Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) is a health insurance policy offered by Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company Limited.

This health insurance plan stands out as a cost-effective yet comprehensive choice for individuals seeking extensive coverage. It strikes a balance between affordability and a range of features and benefits, making it an ideal option. Not only does it come at a lower cost, when compared to similar products in the market, but it also provides coverage for various expenses, including infertility treatment, bariatric surgery, costs associated with mobility devices like wheelchairs, crutches, etc. in addition to hospitalisation-related expenses. The plan even includes ambulance coverage for app-based cab services such as Ola, Uber, etc. However, it's worth noting that the option to pay premiums on a monthly basis is not available. As per our research, the insurer has received higher policy purchase complaints but fewer claim settlement complaints.

What are the benefits offered by the Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan?

Inpatient hospitalisation coverage: The Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan provides coverage for hospitalisation expenses, which include all costs associated with admission that exceed 24 hours, such as nursing care, medical consultations, prescription medication, intensive care unit (ICU), and any other related expenses.
Pre-hospitalisation coverage: Pre-hospitalisation coverage includes the expenses incurred before hospitalisation, like consultations, tests, checkups, etc. To be eligible for this coverage, the charges must be related to the medical condition that leads to hospitalisation and should be approved as part of the inpatient hospitalisation coverage. With the Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan, pre-hospitalisation expenses incurred for up to over 60 days prior to hospitalisation are covered up to the sum insured.
Post-hospitalisation coverage: Post-hospitalisation expenses are the medical costs incurred after hospitalisation, including follow-up consultations with your doctor, medical check-ups, rehabilitation sessions, physiotherapy, and other related expenses. However, these expenses are eligible for coverage only if they are related to the medical condition for which you required hospitalisation and must be approved as part of inpatient hospitalisation coverage. The Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan covers post-hospitalisation expenses for 90 days after hospitalisation up to the sum insured.
Daycare treatment coverage: Daycare treatment is a medical procedure or surgery that previously required an extended hospital stay but can now be completed within 24 hours because of advances in medical technology. The Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan provides coverage for all daycare procedures without any limit. This indicates that all costs associated with daycare treatments are fully covered up to the chosen sum insured.
Domiciliary treatment coverage: These are, essentially, medical treatments for illnesses or injuries that necessitate immediate attention at the hospital but are given at home because of the severity of your medical condition or the absence of hospital beds in the vicinity. Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan provides coverage for domiciliary treatment expenses up to the chosen sum insured.
Organ donor coverage: The Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan covers the inpatient expenses of the organ donor up to the sum insured, where you are the recipient.
Modern treatment coverage: With technological advancements, healthcare is rapidly progressing, and modern treatments are emerging. These treatments, including stem cell therapy, robotic surgery, etc., are aimed at treating diseases that were previously considered incurable. The Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan is tailored to keep up with these advancements and covers the expenses related to modern treatments, up to 50% of the sum insured.
Non-medical expenses coverage: The Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan is designed to cover only medical expenses and does not include coverage for non-medical expenses including the costs associated with the gloves, nebulization kits, oxygen masks, and other items essential for treatment.
No Claim Bonus: A No-Claim Bonus is a reward given to you for refraining from making any claims during a policy year. The Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan offers 20% of the sum insured as No-Claim Bonus. You can accumulate a maximum bonus of up to 100% of the sum insured. And, the accumulated bonus will not reduce even if you make claims.
Super No Claim Bonus: The Super No Claim Bonus is an enhanced version of the No Claim Bonus and works similarly. The Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan doesn’t offer a Super No-Claim Bonus.
Restoration Benefit: The restoration benefit is a valuable feature that restores the sum insured after it has been used up during a policy year. The Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan provides this benefit for unrelated illnesses and related illnesses (if you opt for an add-on). This benefit is activated only when both the sum insured and the No Claim Bonus are partially exhausted. Furthermore, it can only be used once in a policy year for subsequent claims.

Please remember that the limitations and conditions mentioned in the benefits above apply to a sum insured of Rs. 10 lakhs.

Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme): Financial Limits

● Room rent limit: A room rent limit covers the expenses related to the room you stay in during your hospitalisation. If the room you choose falls within the limit specified by your health insurance policy, you won’t have to pay any additional costs. However, if the room you select exceeds the eligibility limit, a proportionate deduction applies. And you will be responsible for paying a proportionate share of the total bill, not just the difference in the room rent. Fortunately, the Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan allows you to choose any type of room without any limitations.

● ICU rent limit: It is the maximum amount covered by your health insurance policy for your ICU stay in the hospital. The Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan provides coverage for the ICU rent without any limit. This means the plan covers the entire cost up to the sum insured.

● Copayment: A co-payment refers to a certain percentage of the claim amount that you must pay out of your own pocket. Once this amount is paid, the insurer will cover the remaining expenses. In the Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan, there is no co-payment.

● Deductible: A deductible refers to a certain amount that you must pay from your end before your coverage kicks in to cover your medical expenses. However, with the Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan, there's no deductible limit.

● Limits on surgeries/treatments: It is the maximum amount that a health insurance policy will pay for certain medical procedures or treatments. While some insurers have limits on the amount they will cover for certain procedures, others may not. The Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan provides coverage for cataract treatment and joint replacement surgery up to the sum insured.

Please note that the above financial limits are taken for a 30-year-old individual, opting for a sum insured of Rs. 10 Lakhs.

Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme): Waiting Periods & Exclusions

👉Waiting period
After you purchase a health insurance policy, some illnesses and diseases may not be covered for a certain period of time. This duration is referred to as the waiting period. But, once the waiting period ends, you can claim for these conditions. Below are some of the types of waiting periods -

Initial waiting period: You need to note that an initial waiting period of about 30 days applies for all medical conditions except accidents. This means that you will not be able to make a claim for any hospitalisation, except for accidents, for the initial 30 days of policy purchase.
Waiting period for pre-existing diseases: In essence, a pre-existing disease denotes a medical condition or illness you have experienced in the past 48 months before purchasing a health insurance policy. Pre-existing diseases entail a waiting period of 36 months under the Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan. This implies that during this period, you will not be able to make any claims for expenses related to your pre-existing diseases.
Waiting period for specific diseases: It is worth noting that, apart from pre-existing diseases, insurers will have a list of specific medical conditions or illnesses that are subject to a waiting period, irrespective of whether you have had those diseases before or not. The duration of this waiting period is decided by the insurer and is not based on your current health status. Under the Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan, a waiting period of 24 months is in place for specific diseases.

👉Exclusions

Health insurance policies do not cover certain medical conditions. These are known as exclusions. Here are some of the types of exclusions -

Standard permanent exclusions: All insurance providers are required to adhere to the ‘standard permanent exclusions’ established by IRDAI. These include -

Investigation and evaluation: Hospital admission for observation or monitoring.
Rest, rehabilitation, and respite care: Admission to a facility for bed rest without active treatment.
Obesity/weight control: Treatment or surgery related to weight control or obesity.
Gender reassignment: Treatments aimed at altering the body’s characteristics to match the opposite gender.
Plastic/Cosmetic surgery: Medical treatment or surgery intended to modify body characteristics or appearance.
Profession in hazardous or adventurous sports: Medical expenses resulting from participating in adventurous activities such as mountaineering, river rafting, scuba diving, etc. as a professional.
Breach of law: Expenses incurred in treating a person who has committed or attempted to commit a criminal act.
Excluded providers: Treatments received from medical practitioners or hospitals excluded by the insurance company.
Narcotics: Treatment for addiction to substances such as alcohol, drugs, etc.
Treatments in establishments arranged for domestic purposes: Medical expenses incurred for treatments received in health spas, nursing homes, or similar establishments arranged entirely or partially for domestic reasons.
Dietary supplements, substances purchased without subscription: Vitamins, minerals, etc., not prescribed by a medical practitioner.
Refractive error: Expenses associated with correcting refractive errors of up to a maximum of 7.5 diopters to improve vision.
Unproven treatments: Surgeries, medical procedures, or medical treatments that are not proven to be effective.
Expenses related to birth control, sterility, infertility: Costs incurred for artificial insemination, contraception, sterilisation, advanced reproductive technologies including IVF, ZIFT, GIFT, ICSI, gestational surrogacy, etc.
Maternity expenses: Expenses related to pre/post-natal care, childbirth-related hospitalisation, etc.

