Introduction
Before we start comparing these two policies we have to set out some ground rules.
Both products are marketed by different insurance companies. Activ Health Platinum Enhanced is sold by Aditya Birla and Medicare Premier is sold by TATA AIG. So any meaningful comparison should include a comparison of the product alongside the insurers themselves.
Second, we know that both products have subtle differences in their core structure. Activ Health Platinum Enhanced is reasonably comprehensive. Sure, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but it also doesn’t impose any mindless restrictions. Medicare Premier, meanwhile, is a relatively expensive premium policy tailored to cover as many use cases as possible. So while the differences in features may be subtle, the pricing could be drastically different depending on the cover amount you pick.
And finally, any comparison is ultimately futile without considering the use case. Who are you buying this policy for? You, your family, your parents?
That’s something you’ll need to answer before using this guide. So with that introduction out of the way, we can get to comparing the actual policies themselves.
Let’s start with Activ Health Platinum Enhanced. The product comes from Aditya Birla’s stable:
The company only began operations in the year 2016 as a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd., which in turn happens to be a joint venture between the famed Aditya Birla Group and MMI Holdings (South Africa).
While the company boasts a claim settlement ratio of 95% along with a network of more than 11,000+ hospitals, do remember they’ve only been in the market for a few years now. So they don’t have an extensive track record.
Medicare Premier meanwhile comes from TATA AIG’s stable:
Tata AIG Health Insurance company is a joint venture between the Tata Group and American International Group. It was founded in 2001 and it’s one of the few companies that market products that are truly comprehensive, albeit expensive.
The company also boasts a claim settlement ratio of 96% with over 10,000 network hospitals across India.
Talk to IRDAI-certified experts
If you want help with selecting the best health policy tailored to your needs, book a FREE call with our experts today by clicking here.
Compare Insurances Insurance Parameters Recommended Not Recommended | ||
---|---|---|
Network hospitals | 11,000+ | 10,000+ |
Claim settlement ratio (avg. of last 3 years) | 95% | 96% |
Co-payment | No | No |
Room rent | Any Room | Any Room |
Disease sub-limit | No | No |
Pre existing diseases waiting | - | 2 years |
Pre/Post hospitalization | 60/180 days | 60/90 days |
No claim bonus | 50% per year (up to 100%) | 50% per year (up to 100%) |
Domiciliary | ||
Ayush treatments | ||
Restoration benefit | 100% restoration (once for different illness) | 100% restoration (once for any illness) |
Health check-up | Once every year | Once every year |
Maternity | Available (up to ₹50,000 after 4 years) | |
Out Patient Department | Available | Up to ₹5,000 (Annually) |
Day care |
Feature Comparison
Co payment
With a co-payment clause, the insurer will mandate that you pay a part of the bill. So if the bill adds up to Rs. 2,00,000 and the co-payment is set at 20% then you could be asked to pay Rs. 40,000 from the bill. In this case, however, Activ Health Platinum Enhanced doesn’t impose a co-payment clause. And neither does Medicare Premier.
Room rent
If the policy does impose room rent restrictions then the insurer may only let you stay in a room of a certain specification or impose a cap on the total room rent. If you were to breach either criterion then the insurance company may ask you to pay a portion of all the expenses you incurred while staying in the room. In this case, however, Activ Health Platinum Enhanced lets you stay in Any Room but you can pick any room you want with Medicare Premier.
Sub limits
Some policies will tell you that they will cover all medical expenses up until the sum insured, but then impose caps on the total costs you can incur while dealing with a very specific list of diseases. We call these caps “Disease Wise Sub Limits.” In this case, neither Activ Health Platinum Enhanced imposes disease-wise sub-limits nor does Medicare Premier
Waiting periods for pre-existing diseases
If you’re suffering from a lifestyle condition or if you’ve had surgery in the past, or if you’re dealing with an acute or chronic illness at the time of buying the policy, then the insurer may classify this as a pre-existing disease. And they may tell you that they will only cover these illnesses after some time. In this case, Activ Health Platinum Enhanced imposes a waiting period of null years on pre-existing diseases while Medicare Premier extends a waiting period of 2 years on existing conditions.
Pre and post Hospitalization expenses
Most people aren’t hospitalized right off the bat. Instead, they’ll have to go through a whole series of diagnostic tests before hospitalization and take medication post-discharge. These costs are outlined as pre-hospitalization expenses and post-hospitalization expenses respectively. In this case, Activ Health Platinum Enhanced covers expenses incurred 60 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred 180 days post-hospitalization. Meanwhile, Medicare Premier covers expenses incurred 60 days before hospitalization and expenses incurred 90 after hospitalization, although there may be different sub-limits
No claim bonus
Some policies will tell you that they will incentivize you for not making a claim in any given year. And they offer such incentives by offering extra cover on top of the existing sum insured. This extra cover is categorized as a no-claim bonus. And in this case, Activ Health Platinum Enhanced offers a no-claim bonus of 50% and Medicare Premier similarly extends a 50% no-claim bonus.
Domiciliary
Imagine you are forced to treat yourself at home because you don’t find a hospital bed, or you have a chronic condition that prevents you from visiting one, then, insurers may choose to cover your treatment even if you’re hospitalized at home. And such costs are collectively categorized as domiciliary treatment costs. In this case, however, Activ Health Platinum Enhanced offers domiciliary cover. And Medicare Premier also coves domiciliary expenses.
Ayush treatments
Most policies only cover treatments administered in a registered medical facility. However, on some occasions, you may want to pursue alternative treatments including homoeopathy, Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. These treatments are collectively categorized as Ayush treatments. And in this case, Activ Health Platinum Enhanced covers Ayush procedures and Medicare Premier also extends coverage for Ayush treatments.
Maternity benefits
If you’re hospitalized during childbirth, then you may have to incur significant costs during delivery of your newborn, child care and other related matters during the course of the hospitalization. These costs are collectively termed maternity costs. And in this case, however, Activ Health Platinum Enhanced doesn’t offer protection for maternity-related hospitalizations whereas Medicare Premier offers maternity cover.
Out Patient Department (OPD)
Doctor visits and regular consultations aren’t usually covered by health insurance policies. They are categorized as Outpatient consultations (or OPD treatments) and patients have to bear the cost on their own. In this case, however, Activ Health Platinum Enhanced offers OPD coverage, and Medicare Premier also offers OPD coverage, although the sub-limits may be different.
Final Conclusion
It depends on your budget. Activ Health Platinum Enhanced is relatively more affordable when you compare the common use cases but Medicare Premier obviously offers better protection, since it offers a whole host of benefits that Activ Health Platinum Enhanced simply doesn’t offer. So yeah, depending on the use case you’re trying to optimize for, you can make a choice.
Other Aditya Birla Activ Health Platinum Enhanced Comparisons
Select the best plan with our help!
Get in touch to find out what plan works best for you. Zero fuss. Zero spam. Zero charges. Book a call now. Limited slots available!