Health Insurance Renewal Denied, Premium Hiked or Portability Delayed: India Policyholder Guide

A health policy renewal shock is dangerous because it arrives at the exact moment you cannot afford a break in cover. The insurer may refuse renewal, the premium may jump, or porting may stall until the old policy is about to expire. The first rule is simple: keep continuity alive while you dispute in writing.

• Ask for the written reason if renewal is denied.
• Renewal should not be denied merely because you made claims in previous years.
• Ask for a premium breakup: age band, sum insured, add-ons, GST, product revision, discounts.
• For senior citizens, steep premium hikes deserve a written IRDAI-compliance explanation.
• Apply for portability well before renewal, ideally at least 30 days before due date.
• Escalate through insurer grievance, Bima Bharosa, and Ombudsman where eligible.

Health insurance policies are generally renewable except for situations such as fraud, misrepresentation, non-disclosure, product withdrawal handled under rules, or policy-specific grounds. IRDAI's 2024 health insurance master circular says renewal should not be denied merely because claims were made in previous policy years.

Red flags:

• “High claim ratio” is the only reason.
• No written reason is given.
• You are pushed into a new policy that restarts waiting periods.
• Product is withdrawn without clear migration option.
• Continuous policy is treated like a fresh proposal without your request for enhancement.

A premium increase is not automatically illegal. It may arise from:

• age band,
• higher sum insured,
• add-ons,
• GST/tax,
• product-level revision,
• benefit changes,
• discount withdrawal.

Ask the insurer for a written breakup comparing last year and this year. If you are close to expiry, consider paying under protest to avoid lapse, then continue the complaint.

Portability lets you move to another insurer while carrying forward continuity benefits subject to rules and underwriting. Apply early. IRDAI public guidance has generally described a window of applying to the new insurer at least 30 days before renewal and not earlier than 60 days before renewal, with some flexibility in late cases if no break occurs.

Watch these dates:

• date you applied to new insurer,
• date data was sought from old insurer,
• date old insurer responded,
• date new insurer accepted/rejected,
• renewal due date.

File with the insurer first. If unresolved, use Bima Bharosa and upload policy schedule, renewal notices, premium receipts, portability acknowledgement, insurer replies, and your chronology.

Ombudsman may be considered after insurer rejection, unsatisfactory reply, or no response within the required time, subject to eligibility and limitation.

• Letting the policy lapse while arguing.
• Depending only on agent calls for portability.
• Accepting a fresh policy without understanding waiting periods.
• Missing the renewal due date.
• Filing Ombudsman complaint before insurer grievance.
• Not saving old renewal notices for comparison.

• Health claim denied for PED or non-disclosure
• Insurance mis-selling refund guide
• Life insurance death claim rejected
• Motor cashless claim denied

IRDAI's health insurance circular says renewal should not be denied merely because claims were made in preceding policy years.

Yes, but the insurer should explain the reason. Ask for a written breakup and product-revision basis.

Do it well before renewal, preferably at least 30 days before the renewal date.

If non-payment will cause lapse, many policyholders pay under protest and continue the written complaint. Decide based on your renewal deadline and risk.

• IRDAI
• IRDAI policyholder portal
• Bima Bharosa
• Council for Insurance Ombudsmen