These four stand out in 2026 on what actually decides a claim - no room-rent cap, no co-payment, unlimited restoration of cover and strong claim-settlement records. They are compared below on the same features, using each plan's current policy wording and IRDAI's public disclosures.
At a glance
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| Feature | HDFC Ergo Optima Secure+ | Care Supreme | ICICI Lombard Elevate | Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0 Platinum+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Underwritten by | HDFC Ergo | Care Health | ICICI Lombard | Niva Bupa |
| Sum insured range | ₹10L – ₹2Cr | ₹5L – ₹1Cr | ₹5L – Unlimited | Up to ₹1Cr |
| Room-rent limit | No cap | No cap | No cap (single private room) | No cap |
| Co-payment | None | None | None | None |
| PED waiting (base) | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years |
| PED reduction add-on | - | To 30 days (Instant Cover) | To 30 days (Jumpstart) | Day-1 for diabetes/HTN (add-on) |
| Restoration / recharge | Unlimited | Unlimited (auto; related & unrelated) | Unlimited (Reset; from 1st claim) | Unlimited (ReAssure+) |
| Bonus / cover boost | Infinity: +100% SI every year, no cap | Up to 100% (500%/unlimited via add-on) | 20%/yr up to 100% (100% infinite via Power Booster) | Booster+: unused SI carried forward up to 5x |
| Insurer CSR (3-yr avg) | 97.61% | 95.45% | 84.50% | 92.92% |
Co-payment shown is the base position - a co-pay may apply at higher entry ages. Insurer CSR is a 3-year IRDAI average: FY2024–26 for HDFC Ergo, Care and Niva Bupa, and FY2022–25 for ICICI Lombard (industry average 91.22%). Figures reflect each plan's current policy wording; confirm the live brochure for your chosen variant.
What each plan covers
Optima Secure+ - Underwritten by HDFC Ergo
Sum insured: ₹10 lakh – ₹2 crore · individual or family floater
- Secure Benefit - 2x cover from day one.
- Infinity Benefit - 100% of the base sum insured added at every renewal, with no upper limit.
- Protect Benefit - covers consumables such as gloves, masks and syringes.
- No room-rent cap; unlimited restoration of cover.
- Pre-hospitalisation up to 60 days, post-hospitalisation up to 180 days.
- Home healthcare, day care, organ-donor cover and AYUSH up to the sum insured.
- Riders: Serious Illness Booster, Limitless, Parenthood, ABCD chronic care, Optima Wellbeing.
HDFC Ergo - CSR 97.61%, 8.87 complaints per 10,000 claims (FY24–26); 16,000+ network hospitals.
Care Supreme - Underwritten by Care Health
Sum insured: ₹5 lakh – ₹1 crore · individual or family floater
- Unlimited automatic recharge, for both related and unrelated illnesses.
- Cumulative bonus up to 100% (extendable to 500% or unlimited accumulation via add-on).
- Claim Shield Plus add-on covers 146 commonly non-payable items.
- Wellness discounts of up to 30% off renewals through fitness-linked benefits.
- Add-ons: PED waiting-period reduction, gym membership, OPD cover, one-time unlimited cover, air ambulance.
Care Health - CSR 95.45%, 42.67 complaints per 10,000 claims (FY24–26).
Elevate - Underwritten by ICICI Lombard
Sum insured: ₹5 lakh – Unlimited (Infinite Care), subject to underwriting
- No mandatory co-payment and no disease-wise sub-limits.
- Reset benefit - 100% restoration, unlimited times a year, from the first claim, for any illness.
- Cumulative bonus 20% a year up to 100%; Power Booster add-on gives 100% bonus for an infinite period.
- Jumpstart add-on cuts the pre-existing-disease waiting period to as low as 30 days for listed chronic conditions.
- Pre-hospitalisation 90 days, post-hospitalisation 180 days; day care, domiciliary and AYUSH cover.
- Other add-ons: Claim Protector (non-medical items), Inflation Protector, surrogate & oocyte-donor cover, maternity.
ICICI Lombard - CSR 84.50% (below the ~91% industry average); ICR 79.47%; 10,200+ network hospitals.
ReAssure 2.0 Platinum+ - Underwritten by Niva Bupa
Sum insured: Up to ₹1 crore · individuals and families
- ReAssure+ - restores your cover an unlimited number of times a year, up to the sum insured per claim.
- Age-lock - premium locked at your entry age until the first claim.
