How to Switch Health Insurers (Without Losing Waiting Period)

Portability allows you to switch your health insurance policy from Insurer A (e.g. an old public sector insurer) to Insurer B (a modern private insurer with cashless at 10,000+ hospitals and no room rent caps), without starting your waiting periods from scratch.

If you have held a policy for 3 consecutive years with Insurer A, your 3-year PED waiting period is recognized as 100% completed by Insurer B on the existing Sum Insured.

Under IRDAI rules, a portability request MUST be initiated at least 45 days before (and not more than 60 days before) your policy renewal date.

If your policy renews on March 31, your porting application must be submitted to the new insurer by February 14. If you miss the 45-day window, the new insurer can decline the porting request and ask you to renew with your existing provider.

• What Transfers 100%: Completed 30-day initial waiting period, completed specific disease 2-year waiting period, and completed 3-year PED waiting period on your existing base sum insured.

• What Has New Waiting Periods: If you upgrade your cover from ₹5 Lakh to ₹15 Lakh, the additional ₹10 Lakh will have fresh waiting periods as per the new policy terms.

• Cumulative Bonus (NCB): Some insurers allow porting your NCB into an enhanced sum insured, while others match only the base cover.

The new insurer is NOT legally obligated to accept every porting request. They conduct fresh medical underwriting. Rejections typically happen if:

1. You had a major recent hospitalization (e.g., bypass surgery, cancer, renal failure) in the last 12 months.

2. The proposer is above 65 years with multiple active morbidities.

3. Porting application was submitted less than 45 days before renewal.

If the new insurer rejects your application, you are not left uninsured — your existing insurer is still obligated to offer you renewal on your current policy up to the original renewal date, since a pending portability request does not cancel your existing cover. The practical lesson is to apply to 2-3 insurers in parallel well within the window, rather than waiting for one rejection before trying elsewhere.

Follow this foolproof checklist to ensure your porting request is accepted without hassle: