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Insurance Plans Comparison

Star Special Care Gold 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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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
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

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Quick Decision Guide

Star Special Care Gold

  • 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.

Niva Bupa Health Companion Variant 3

  • 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

Special Care Gold
Special Care Gold

Health Insurance Plan

Brochure

Policy Wording

VS
Health Companion Variant 3
Health Companion Variant 3

Health Insurance Plan

Brochure

Room Rent

Special Care Gold

Up to 1% of Sum Insured per day

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

Special Care Gold

Up to 2% of Sum Insured per day

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

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

Disease-wise sublimits

Special Care Gold

Specified treatment limits apply


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

Co-payment

Special Care Gold

20% on all claims; waiver available for additional premium


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

Restoration Benefit

Special Care Gold

Not specified

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)

Cashless Healthcare Providers

Special Care Gold

Cashless treatment available at network hospitals


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)

Cumulative Bonus

Special Care Gold

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

Special Care Gold

All daycare procedures covered

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

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

Consumable Cover

Special Care Gold

Not specified

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

Special Care Gold

Covered up to 100% of Sum Insured

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

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

Initial Waiting Period

Special Care Gold

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


VS

Health Companion Variant 3

30 Days (not applicable to accidents)

Specific Waiting Period

Special Care Gold

24 Months

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

Special Care Gold

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


VS

Health Companion Variant 3

36 Months

Modern Treatment

Special Care Gold

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

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

Special Care Gold

Not specified


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

Special Care Gold

Up to 30 Days

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

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

Post-Hospitalisation

Special Care Gold

Up to 60 Days

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

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

Outpatient Department Cover (OPD Expense)

Special Care Gold

Not a standard OPD benefit


VS

Health Companion Variant 3

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

Deductible Option

Special Care Gold

Not specified

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

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

Coverage Options

Special Care Gold

₹4 Lakh and ₹5 Lakh, individual basis


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

Special Care Gold

Not specified


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

Special Care Gold

Not specified as a standard maternity benefit

VS

Health Companion Variant 3

Not covered (Maternity excluded, Code Excl18)

Insurance Plans Comparison

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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

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  • 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

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Family Health Plan

  • One policy covers the entire family

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  • Covers delivery, newborn care, and maternity expenses

  • Reduces financial stress of childbirth costs

Insurance Plans Comparison

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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