Waiting Period in Health Insurance: Meaning, Types & Plans with Low or Zero Waiting Period in India (2025)

 Health insurance customers ask for sum insured, coverage, network hospitals, room rent limit, etc while purchasing a policy, but often overlook the concept of waiting period in health insurance. 

Go through this real incident: 

One of our agent approached me that his friend has inquired to purchase a health insurance policy. The prospective buyer inquired about coverage, cashless hospitalization and other aspects of the policy. I asked him, did you inquire about the health of the person, whether he is having any PED or suffering from any other health issue. Our agent told that the prospective customer is suffering from health ailment and that doctors have advised him to get admitted into hospital within 2 to 3 weeks. 

That person wanted to purchase policy with an intention to make claim for already existing condition. Our agent, being a family friend to that person, explained that it is not possible to give coverage for such situation. Our agent being honest, informs that regularly he will get such inquiries from known people, even educated people, to purchase policy only when hospitalization is needed. 

What is Wrong with the above situation? 

Insurance is for covering unexpected risks. It is not meant for making planned claims. If such situations are covered, insurance pool will not sustain long term risk management and the entire ecosystem of insurance and risk management will collapse. That is why, we don't provide coverage for definite events of risk. 

Now, what is the reason behind Waiting Period?

In the above situation, if there is no waiting period, there is a chance that people buy health insurance policy for the sake of making intentional and planned claims, which will ruin the insurance concept itself. To avoid such claims, insurance companies incorporate "waiting period" in the policy so that coverage will not be provided in the first 30 days (or more period for specific diseases).

You are taking health insurance for your financial risk management, In the same way insurers incorporate 'waiting period' for their risk and fraud management.

Accidental Claims Have NO waiting Period:

Hospitalization arising out of accidents are covered from day 1 onwards, because they are unexpected events. There is no waiting period for such claims. 

Disease-Specific Waiting Period: 

Some health conditions like Cataract, Fistula don't need immediate treatment. Their treatment can be planned well in advance. That means, there is a chance that people might purchase health policy only for making planned claims. To avoid this, insurers incorporate disease-specific waiting list for a period of 1 year or 2 years or 4 years. Each insurer will have their own list but most the list will be more or less similar across insurers. 

For some diseases, there will be waiting period of 1 year and for some others, there will be waiting period of 2 years or 4 years. You need to read the policy copy entirely to know this list. 

Insurers impose this waiting period for preventing moral hazard from customers. 

Types of Waiting Periods in Health Insurance Policies

Type	Explanation
Initial Waiting Period	Typically 30 days after policy start (except accidents)
Pre-existing Disease Waiting Period	Usually 2–4 years
Specific Illness Waiting Period	For diseases like hernia, piles, etc.
Maternity Waiting Period	Usually 9 months to 4 years

 Above is the table showing typical waiting periods in health policies in India, whether family floaters or individual policies, these waiting periods are common. 

Why Waiting Periods Matter and What Do you Want to Know as Policy Buyer: 

If you are hospitalized during these waiting periods, i.e. within first 30 days of taking policy, your claim will not be entertained and hence you might have to bear the costs of hospital bills. 

Also, if you are suffering from any of the diseases mentioned in the specific-disease wise waiting period, then that claim will not be paid if it falls withing waiting period. 

First, while purchasing policy, ask about the waiting periods. Go through the list of diseases in the disease-specific waiting periods and understand their duration (whether 1 year or 2 year or 4 year).

List of Health Insurance Plans with Low or Zero Waiting Periods (2025)

Insurance Provider	Plan Name	Key Features	Pre-existing Waiting Period	Notable Points
Niva Bupa	ReAssure 2.0	₹10L–₹1Cr, OPD add-on, refill benefit	3 years (PED), 30 days (initial)	Fast claim settlement
Star Health	Red Carpet (for seniors)	Covers pre-existing after 1 year	1 year	Designed for 60+ age
Care Health Insurance	Care Freedom	Diabetes/Hypertension covered	2 years	PED inclusion
Aditya Birla	Activ Health Platinum	No room rent limits, wellness rewards	2 years	Day 1 coverage for wellness conditions
Digit Insurance	Digit Health Plus	Shorter waiting period on PED with extra premium	From 1 year	Online-friendly
Religare	Joy Maternity Plan	Low maternity waiting (9 months)	4 years	Ideal for newly married

Can You Get Zero Waiting Period Health Insurance in India?

Zero-waiting period policies are not usually not for PEDs, but sometimes for accidental coverage. Group health insurance policies often come with zero or 1-day waiting period. But you need to be in that group for getting that benefit. For instance, a group policy covering employees of particular company might be offering coverage with zero waiting period. You can be part of that group insurance policy only when you are employee of that company. Group policies often provide immediate health insurance coverage India.

Read here:  Corporate Vs Individual health insurance policies

Common Misconceptions About Waiting Periods

1. All insurance plans have the same waiting period 

NO. Each company will have different waiting periods across their policies. But mostly they will be similar. Still, you need to go through policy specific condition in the fine printing, to understand which diseases have which waiting period. 

2. Waiting Period during Porting 

Yes. Once waiting period is completed, you don’t have to wait again in case of porting. If you are looking to port to different insurer, you need not go through again i.e. no need to wait again, the duration which you have already completed in the previous insurer. In fact, need for best health insurance policies without waiting period, is one of the most common reasons for porting.

How to Reduce Waiting Periods?

Insurers impose waiting periods to prevent adverse selection by customers. So, don't do adverse selection. Don't purchase policy with an intention of making planned claims. 

Read here to know what to do when your health claim is rejected.

• Take policy when you are young.
• Select plans that have low waiting periods for specific diseases.
• In case you are switching insurers, make sure to port so that you will get waiting period benefits. First inception of policy date should be incorporated while porting. Select low waiting period health insurance plans India for better coverage. 

Choose a plan with minimal waiting period and know about these waiting periods so that you don't have to face surprises during medical emergencies.