- Booster+ - unused sum insured carried forward, up to 5x on the Platinum+ variant.
- Safeguard add-on - covers non-payables and inflation-linked sum-insured increases.
Niva Bupa - CSR 92.92%, 37.13 complaints per 10,000 claims (FY24–26).
Insurer claim performance
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| Insurer | CSR (3-yr avg) | Complaints / 10,000 claims |
|---|---|---|
| HDFC Ergo | 97.61% | 8.87 |
| Care Health | 95.45% | 42.67 |
| ICICI Lombard | 84.50% | 10.67 |
| Niva Bupa | 92.92% | 37.13 |
| Industry average | 91.22% | 27.06 |
Three-year averages from IRDAI public disclosures: HDFC Ergo, Care and Niva Bupa are FY2024–26; ICICI Lombard is FY2022–25, its latest published 3-year average (CSR 84.50%, 10.67 complaints per 10,000 claims, ICR 79.47%). A high settlement ratio is best read alongside complaint volume.
Frequently asked questions
Which are the best health insurance plans in India in 2026?
Four plans stand out in 2026 for combining strong claim records with comprehensive cover: HDFC Ergo Optima Secure+, Care Supreme, ICICI Lombard Elevate and Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0 Platinum+. All four offer no room-rent cap, no co-payment and unlimited restoration; they differ on sum insured range, bonus mechanics, waiting-period add-ons and insurer claim metrics - all compared above. The best one for you depends on your age, city, family and any pre-existing conditions.
Which of these plans offer unlimited restoration of cover?
All four do, though the mechanics differ: HDFC Ergo Optima Secure+ and Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0 (ReAssure+) restore cover an unlimited number of times a year; Care Supreme offers unlimited automatic recharge for related and unrelated illnesses; and ICICI Lombard Elevate's Reset benefit restores 100% of the sum insured unlimited times, from the first claim.
Which plan can reduce the pre-existing-disease waiting period the most?
All four use the standard three-year (36-month) base waiting period, but three shorten it through add-ons: ICICI Lombard Elevate's Jumpstart and Care Supreme's Instant Cover both cut it to as little as 30 days for listed chronic conditions, and Niva Bupa offers day-one cover for diabetes and hypertension through an add-on. The IRDAI cap on PED waiting is three years.
Which of these four has the highest claim settlement ratio?
On the latest three-year IRDAI averages, HDFC Ergo is highest at 97.61%, followed by Care Health at 95.45%, Niva Bupa at 92.92% and ICICI Lombard at 84.50% (industry average 91.22%). A high settlement ratio is reassuring, but is worth reading alongside complaint volume - where HDFC Ergo also leads, at 8.87 complaints per 10,000 claims.
How much cover can I get under each plan?
Sum insured ranges are ₹10 lakh–₹2 crore for HDFC Ergo Optima Secure+, ₹5 lakh–₹1 crore for Care Supreme, ₹5 lakh up to unlimited for ICICI Lombard Elevate, and up to ₹1 crore for Niva Bupa ReAssure 2.0 Platinum+.
Related pages
- Health Insurance overview - Cover, exclusions, claims and how it all works.
- Super Top-up plans - Add high cover on top of any of these base plans.
- Health claim process - Exactly how a cashless or reimbursement claim runs.
- Claims Support - A named expert for every claim - our real differentiator.
Disclosure
Each plan is underwritten and issued by the insurer named. MITRA can advise on which fits your profile and handles your claim end-to-end. figures follow each plan's current wording, so confirm the live brochure before you buy.
Data sources & notes
- Insurer CSR & complaints: IRDAI public disclosures - 3-year averages (FY2024–26 for HDFC Ergo, Care and Niva Bupa; FY2022–25 for ICICI Lombard, its latest published 3-year average).
- Plan features (room rent, co-pay, PED waiting, restoration, bonus, add-ons): each plan's current policy wording / insurer brochure, cross-checked against the reference page.
- ICICI Lombard Elevate is not on the reference page; its specs were sourced separately from ICICI Lombard's plan pages and corroborating reviews.
- Premiums are deliberately omitted - they are profile-specific and should come from a live quote, not a reproduced third-party table.
_Compliance: framed as "best plans of 2026" with a stated selection basis; fair, factual and non-disparaging; each plan attributed to its underwriter; MITRA positioned as advisor and claims partner, not the insurer. No company-specific numbers are invented.