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Last updated on: May 20, 2025
When comparing New India Assurance Health Insurance and Oriental Health Insurance, both are reputable government-owned insurers offering a range of health policies suited for individuals, families, and senior citizens. New India Assurance is known for its extensive network of hospitals, high claim settlement ratio, and wide variety of customized plans, including coverage for critical illness and maternity. Oriental Health Insurance, on the other hand, is recognized for its affordable premiums, flexible sum insured options, and unique policies like the ‘Happy Family Floater’. Both companies offer cashless treatments and quick claim processes, but New India Assurance often has greater international presence and more add-on benefits, while Oriental is praised for its budget-friendly offerings. Ultimately, the better choice depends on your priorities—if you want broader coverage and higher claim ratios, New India Assurance may suit you; if affordability and family-centric plans matter most, Oriental could be ideal.
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Read BioChoosing the best health insurance for your family is always a daunting task, especially when there are plenty of well-known private and government-run insurers like New India Assurance and Oriental Insurance providing good policy options in India. As the cost of healthcare continues to rise in 2025, a careful comparison between New India Assurance Health Insurance and Oriental Health Insurance becomes essential for protecting your finances and ensuring access to quality medical care.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the pros and cons of both plans, so you can make an informed and well-informed decision about which one is right for you. We compare coverage details, claims experience, hospital network, customer service, unique benefits, and important exclusions, all while emphasizing key differences and similarities for Indian customers.
New India Assurance Company Limited and Oriental Insurance Company Limited are the largest government general insurance companies but have very small differences in their health products.
While both insurers offer a variety of individual and family floater health plans, the plans vary in terms of sum insured limits, coverage structure, add-ons, network hospitals, and claims settlement experience.
Did you know?
Rather than assuming that all government insurers offer a similar cover, it is suggested by many leading experts that specific exclusions and benefits from different insurers should be compared.
New India Assurance Health Insurance plans are known for:
Example:
Mr and Mrs Maheshwari in Mumbai selected New India Assurance’s Floater Mediclaim policy for Rs 10 Lakhs sum insured and availed daycare as well as domiciliary for surgery of their son without any hassle. They liked the fact that they received direct claim settlement at their local hospital.
Some of the standout features of Oriental Insurance Company policies are:
Case Study:
Shashi Kitchen Singh, who lives in Delhi, chose Oriental’s HOPE Senior Citizen Plan, when she was 64 years old. Her policy covered certain critical illnesses, and also covered domiciliary hospitalization, which was useful when she had her knee replaced.
Both insurers have a good utilization of claims but the actual utilization can be different.
Expert Insight:
Industry analysts often point out that while both of them are government-run, New India Assurance is slightly ahead in terms of digital claims processing while Oriental Insurance is known for its transparent documentation and user-friendliness for senior citizens.
| Feature | New India Assurance | Oriental Health Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Cashless Claim Approval | Within 2 hrs (on average) | Within 2-4 hrs (on average) |
| Reimbursement Claim | 7 to 15 business days | 10 to 20 business days |
| Hospitals Network | 5,000+ | 4,300+ |
| Claim Ratio FY 2023-24 | ~94 percent | ~91 percent |
| 24x7 Helpline | Yes | Yes |
| AI based claim intimation | Yes (app based) | Partially (web based) |
People also ask
Does cashless claim really take a long time in government insurers?
Yes, case of cashless requests is processed by leading government insurers like New India Assurance and Oriental Health Insurance at empanelled Hospitals very quickly, but sometimes little delay can be noticed due to lack of completeness of the documents required.
| Benefit | New India Assurance | Oriental Health Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Day Care Treatments | Yes (500+ procedures) | Yes (400+ procedures) |
| Pre-post Hospitalisation | 30-60 days | 30-60 days |
| Room Rent sublimit | 1% of SI or no limit | 1-2% of SI or no limit |
| COVID-19 Coverage | Yes (select plans) | Yes (select plans) |
| Maternity/ Newborn | - Higher plans-only add on | - Higher plans-only add on |
| AYUSH Treatments | - Some plans add on | Covered in most plans |
Common exclusions are also the same:
Did You Know?
Oriental Insurance has added optional high sum insured restoration up to 100 percent, which allows families to claim again after sum is depleted.
Every insurer has some advantages and disadvantages.
Disadvantages of New India Assurance Plans
Disadvantages of Oriental Health Plans
People also ask
Which public sector insurance is more senior citizen friendly?
