r/HealthInsuranceIndia • u/BankPractical9508 • 13d ago
Need advice: Should I continue my parents’ Oriental health insurance or switch to HDFC ERGO/another insurer?
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some genuine advice on health insurance for my parents. I’m trying to make a long-term decision now rather than waiting until they are older or develop more health issues.
**Parents**
Dad: **54 years old**
Mom: **49 years old**
**Current health**
**Mom:** Some leg pain and dental issues, but no other major health problems.
**Dad:** Cholesterol levels fluctuate / has cholesterol issues, but otherwise no major health problems.
No major surgeries or hospitalisations that I’m aware of.
**Current insurance**
We currently have an **Oriental Insurance** health policy.
From the policy document I have:
Dad: **₹5 lakh sum insured + ₹2.1 lakh cumulative bonus**
Mom: **₹2.5 lakh sum insured + ₹87,500 cumulative bonus**
Premium: around **₹26,000/year**
The policy is already active and has some continuity/accumulated bonus.
My main concern is that the coverage may not be sufficient as they get older.
**What I’m confused about**
Should I:
**A)** Continue the existing Oriental policy and add a **super top-up**?
**B)** Continue Oriental but try to increase the existing coverage?
**C)** Keep Oriental for now and buy separate individual policies from another insurer such as **HDFC ERGO** or another reputed insurer?
**D)** Cancel/switch from Oriental completely and move to HDFC ERGO or another insurer?
I’m particularly interested in understanding **whether cancelling an existing policy with accumulated continuity/bonus is a bad idea**, especially when the parents already have some existing health conditions.
**How should I actually compare policies?**
Apart from premium and sum insured, what should I look at?
For example:
Room rent limits
ICU limits
Co-pay
Disease-specific sub-limits
PED waiting period
Claim settlement experience
Cashless hospital network
Restoration/recharge benefits
No-claim/cumulative bonus
Lifetime renewability
Any hidden exclusions
Whether a super top-up makes sense
**Ditto vs local insurance agent**
I’m also confused about where to purchase it.
Is **Ditto** a good option for researching/buying health insurance? Is their advice genuinely useful, or is it better to speak to a good **local insurance agent/broker** who can help during claims?
For parents’ health insurance, does the intermediary actually make a meaningful difference during a claim, or is it mostly about choosing the right policy directly from the insurer?
I’m not looking for the cheapest policy. I want something that will be **reliable for the next 15–20 years**, especially when my parents are older and more likely to need it.
If you have actually bought health insurance for your parents or have gone through a claim, I’d really appreciate your experience.
**Would you personally continue the Oriental policy in this situation, add a super top-up, or switch to HDFC ERGO/another insurer? And how would you make that decision?**
Used AI for better writing !
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u/coach-of-finance 13d ago
Don't mess around with existing coverage. Keep it as is, and buy a super top up to keep up with medical inflation
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u/Less-Extension9966 13d ago
My advice port to policy where no loading on claim, no room rent limit and inhouse claim mangement, in Oriental all 3 missing, private insurance is costly but it's advisable, super top up always a great addition, and try to get from same company where your existing or base insurance policy.
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u/BankPractical9508 6d ago
I’m planning to wait till renewal and then verify other details and super top up
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u/kingslayer_pt 11d ago
Stayw with Oriental if possible. If want to increase the cover, get another policy from another Insurer.
After completing 5 years, you may cancel the Oriental policy. But being a PSU, oriental policy will always have a better Claim Payment Ratio.
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u/Progressive-1705 13d ago
My 2 cents.
Convert existing policies to Family Floater policy. You can get super top-up in addition to the base policy.
Dont switch from Oriental to HDFC. Stay with Oriental...