Is a base 5 lakh cover enough today?

For metro cities and any planned surgery, 5 lakh is often tight. Many planners now suggest 10 to 25 lakh for families, optionally topped up with a super top-up.

Should I take a floater or individual policies?

Floaters are cost-effective for young families. Once any member crosses 50 or has chronic conditions, individual policies can sometimes work out better.

What about top-up plans?

A high-deductible top-up is a cheap way to extend cover. Pair a 5 to 10 lakh base policy with a top-up that kicks in beyond a chosen threshold.

Do existing conditions change the answer?

Yes. Diabetes, hypertension, or a history of surgery point you toward a higher cover and a wait-period-friendly plan.

Health sum-insured calculator

Choosing the right health cover means looking beyond the lowest premium. This tool suggests a sum insured that reflects city-level hospitalisation costs, the number of dependents, and the age of the eldest member in the policy.

Health sum-insured calculator

Find the recommended health cover for your family size and city.

Family members to cover

2 members

City tier

Metro (Mumbai/Delhi/Bangalore)Tier-1 (Pune/Hyderabad/Chennai)Tier-2 / smaller city

Senior citizen (60+) in familyChronic condition (diabetes / BP / cardiac)

Recommended cover

₹6 L

balanced cover

Minimum advised

₹5 L

Ideal (future-proof)

₹9 L

Estimates based on average hospitalisation costs per city tier and IRDAI guidelines. Actual needs vary by lifestyle, existing cover, and insurer.

How this is calculated

Inputs you provide: city tier, number of adults and children, and age of the eldest member.
A base hospitalisation cost is set for the city tier — metros are highest, smaller towns lower.
Loading is added for each additional adult, and a smaller amount per child.
A further multiplier applies if the eldest member is over 45, since claim severity rises with age.
The result is rounded to common sum insured slabs that insurers actually offer.

Common questions

Is a base 5 lakh cover enough today?: For metro cities and any planned surgery, 5 lakh is often tight. Many planners now suggest 10 to 25 lakh for families, optionally topped up with a super top-up.
Should I take a floater or individual policies?: Floaters are cost-effective for young families. Once any member crosses 50 or has chronic conditions, individual policies can sometimes work out better.
What about top-up plans?: A high-deductible top-up is a cheap way to extend cover. Pair a 5 to 10 lakh base policy with a top-up that kicks in beyond a chosen threshold.
Do existing conditions change the answer?: Yes. Diabetes, hypertension, or a history of surgery point you toward a higher cover and a wait-period-friendly plan.