The Erosion of Your Cover
A ₹5 lakh health insurance sum assured purchased in 2018 at ₹8,000 annual premium had real purchasing power equivalent to roughly ₹9–10 lakh in 2026 terms. Medical inflation has steadily eroded your coverage without you doing anything wrong.
Super Top-Up vs Top-Up
A top-up plan kicks in once your deductible (the base cover amount) is exhausted in a single claim. A super top-up aggregates all claims in a year before triggering. Super top-ups are better for individuals with chronic conditions or families with elderly dependents where multiple smaller claims are more likely.
Cost vs Benefit
A ₹20 lakh super top-up plan with a ₹5 lakh deductible (matching your base cover) costs roughly ₹5,000–8,000 per year for a healthy 35-year-old. That's dramatically cheaper than increasing your base cover. Buy it from the same insurer as your base cover where possible for seamless claims coordination.