Can the Pre-Existing Disease Waiting Period be Waived on Portability

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The right to switch from one insurer to another is called portability. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) allows you to make this switch without losing any benefits in the process.


So, you don’t have to start from scratch, as you can carry forward your benefits from your previous policy when you shift to a new one. This includes the waiting period for pre-existing diseases and other benefits.


Keep reading for more details!


What Benefits are Transferred Through Portability?


Here are some of the key benefits transferred:



  • Credit for Pre-Existing Disease (PED) Waiting Period: If you have served 2 years of the 3-year PED waiting period in your old policy, the new insurer must give you credit for those two years. You only need to serve the remaining 1 year to be covered for that condition. The new issuer can not impose a fresh full waiting period on the sum insured level you already have.

  • Credit for Time-Bound & Specific Waiting Periods: This applies to certain listed illnesses or treatments, such as 1-2 years for specific diseases.

  • No-Claim Bonus (NCB) or Cumulative Bonus: Any bonus you earned, which can be in the form of an increased sum insured for claim-free years, is usually carried forward or adjusted in the new policy.

  • Moratorium Period Continuity: Time served towards the 5-year moratorium continues. It is after this period that insurers cannot deny claims on grounds of non-disclosure, except for fraud.


Note that portability applies primarily to indemnity-based individual and family floater health insurance policies. It also includes group policies in some cases. It does not apply to personal accident or travel insurance.


Important Rules and Limitations



  • You can port only at the time of renewal of your existing policy.

  • You must apply to the new insurer at least 45 days before renewal.

  • There should be no gap between the old and new policy for benefits to transfer seamlessly.

  • The original sum insured plus any bonus gets full credit. Any enhanced or increased portion usually attracts a fresh waiting period.

  • The new insurance company can underwrite your proposal. They can ask you for medical details, tests, and apply premium loading based on risks. They can even reject the porting request.


In short, portability does not waive the PED waiting period. Health insurance portability allows policyholders to switch insurers at renewal while receiving credit for the time already served towards the PED waiting period. While the remaining period of the waiting period must still be completed under the new policy, portability prevents the clock from being reset entirely. It ensures continuity of accrued benefits.