What Happens to Your Health Insurance Claim After Porting Your Policy

Switching insurers is a common step for policyholders seeking better benefits, lower premiums, or improved service. However, many people hesitate to change providers because they are unsure how their health insurance claims will be handled after porting. The good news is that India’s health insurance regulations protect policyholders during this transition, ensuring that your coverage — and claim eligibility — remains intact even after moving to a new insurer. Whether you have a family plan or individual health insurance, understanding what happens after porting helps you make confident and informed decisions.

What does porting a health insurance policy mean?

Porting means transferring your existing health insurance plan from one insurer to another without losing continuity benefits. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) introduced portability rights to ensure consumers are not penalised for switching insurers. This allows you to retain your accumulated benefits such as waiting periods for pre-existing conditions and no-claim bonuses.

When you port your policy, your new insurer evaluates your past records, coverage history, and claim experience before issuing a policy with similar or better features.

Continuity of benefits after porting

One of the biggest advantages of portability is that your previously completed waiting periods remain valid. For example, if your earlier individual health insurance plan had a four-year waiting period for pre-existing diseases and you had completed two years before porting, your new insurer will credit those two years. You would only need to serve the remaining two years under the new policy.

This ensures that switching insurers does not reset your policy’s benefits or start the waiting period all over again. However, this benefit applies only if there is no gap between policy expiry and renewal.

How claim history affects portability

Your claim history plays a major role when porting to a new health insurance provider. If you’ve made multiple claims or large-value claims in recent years, your new insurer may review your proposal more closely. They might ask for additional medical tests or revise premiums slightly to account for risk.

That said, insurers cannot deny portability arbitrarily. As long as your application is submitted before renewal (usually 45–60 days in advance) and your medical condition is disclosed honestly, your coverage and claim rights will continue seamlessly.

Claim process after porting

Once your policy is successfully ported, you can raise claims just like before — either cashless or through reimbursement. Here’s how it typically works:

1. Cashless claim: Visit a hospital within your new insurer’s network and provide your updated policy details. The insurer coordinates directly with the hospital for pre-authorisation and payment.
2. Reimbursement claim: If you’re treated at a non-network hospital, submit bills and discharge summaries to your new insurer, who will process the claim as per the policy terms.

Your claim will be settled based on the new insurer’s coverage terms, but continuity benefits from your previous plan remain protected.

How no-claim bonuses are treated

If your old policy had a no-claim bonus (NCB), it usually gets transferred to your new policy as well. For example, if your individual health insurance plan offered an additional Rs. 1 lakh coverage as NCB, your new insurer must honour that benefit while porting. However, the structure may vary — some insurers convert it into a percentage increase in the sum insured, while others maintain a flat addition.

Always confirm with your new insurer how the NCB will be carried forward to avoid confusion during claims.

Key precautions when porting your policy

• Apply early: Initiate the portability process at least 45 days before renewal to allow time for approval.
• Avoid coverage gaps: Ensure your old policy doesn’t lapse before the new one becomes active.
• Provide accurate disclosures: Mention all existing conditions and previous claims truthfully to prevent claim rejection later.
• Compare networks: Check the hospital list of your new health insurance provider to ensure access to quality facilities.
• Review benefits: Port to a plan that offers equal or improved features such as higher sum insured, wellness benefits, or broader coverage.

Real-world example

Consider a policyholder who had an individual health insurance plan for three years with Rs. 10 lakh coverage. After porting to another insurer for better features, they required hospitalisation six months later. Since the new insurer recognised the prior policy period, the claim was approved without restarting the waiting period. The continuity ensured uninterrupted coverage and financial support.

The role of insurers like Bajaj Health Insurance

Leading insurers such as Bajaj Health Insurance make portability smoother by offering digital support, quick policy issuance, and transparent claim tracking. Policyholders can transfer their existing plans to Bajaj without losing accumulated benefits. The insurer’s vast hospital network and high claim settlement ratio ensure that customers experience uninterrupted healthcare access and timely claim approvals after porting.

Conclusion

Porting your health insurance policy doesn’t mean losing your coverage or claim rights — it gives you the flexibility to switch to better plans without sacrificing benefits. All your waiting periods, no-claim bonuses, and continuity benefits remain secure, provided there’s no lapse in renewal.

Whether you’re upgrading to a broader family plan or improving your individual health insurance, portability ensures that your protection continues seamlessly. With trusted insurers like Bajaj Health Insurance offering simple transfer processes and reliable claim support, policyholders can switch with confidence, knowing their health coverage stays uninterrupted and dependable.

(Disclaimer: Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)