Oriental Insurance generally offers more options for senior citizen (60 plus) policies with more flexibility and benefits.
| Parameter | New India Assurance | Oriental Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1919 | 1947 |
| IRDAI Registration No | 190 | 556 |
| Cashless Network Hospitals | 5,000+ | 4,300+ |
| Family Floater Sum Assured | Rs 1 Lakh - 50 Lakhs | Rs 2 Lakhs - 1 Crore |
| Pre-existing Disease Delay | 2-4 years | 2-4 years |
| Top Up/Super Top Up Options | Yes | Yes |
| Health Checkup | Yes (annual/2yrly) | Yes (annual/2yrly) |
| Renewal Age (Lifetime) | Lifelong | Lifelong |
| Portability Option | Yes | Yes |
| Online Claims | Yes | Yes |
| Customer Support Team | 24x7 Helpline/app | 24x7 Helpline/web portal |
Quick Tip:
Always find out about hospital network and coverage availability for your home city and hospitals of choice before making a final decision.
Expert Insight:
Terms, exclusions and premiums are continually revised. Always read product brochures or talk with an insurance adviser for current information. We recommend that consumers use online insurance marketplaces to compare plans side-by-side, get prices from multiple insurers, and read real user reviews. This minimises bias and helps ensure that you find the deal that best suits your needs.
Premiums vary with age and health status from year to year:
Sum insured Rs 10 Lakhs for a 30 year old non smoker couple:
For the senior age group (65 plus years; Rs 5 Lakhs cover):
Price will vary by city, health record, and add-ons. Both of these are eligible for tax benefits under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act.
Pro Tip:
You must not just look for the lowest premium. Look at coverage, room rent sub-limits, no claim bonus, restoration features, and cashless network. Sometimes the extra premium gets them much better and broader protection.
Pune’s Ramesh family compared both insurers based on an online insurance marketplace.
Key Requirements: Sum Assured of Rs 15 Lakhs, Cashless at best private hospitals, Maternity benefit and Room Rent without any limit.
They finally chose New India Floater because of the many cashless tie-ups available near their residence, though premium was slightly more. Their process was made easy thanks to a marketplace platform that allowed them to easily compare plans, features and read transparent user feedback.
ALWAYS USE ONLINE MARKETPLACES FOR UNBIASED, OBJECTIVE RESEARCH FOR THE BEST PLAN FOR YOUR FAMILY PROFILE IN 2025.
Which company is better for existing disease cover?
Both provide coverage subject to a waiting period (typically 2 to 4 years) but subject to specific policy conditions prior to purchase.
Is my existing mediclaim policy portable?
Yes, IRDAI has permitted portability between Indian health insurers at renewal subject to underwriting and continuity benefit.
Do insurers pay for AYUSH treatment?
Included in most plans by Oriental; in New India, included in some plans or as an add-on.
Which of these insurances is more senior citizen friendly?
Most customer experiences indicate that Oriental Insurance provides a smoother process for document submission and claim settlement for senior citizens.
Do both companies have an online renewal and claims process?
Yes, the insurers are offering online policy renewal and claim intimation as of 2025.
Summary:
New India Assurance and Oriental Health Insurance are both government insurers in India providing competitive products for families and individuals. Be sure to consider coverage benefits and convenience to service relative to your family needs prior to making a decision. Leading with user stories and evidence-based, side-by-side comparisons through digital marketplaces is the most effective approach for sourcing appropriate health insurance coverage in India for 2025.
How could we improve this article?
Written by Prem Anand, a content writer with over 10+ years of experience in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance sectors.
Prem Anand is a seasoned content writer with over 10+ years of experience in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance sectors. He has a strong command of industry-specific language and compliance regulations. He specializes in writing insightful blog posts, detailed articles, and content that educates and engages the Indian audience.
The content is prepared by thoroughly researching multiple trustworthy sources such as official websites, financial portals, customer reviews, policy documents and IRDAI guidelines. The goal is to bring accurate and reader-friendly insights.
This content is created to help readers make informed decisions. It aims to simplify complex insurance and finance topics so that you can understand your options clearly and take the right steps with confidence. Every article is written keeping transparency, clarity, and trust in mind.
Based on Google's Helpful Content System, this article emphasizes user value, transparency, and accuracy. It incorporates principles of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).
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