Additional permanent exclusions: Insurance companies can impose additional exclusions for certain medical conditions or situations apart from the standard permanent exclusions. In case you have a severe medical condition or a specific disease that is considered risky by the insurer, they may choose to permanently exclude it from the policy. The IRDAI has established a list of illnesses for which insurance companies can enforce permanent exclusions. However, insurers cannot impose permanent exclusions on illnesses or diseases that are not on this list.
Non-standard exclusions (Specific exclusions): Specific exclusions are the medical conditions that are excluded from a health insurance policy along with the standard permanent exclusions listed by the IRDAI. These exclusions may differ across insurance providers and are subject to the terms and conditions of the policy. Below are some of the key specific exclusions under the Royal Sundaram Lifeline (Supreme) Plan –

Expenses related to any alternative treatment (except those covered under AYUSH treatment benefit).
Circumcision unless required due to accident or treatment of a disease.
Injury or illness resulting from terrorism, war, riot, nuclear or chemical contamination, etc. directly or indirectly.
Expenses related to treating external birth defects.
Dental treatment unless deemed necessary due to an accident.
Expenses related to treatment for hereditary conditions.
Vaccination, inoculation, and immunisation costs (except for post animal bite treatment).
Use of ventilator for a patient in vegetative state (brain dead) with no room for recovery.
Injury or illness resulting from nuclear, chemical or biological attack, weapons, etc.
Treatment associated with critical illness for the first 90 days after policy issuance.
Treatment associated with intentional self inflicted injury or attempted suicide by any means.
Expenses related to treating erectile dysfunction or any other sexual problem.
Treatment for sexually transmitted diseases
Treatment for sleep disorders
Expenses related to products or medical supplies like elastic stockings, diabetic test strips, wigs, toupees, etc.

What to expect in terms of claims experience if you buy from Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company Limited?

Speed of claims: Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company has demonstrated a high level of efficiency in processing claims. It has settled 99.87% of claims within 30 days.
Claim-related complaints: According to our research, Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company has received a lower number of complaints regarding claims, as compared to other insurance providers, accounting to just 0.15%. This implies that their process of settling claims is smooth and effective.
Claims incurred ratio: It reflects the financial performance of the company. It represents the total number of claims incurred by the insurance company compared to the total premiums they collected in a given financial year. Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company has a claim incurred ratio of 92.30%.
Claim settlement ratio: It refers to the percentage of claims successfully settled by the insurer compared to the total number of claims received in a financial year. The claim settlement ratio of the Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company is 64.53%.
Network hospitals: Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company has a network of over 10,000+ hospitals. Such a vast network enables you to receive cashless treatments from a wide range of healthcare providers across various locations.

How is the customer service of Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company Limited?

Policy purchase-related complaints: According to our research, Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company has received a higher number of complaints related to their after-sales service, as compared to other insurers, accounting to 0.02%.
Response on toll-free: As per our research, Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company's response on their toll-free number is slow, as compared to other insurance companies.
Response on twitter: Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company's response on their twitter channel is also slow when compared to other insurance companies.

About Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company Limited

Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company Limited, previously known as Royal Sundaram Alliance Insurance Company Limited, holds the distinction of being the first private sector general insurance company in India to be licenced by the IRDAI. It delivers a wide variety of products such as motor insurance, personal accident insurance, health insurance, travel insurance and home insurance to individuals and specialised insurance products like fire insurance, marine insurance, liability insurance, etc. to corporates. Founded in 2001, the company is headquartered in Tamil Nadu, Chennai. Mr. S. Viji is the chairman of the company.