Top-up and super top-up plans: Which one is better?
The time when a health insurance plan with limited coverage would do is long gone. With medical inflation soaring high, it is imperative to have insurance that provides more than sufficient coverage. However, with better coverage comes higher premiums.
This is where health insurance top-up and super top-up plans come into the picture. They boost the sum insured amount of your health insurance plan with only a small premium increase. You may ask, how do these two differ? Which one should you get? What are their benefits?
In this blog, we have discussed the significant differences between health insurance top-up and super top-up plans. Read on to learn more.
Top-up plans
A health insurance top-up plan helps refill the sum insured by your health insurance to a specific amount. It supplements your insurance policy by coming in useful when your sum insured is exhausted entirely.
Let us take an example to understand how it works –
Let’s say you have a policy with a sum insured of Rs 7 lakh and you get a top-up plan of Rs 10 lakh. If you file a claim of 14 lahks, then your sum insured will be entirely used and the rest of the 7 lakhs will be taken from your top-up plan.
Top-up plans are highly beneficial and cost less than basic health insurance plans. However, they come with compulsory deductibles. Therefore, to get coverage, you’d have to pay the deductible amount first.
Benefits of top-up plans
Some of the benefits of a top-up plan are –
- Helps mitigate medical inflation: Medical costs are rising every day and the uncertainty after the pandemic has only led to increasing the need for a health insurance plan with a higher sum insured.
- Peace of mind: Top-up plans give you the sense of security and peace of mind that you will have coverage even if your health insurance policy is exhausted.
- Convenient: You can get a top-up plan even if you do not have basic health insurance. It is also easy to convert it to basic health insurance.
- Lifelong renewability: Many insurance providers also offer the lifelong renewability option.
- Tax benefits: You can also claim a deduction for the premium paid while filing the income tax return.
Super top-up plans
Super top-up plans, as the name suggests, are better top-up plans. They provide coverage above the deductible amount and as per the amount specified in the plan. The best part of super top-up plans is that they cover cumulative expenses.
Let us understand with an example-
Let’s say you have a super top-up plan of 12 lahks and the predetermined deductible amount is Rs 4 lakhs. If you claim 10 lakhs from the insurer, you will first pay 4 lakhs of the deductible amount and the insurer will pay the remaining 6 lacks.
Benefits of super top-up plans
Super top-up plans have many advantages. Some of them are as follows.
- One-time deductible: In this plan, you have to pay the deductible amount only once. You can claim several times in a policy term.
- Flexible deductible amount: A super top-up plan gives you the flexibility of choosing your deductible limit.
- Better coverage: It is especially useful for senior citizens and people with corporate health insurance. It gives you better coverage with low premiums.
- Tax benefit: You can get a deduction while filing the income tax return for the premium paid.
- Can be availed cashless: Many insurance providers also provide the option of cashless treatment.
Importance of top-up and super top-up plans
Still not convinced about the benefits of top-up and super top-up plans? Here are some reasons that might convince you.
- They are more economical than getting a higher coverage health insurance.
- Both of them provide higher and better coverage for senior citizens at lower premiums.
- You can also get additional tax savings.
- The rise in healthcare costs has made it necessary for you to have a comprehensive health insurance plan.
Difference between top-up and super top-up plans
Let us understand the difference with an example. Both claims are made during the same policy term.
| Basis | Top-up plans | Super top-up plans |
| Deductible | The deductible amount has to be paid on every claim. | You only have to pay the deductible once during a policy term in the super top-up plan. |
| Premium amount | The premium amount for this plan is less than the amount for super top-up plans. | The premium amount for this plan is higher than top-up plans. |
| Number of claims | You can get the claim only if the amount crosses the deductible amount. | To file multiple claims in a policy term, the deductible amount must be used at least once. |
| Lapse | Top-up plan lapses after one claim. | The super top-up plan lapses only after the entire amount is used. |
Health insurance top-up, as well as super top-up plans, have their own sets of benefits and features. Both are a sufficient shield for you. And both are less expensive than buying separate health insurance with higher coverage.
Wondering how to select between the two? We have an answer!
The best way to select between the two is to determine your needs. However, if you have a terminal illness or an illness that requires you to be hospitalized frequently, a super top-up plan would be more beneficial. If you do not have any such disease and only want a sense of peace, you can go for the top-up plan.
In this blog, we have covered everything you need to know about top-up and super top-up plans. Remember, before selecting any health insurance plan, carefully study the policy terms, inclusions and exclusions, and deductible amount.
Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.
