You Can Switch Your Health Insurer and Keep Every Year of Waiting Period Credit. IRDAI Mandates It. Most People Do Not Know This.
If your insurer raised premiums 40% this year, or rejected your claim without valid reason, or their claim settlement ratio by amount is 20 percentage points lower than by number — you are not stuck.
IRDAI mandates health insurance portability. Free of cost. With full carry-forward of:
- Pre-existing disease waiting period credit
- No-claim bonus (converted to sum insured)
- Moratorium period accumulation (the 5-year non-disclosure protection)
And yet, most policyholders either don’t know this exists or believe porting means starting from scratch. It doesn’t.
The Portability Process: Step by Step
Timeline Overview
| Step | Who Does It | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Apply to new insurer | You | 45-60 days before renewal |
| New insurer requests data from old insurer | New insurer | Within 3 days of your application |
| Old insurer transfers data | Old insurer | Within 7 days of request |
| New insurer underwrites and decides | New insurer | Within 15 days of receiving data |
| New policy starts | Automatic | From old policy’s renewal date |
Total process: 22-30 days. If you miss the 45-day window, you cannot port until the next annual renewal.
Step 1: Choose Your New Insurer
Before applying, evaluate the new insurer on:
- Claim settlement ratio by amount, not just by number
- Complaints per 10,000 claims
- Network hospitals in your city
- Room rent sub-limits (ideally no sub-limit)
- PED waiting period (shorter is better for the incremental amount)
- OPD coverage options (bundled OPD vs rider — can save Rs 3,000–8,000/year)
- Premium for your age bracket
Step 2: Apply to the New Insurer
Approach the new insurer 45-60 days before your current policy’s renewal date. Fill out:
- The new insurer’s proposal form (disclose complete medical history — the new insurer will get your data anyway)
- The portability application form
Critical: Apply to the new insurer, not the old one. The old insurer has no role in initiating portability — they only respond to the new insurer’s data request.
Step 3: Data Transfer
The new insurer sends a data request to your old insurer. The old insurer must transfer within 7 days:
- Complete policy history
- Claims data (all claims filed, settled, and rejected)
- Underwriting data (medical history disclosed at purchase)
- Waiting period status for all conditions
- No-claim bonus accumulated
Where it fails: IRDAI issued show-cause notices to 8 major insurers in 2025 specifically for delays in portability data transfer. If your old insurer delays beyond 7 days, file on Bima Bharosa — this is a regulatory violation.
Step 4: Underwriting by New Insurer
The new insurer reviews your data and decides within 15 days:
| Decision | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Accepted | New policy issued from your renewal date. No coverage gap. |
| Accepted with loading | Premium is higher than standard rate due to health conditions or claims history. You can accept or reject. |
| Accepted with exclusions | Specific conditions excluded. Compare with what your old policy covered before accepting. |
| Rejected | Your old policy continues. Renew normally. No coverage gap. |
Step 5: Policy Activation
If accepted, the new policy starts from the exact date your old policy was due for renewal. There is no gap in coverage. Your old policy expires, and the new one begins seamlessly.
What Carries Forward — And What Doesn’t
Carries Forward
| Benefit | How It Transfers |
|---|---|
| PED waiting period credit | Year-for-year credit. 3 years served = 3 years credited with new insurer. |
| Initial 30-day waiting period | Fully carried forward — no fresh 30-day wait. |
| Specific disease waiting periods (cataract, hernia, etc.) | Credit for years served. If new insurer’s wait is shorter, condition is covered immediately. |
| 5-year moratorium accumulation | Continuous coverage years carry forward across insurers. |
| No-claim bonus | Converted to equivalent sum insured increase (not percentage). |
Does NOT Carry Forward
| Item | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Cumulative bonus beyond NCB | Some insurers have loyalty bonuses beyond standard NCB. These are insurer-specific and do not transfer. |
| Rider benefits | Critical illness riders, hospital cash riders, etc. must be purchased fresh with the new insurer. |
| Room rent upgrade add-ons | Add-on covers are insurer-specific. You need to buy them again. |
| Deductible waiver benefits | If your old super top-up had a deductible waiver (e.g., ICICI Lombard’s 5-year waiver), this does not transfer. |
The NCB Conversion Rule That Catches Everyone Off Guard
Your old policy: Rs 5 lakh sum insured, 50% no-claim bonus = Rs 7.5 lakh effective coverage.
