Decision Guide

  • 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.

  • Compare optional costs and policy limits: Evaluate deductibles, voluntary co-payment, room eligibility, disease sublimits and the Re-fill conditions. A lower premium may mean paying more out of pocket when making a claim.

  • Choose your geographical coverage carefully: Review Zone 1 and Zone 2 pricing and understand where the 20% co-payment applies. If international protection matters, check the optional USA and Canada geographical enhancement and its exclusions.

  • Read the maternity and newborn conditions: Check the applicable waiting period, maternity limit, eligible policy structure and newborn benefits before choosing the plan.

  • Calculate your likely OPD expenses: Compare the annual OPD limit with your expected spending on consultations, diagnostics and prescribed medicines. Review the carry-forward conditions and eligible expenses in the policy wording.

  • Select the right Sum Insured: Compare ₹15 lakh, ₹20 lakh, ₹50 lakh and ₹1 crore options against your family's medical needs, location and budget. Family First Platinum uses a different per-person and floater structure.

Insurance Plans Comparison

Detailed Features Comparison

Compare the key features of different health insurance plans

Golden Shield
Golden Shield

Health Insurance Plan

Brochure

VS
HeartBeat Platinum
HeartBeat Platinum

Health Insurance Plan

Brochure

Room Rent

Golden Shield

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

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Covered up to Sum Insured for eligible room categories, excluding Suite or higher categories.

Advanced Treatments

Golden Shield

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

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Information Unavailable

ICU Charges

Golden Shield

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

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Covered up to Sum Insured as part of inpatient care, subject to policy terms.

Co-payment

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.

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

No mandatory co-payment with Zone 1 pricing, which offers all-India coverage. Under Zone 2 pricing, a 20% co-payment applies to treatment in Mumbai, including Navi Mumbai and Thane, Delhi NCR, Kolkata and Gujarat. Optional voluntary co-payment of 10% or 20% is available for a premium discount.

Disease-wise sublimits

Golden Shield

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

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

HIV/AIDS: up to ₹50,000 after a 4-year waiting period. Mental disorder treatment: covered up to SI, with a ₹50,000 sublimit for specified conditions after a 3-year waiting period. Maternity limits apply as listed above. Non-network emergency ambulance: up to ₹2,000 per event; network ambulance: up to SI.

Cashless Healthcare Providers

Golden Shield

10,896+ hospitals across India.

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Cashless treatment is available at Niva Bupa network hospitals. The HeartBeat brochure refers to 10,000+ hospitals, an approximate network figure. Niva Bupa also advertises a 30-minute cashless pre-authorisation commitment, subject to the applicable process and required documents.

Restoration Benefit

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.

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Re-fill Benefit: once per policy year, up to 100% of Base SI when Base SI and Loyalty Additions are partly or fully used. It can be used for subsequent claims for the same or a different illness, subject to policy conditions. The benefit is not available under Family First.

Daycare Treatment

Golden Shield

Covered under the policy. 

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

All eligible day-care treatments are covered up to Sum Insured, subject to policy terms.

Cumulative Bonus

Golden Shield

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

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Loyalty Additions increase the expiring Base Sum Insured by 10% at each renewal, up to a maximum of 100% of Base SI, irrespective of claims. The increase does not raise benefit sublimits

AYUSH Treatment

Golden Shield

Covered under this policy

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Covers eligible inpatient treatment under Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy up to Sum Insured, subject to policy terms.

Consumable Cover

Golden Shield

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

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Allowable consumables during hospitalisation are covered. Items included in the applicable non-payable list are excluded.

Initial Waiting Period

Golden Shield

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

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

30 days for illnesses. Accidents are covered from day one. The initial waiting period is waived for insured persons with 12 or more months of continuous coverage, subject to policy terms.

Specific Waiting Period

Golden Shield

24 months for listed diseases and procedures.

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

24 months for listed conditions such as cataract, hernia, joint replacement, piles and stones. This applies only to insured persons above 45 years at first policy inception. No specific waiting period applies to those aged 45 or below at entry.

PED Waiting Period

Golden Shield

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

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

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

Modern Treatment

Golden Shield

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

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Covers 12 listed modern treatments, including robotic surgery, oral chemotherapy, immunotherapy and stem cell therapy, up to Sum Insured. A ₹1 lakh sublimit applies to certain robotic surgeries.

Annual Health Checkup

Golden Shield

Information Unavailable

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Annual health check-ups from the second policy year, on a cashless basis through empanelled providers. Test value: ₹3,750 for ₹15 lakh SI and ₹5,000 for ₹20 lakh, ₹50 lakh and ₹1 crore SI. Family First Platinum provides ₹5,000 per insured person.

Pre-Hospitalisation

Golden Shield

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

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Covered for 60 days, up to Sum Insured.

Post-Hospitalisation

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.

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Covered for 90 days, up to Sum Insured.

Outpatient Department Cover (OPD Expense)

Golden Shield

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

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Covers eligible outpatient treatment, diagnostic tests and prescribed medicines. Limits: ₹15,000 for ₹15 lakh SI; ₹20,000 for ₹20 lakh SI; ₹35,000 for ₹50 lakh SI; ₹50,000 for ₹1 crore SI. Family First Platinum: ₹35,000. Subject to policy terms.

Deductible Option

Golden Shield

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

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Optional annual aggregate deductible options are available for eligible Individual/Family Floater policies: ₹10,000, ₹20,000, ₹30,000, ₹50,000, ₹1 lakh, ₹2 lakh, ₹3 lakh, ₹4 lakh, ₹5 lakh or ₹10 lakh.

Coverage Options

Golden Shield

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

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Individual/Family Floater Platinum offers Base SI of ₹15 lakh, ₹20 lakh, ₹50 lakh and ₹1 crore. Family First Platinum has a separate per-person and floater Sum Insured structure. Policy terms of 1 or 2 years are available, subject to the applicable option.

Claim Settlement Ratio

Golden Shield

FY 24-25: ~84%

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

96.0% of HeartBeat claims settled by number in FY 2025-26, according to the insurer's product-level public disclosure. Company-level figure reported in the annual report: 94.4%.

Maternity Cover

Golden Shield

Not covered under this senior-citizen-focused plan.

VS

HeartBeat Platinum

Covers up to two pregnancies or terminations under eligible policy structures after the applicable waiting period. Individual/Family Floater Platinum limits: ₹1.2 lakh for ₹15 lakh SI; ₹1.6 lakh for ₹20 lakh SI; ₹2 lakh for ₹50 lakh and ₹1 crore SI. Newborn cover and first-year vaccinations are included subject to policy conditions.

Insurance Plans Comparison

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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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