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Insurance Plans Comparison

HDFC ERGO Critical Illness Platinum Plan vs Niva Bupa Health Companion Variant 3

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 Platinum Plan

Lump-sum payout on first diagnosis of any of 15 critical illnesses

What Makes It Special:

The Platinum Plan pays the sum insured as a single lump sum on first diagnosis of any one of 15 listed critical illnesses after the chosen survival period of 15 or 30 days, and because the money is paid as a benefit rather than against hospital bills it can be...

Best For:

  • Buyers who prefer a benefit paid on diagnosis rather than one requiring hospital bills and cashless authorisation

  • Younger applicants looking to lock in cover early, since entry is permitted from 5 years of age

  • Buyers who want a wider critical illness list than a basic plan, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, benign brain tumour and end-stage liver failure

  • Sole earners whose household would face a sustained income gap if they were diagnosed with cancer, a heart condition or a neurological illness

  • Buyers who already hold a hospitalisation policy and want a separate lump sum to cover income loss and non-medical costs during a serious illness

VS
Niva Bupa

Health Companion Variant 3

High-cover family health insurance from ₹15 Lakh to ₹1 Crore with any room (except suite), 20% No Claim Bonus and a yearly refill.

What Makes It Special:

A high Sum Insured version of Health Companion (₹15 Lakh to ₹1 Crore) with near-any-room eligibility, a 100% refill and the highest animal-bite vaccination and Hospital Cash limits among Variants 1 to 3.

Best For:

  • Existing Health Companion customers renewing on the Variant 3 structure

  • People wanting an optional deductible to reduce premium

  • Buyers who want a No Claim Bonus of 20% per claim-free year

  • People who want to choose almost any hospital room

  • Families wanting a high Sum Insured of ₹15 Lakh or more

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 over a treatment period, not against hospital bills, since the payout is a fixed benefit rather than a reimbursement.

  • Pre-existing conditions carry a 48-month waiting period, so if you have a declared condition, factor that delay into whether the cover meets your need.

  • Choose the survival period deliberately: the quoted premiums are based on 30 days, and the 15-day option changes the price.

  • The benefit is paid once, so treat this as a supplement to a hospitalisation policy rather than a replacement for one.

  • This plan pays only on first diagnosis of one of the 15 listed conditions as defined in the policy, so read those definitions — including the severity thresholds on heart attack, cancer and stroke — before assuming a diagnosis will qualify.

  • Things to Consider: Non-payable consumables in Annexure I are not covered, and no consumables add-on is listed for this variant.

  • Things to Consider: Maternity and OPD consultations are not covered.

  • Things to Consider: Refill cannot be used for the same illness in the same year.

  • Things to Consider: Pre-existing diseases are covered only after 36 months.

  • Things to Consider: Pre and post hospitalisation is limited to 30 and 60 days.

  • Reasons to Consider: Annual health check-up from the second year and animal-bite vaccination up to ₹7,500.

  • Reasons to Consider: 100% refill of Base Sum Insured once a year for a different illness.

  • Reasons to Consider: 20% No Claim Bonus per claim-free year, up to 100% of Base Sum Insured.

  • Reasons to Consider: Any room covered up to Sum Insured, except Suite or above.

  • Reasons to Consider: High Sum Insured options from ₹15 Lakh to ₹1 Crore.

Insurance Plans Comparison

Detailed Features Comparison

Compare the key features of different health insurance plans

Critical Illness Platinum Plan
Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Health Insurance Plan

VS
Health Companion Variant 3
Health Companion Variant 3

Health Insurance Plan

Brochure

Room Rent

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not applicable.

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

Covered up to Sum Insured, any room except Suite or above; proportionate deduction if a higher category is used

ICU Charges

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not applicable — hospitalisation expenses are not indemnified under this policy

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

Covered up to Sum Insured as part of In-patient Care

Co-payment

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not specified.

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

No co-payment in base plan; 20% co-payment applies only under the legacy "Treatment only in Tiered Network" option (renewal customers who already chose it) for reimbursement treatment in 9 metro cities

Disease-wise sublimits

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not applicable.

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

No disease-wise sublimits stated; benefit limits apply to road ambulance (₹3,000), animal-bite vaccination (₹7,500) and Hospital Cash

Cashless Healthcare Providers

Critical Illness Platinum 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

Health Companion Variant 3

Cashless at Niva Bupa network hospitals (10,000+ per Niva Bupa Annual Report FY 2024-25; Requires verification for current count)

Restoration Benefit

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not applicable.

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

Refill up to 100% of Base Sum Insured, once per policy year, for subsequent claims of a different illness only (after Base SI and NCB are exhausted)

Cumulative Bonus

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not specified

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

No Claim Bonus of 20% of expiring Base Sum Insured per claim-free year, up to 100%; NCB is not increased in a year following a claim

Daycare Treatment

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not applicable.

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

Day care treatments (less than 24 hours) covered up to Sum Insured, incl. chemotherapy, radiotherapy and dialysis

Consumable Cover

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not applicable — no itemised hospitalisation expenses are reimbursed

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

Consumables directly part of treatment (IV fluids, injection administration, medicines) covered under In-patient Care; non-payable items in Annexure I List I not covered; no consumables add-on stated for Variant 3

AYUSH Treatment

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not applicable.

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

In-patient Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy in an AYUSH Hospital covered up to Sum Insured

Initial Waiting Period

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

90 days for all claims

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

30 Days (not applicable to accidents)

Specific Waiting Period

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not specified.

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

24 Months for listed conditions (incl. cataract, hernia, joint disorders, chronic kidney disease, internal congenital anomaly); not applicable to accidents; cancer covered after 30 days

PED Waiting Period

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

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

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

36 Months

Modern Treatment

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

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

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

Covered up to Sum Insured (12 listed treatments incl. robotic surgery, oral chemotherapy, deep brain stimulation, stem cell therapy for haematological conditions)

Annual Health Checkup

Critical Illness Platinum 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

Health Companion Variant 3

Annual, from 2nd policy year (on renewal), for insured aged 18+; cashless at empanelled providers; defined test list (CBC, urine, ESR, HbA1c, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, urea, KFT)

Pre-Hospitalisation

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not applicable.

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

Up to 30 Days, covered up to Sum Insured (reimbursement basis)

Post-Hospitalisation

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not applicable.

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

Up to 60 Days, covered up to Sum Insured (reimbursement basis)

Outpatient Department Cover (OPD Expense)

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not applicable.

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

Not covered; only OPD vaccination after an animal bite, up to ₹7,500

Deductible Option

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not applicable.

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

Optional Annual Aggregate Deductible of ₹1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 10 Lakh

Coverage Options

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Cover is written per insured person. No individual/floater structure is stated.

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

Base Sum Insured ₹15 Lakh, 20 Lakh, 30 Lakh, 50 Lakh, 1 Crore; Individual or Family Floater

Claim Settlement Ratio

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Approximately 97%

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

96.7% of claims settled (by number) for Health Companion in FY 2025-26 (all Health Companion UINs reported together). Source: Niva Bupa Public Disclosures FY2025-26 (Form NL-47), https://transactions.nivabupa.com/pages/doc/pub-dis/quarterly-reports/Website-Public-Disclosures-Mar-2026.pdf. Company-level: 94.4% (Niva Bupa Annual Report FY 2025-26)

Maternity Cover

Critical Illness Platinum Plan

Not covered.

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

Not covered (Maternity excluded, Code Excl18)

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

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

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Critical Illness Platinum Plan Vs Health Companion Variant 3

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