When you port, IRDAI says the new insurer must offer you at least Rs 7.5 lakh effective coverage. But the new insurer’s NCB structure may differ.
Example Scenarios
| Scenario | Old Policy | New Policy | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higher base SI | Rs 5L + 50% NCB = Rs 7.5L | Rs 7.5L base, 0% NCB | Same coverage, but NCB restarts from zero |
| Matched structure | Rs 5L + 50% NCB = Rs 7.5L | Rs 5L + 50% NCB = Rs 7.5L | Identical transfer |
| Lower NCB structure | Rs 5L + 50% NCB = Rs 7.5L | Rs 6L + 25% NCB = Rs 7.5L | Higher base, lower NCB percentage |
Get the new policy terms in writing before confirming the port. Some insurers offer the equivalent coverage at port time but reset NCB to zero — meaning your coverage is the same today but will grow slower in future claim-free years.
When Portability Makes Sense: The Decision Framework
Port When
1. Premium hike exceeds 20% without benefit increase
If your insurer raised your premium by 30-50% at renewal with no corresponding increase in sum insured, coverage, or benefits — that is the insurer repricing your risk. You can likely find better value elsewhere.
For policyholders above 60: IRDAI caps annual premium increases at 10%. If your insurer tries to exceed this without IRDAI approval, that itself is grounds for complaint.
2. Claim experience was poor
If your insurer rejected a legitimate claim, delayed settlement beyond IRDAI timelines, or applied excessive deductions — and this matches the insurer’s public complaint data — porting is justified.
Check the insurer’s complaints per 10,000 claims. If it is above 30, your bad experience was likely not an outlier.
3. Network hospitals are dropping your insurer
If major hospitals in your city are pulling out of cashless tie-ups with your insurer, your policy’s practical value has decreased even if the on-paper benefits are unchanged.
4. You want to consolidate base + super top-up
If your base policy is with Insurer A and super top-up with Insurer B, you lose cashless coordination. Port your base policy to Insurer B (or vice versa) to enable seamless cashless across both policies.
5. Better product available
A competing insurer offers genuinely superior features — no room rent sub-limit (yours has one), lower PED wait, better day-care list, in-house claim team instead of TPA — at comparable premium.
Do NOT Port When
1. You have an active or recent claim
Porting during active claim processing creates administrative complications. Wait until the claim is fully settled before initiating portability.
2. Planned hospitalization within 6 months
The transition period carries risk — paperwork errors, delayed data transfer, or the new insurer imposing “cooling off” scrutiny on early claims. Avoid porting right before a planned surgery.
3. Your NCB is significantly better than market
If your current insurer offers 100% NCB (effectively doubling your sum insured) and the new insurer’s maximum NCB is 50%, you lose 50% of your bonus coverage. The equivalent SI conversion may not fully compensate.
4. You are over 60 with competitive senior rates
Senior citizen policies have limited options. If your current insurer’s senior premium is competitive, the risk of porting (fresh underwriting, potential loading, rejection risk) may not be worth the marginal improvement.
Super Top-Up Portability: Technically Possible, Practically Broken
IRDAI’s portability guidelines apply to all individual indemnity policies — including super top-ups. In theory, you can port your Rs 50 lakh super top-up from Insurer A to Insurer B with full waiting period credit.
What Actually Happens
Forum users on TechnoFino and finance communities describe super top-up porting as “porting on paper, fresh policy in practice.” The new insurer:
- Demands fresh medical tests — even though you passed underwriting with the old insurer 3 years ago
- Contests PED credit — argues that super top-up claim history differs from base policy claim history
- Applies underwriting loading — increasing premium based on age, BMI, or conditions that your old insurer accepted without loading
- Requires proof of active base policy — and may not accept your current base policy’s sum insured as sufficient for the deductible
The Practical Alternative
If you are unhappy with your super top-up insurer:
- If your moratorium period is complete (5 years): Buy a new super top-up from a better insurer. The moratorium protection means non-disclosure cannot be used against you.
- If under 5 years: Attempt porting. If the new insurer’s terms are unfavorable, renew your old policy and try again next year.
- If you want to consolidate with your base policy insurer: It may be simpler to let the old super top-up lapse and buy a fresh one from your base policy insurer — especially if you are young and healthy with no PED concerns.
Group-to-Individual Migration: When You Leave Your Job
This is different from portability. Migration applies when you leave your employer and want to convert your corporate group health insurance into an individual policy.
Key Rules
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deadline | Apply within 30 days of leaving employment |
| Insurer | Must be the same insurer as the group policy |
| Waiting period credit | Years served under the group policy carry forward |
| Premium | Retail individual rates (significantly higher than group rates) |
| Sum insured | May differ from group policy — subject to individual product availability |
| Medical tests | May be required based on age and sum insured |
After Migration, You Can Port
Once you have an individual policy (post-migration), you can port it to any other insurer at the next renewal. The waiting period credit accumulated during your group cover carries through migration AND then through portability.
This is the correct sequence: Group policy → Migrate to individual (same insurer, within 30 days of leaving) → Port to preferred insurer at next renewal.
The mistake most people make: Letting the group policy lapse, then buying a fresh individual policy at age 40-50 with full waiting periods and no accumulated credit. This can cost lakhs more in waiting periods and loading over your lifetime.
The GST Factor in Portability Decisions
Since September 22, 2025, individual health insurance policies carry 0% GST (previously 18%). This affects portability decisions:
- Group super top-ups still carry 18% GST
- Individual policies (base + super top-up) are now GST-free
- The 18% GST saving on individual policies changes the premium comparison math
When evaluating whether to port, compare premiums excluding GST — since both old and new individual policies are GST-free. The GST advantage matters more when comparing individual vs group coverage or when deciding whether to buy individual super top-up instead of group top-up.
Section 80D tax benefits remain available on the new policy after porting — there is no reset or re-qualification needed.
Portability Rejection: What to Do
If the new insurer rejects your porting application:
Immediate Steps
- Get the rejection reason in writing — the insurer must specify why
- Renew your old policy immediately — do not let it lapse
- Evaluate the rejection reason: Is it medical (high risk)? Is it claims history? Is it incomplete documentation?
If the Rejection Is Unfair
File a complaint on Bima Bharosa (bimabharosa.irdai.gov.in) citing IRDAI portability guidelines. Specifically:
- Insurers cannot reject portability solely based on age
- Insurers cannot reject portability because the policyholder has pre-existing conditions (they can apply loading, but not outright reject)
- Insurers cannot reject because of claims history alone — they must underwrite based on current health status
Try Another Insurer
You can apply to multiple new insurers simultaneously during the same renewal window. If Insurer B rejects, Insurer C may accept. Just ensure your old policy stays active throughout.
The Portability Checklist
60 Days Before Renewal
- Evaluate your current insurer: premium hike, claim experience, network hospital changes
- Research 2-3 alternative insurers based on CSR data, complaint rates, and features
- Get premium quotes from new insurers for equivalent coverage
45-50 Days Before Renewal
- Submit portability application to your chosen new insurer
- Fill proposal form with complete medical history (do not hide anything)
- Submit all required documents (policy copy, premium receipts, claims history)
- Get written confirmation from the new insurer that your NCB and PED credit will be honored
30 Days Before Renewal
- Confirm old insurer has transferred your data (new insurer can confirm)
- If data transfer is delayed beyond 7 days, file on Bima Bharosa
- Complete any medical tests requested by the new insurer
15 Days Before Renewal
- Receive acceptance/rejection from new insurer
- If accepted: confirm new policy terms, premium, effective date
- If rejected: renew old policy immediately
Renewal Date
- Old policy expires, new policy begins — no gap
- Verify new policy document shows correct PED credit, NCB, and sum insured
- Save new policy document, insurance card, and network hospital list
Portability is your right. Using it is your responsibility. The insurer who served you poorly last year does not deserve your premium this year — and you do not have to start from scratch to leave them.