Is Star Health good? Complaints, claim record and who it suits
No. Star Health's claim record doesn't meet our bar. It settles 89.3% of claims, below the 93% we look for, and draws 53.9 complaints per 10,000 claims, the third-highest of the 30 health insurers with a complaint figure (IRDAI published data, three-year average, as of March 2026). Some Star plans are well written, so read the co-pay and room-rent terms.
Written by Shadab SayeedReviewed by Kshitij JainUpdated nyvo insurance Services LLP, IRDAI Corporate Agent (Composite) CA1085Salaried advisors, no commission-based ranking
This is independent information from nyvo insurance Services LLP, an IRDAI-registered corporate agent (licence CA1085). It is not Star Health's own website. The figures here are from IRDAI's published data and Star Health's own public disclosures.
Star Health at a glance
| Measure | Star Health | Source and context |
|---|---|---|
| Claim settlement ratio | 89.3% | 25th of 31 health insurers; we look for 93% or more. IRDAI published data, three-year average, as of March 2026 |
| Complaints per 10,000 claims | 53.9 | 28th of the 30 with a complaint figure, fewer is better. Same source, averaged 2022-25 |
| Complaints registered, 2025-26 | 25,072 | Star's Form NL-45, year to 31 March 2026 |
| Of which about claims | 18,137 (72.3%) | Same form. IRDAI: 69 per cent of grievances under general insurance business were related to claims (2024-25) |
| Claims registered, 2025-26 | 33,57,188 | Same form |
| Complaints open on 31 March 2026 | 262 | All less than 15 days old |
| Plans we've read | 7 | From Star Health's own policy wordings |
Star Health settles 89.3% of its health insurance claims by number, below the 93% we look for in a health insurer. The year-by-year record, and how it compares with other insurers, is on our Star Health claim settlement ratio page.
Weighing Star Health against another insurer? A nyvo advisor will read both wordings with you and tell you plainly which one fits. The call is free.
Talk to an advisor →What do Star Health customers complain about?
Mostly claims. Star Health's own grievance disclosure for 2025-26 (Form NL-45, for the year to 31 March 2026) lists 25,072 complaints, and 18,137 of them, 72.3%, were about claims. Policy servicing came a distant second at 3,002, then 1,437 filed under "others" and 1,150 about premiums.
That mix is close to the market's. IRDAI's Annual Report 2024-25 says that of the grievances reported under general insurance business on its Bima Bharosa portal in 2024-25, the majority were related to claims (69 per cent). So what stands out at Star isn't the kind of complaint. It's how many there are for the claims it handles, which is what the 53.9 per 10,000 figure measures.
For scale, Star registered 33,57,188 claims in the same year, which is why its raw count dwarfs a smaller insurer's; the rate per 10,000 claims is the fair comparison. Star closed the year with 262 complaints open, all of them less than 15 days old, so the backlog itself isn't the problem.
| Complaint type | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Claims | 18,137 | 72.3% |
| Policy servicing | 3,002 | 12.0% |
| Others | 1,437 | 5.7% |
| Premium | 1,150 | 4.6% |
| Refund | 690 | 2.8% |
| Product | 322 | 1.3% |
| Coverage | 172 | 0.7% |
| Proposal | 161 | 0.6% |
| Cover note | 1 | 0.0% |
| Total | 25,072 | 100% |
Shares are our arithmetic on the counts Star Health discloses. Open on 31 March 2026: 262, all of them less than 15 days old.
Who is Star Health good for, and who should look elsewhere?
How much of a Star claim gets paid is decided in the wording: the co-pay for anyone who joins at 61 or older, the room-rent limit on lower sums insured, and the sub-limits on the older plans. All three can be checked before you buy, and that's where we'd spend the time.
Star Health can suit you if
- You want no compulsory co-pay at any age. Super Star has none, no maximum entry age, and an Unlimited sum insured option.
- You're under 41 and want short waits. Young Star cuts the pre-existing disease and specific-illness waits to 12 months, and it's closed to anyone 41 or older.
- You expect to claim more than once in a year. Assure and Super Star refill the sum insured an unlimited number of times.
- You're buying for a parent aged 60 to 75 whom other insurers have turned down. Senior Citizens Red Carpet has a 12-month pre-existing wait, in exchange for a 30% co-pay on every claim.
Look elsewhere if
- You want an insurer that clears our claim bar. Star's 89.3% settlement ratio is under the 93% we look for, and only two health insurers we track draw more complaints per claim.
- You're 61 or older and joining. Assure, Comprehensive and Medi Classic take 10% of every claim for life from anyone who joins at 61 or above; Family Health Optima takes 20%.
- You want a low sum insured without a room cap. Assure limits the room to 1% of the sum insured a day at ₹5 lakh and ₹7.5 lakh, and Comprehensive, Family Health Optima and Young Star stop at a single private A/C room.
- You want cover that grows quickly. Assure's bonus adds 25% a year, Young Star's 20% and Family Health Optima's loyalty bonus 10%, against the 50% many plans give.
Which Star Health plans have we read?
7, each from Star Health's own policy wording and prospectus rather than its marketing. Each page says what the plan leaves out as plainly as what it covers.
- Super Star
No compulsory co-pay, no maximum entry age and an Unlimited sum insured option. Most extras, maternity and consumables included, are paid add-ons.
- Assure
Unlimited refills, consumables paid, ₹5 lakh to ₹2 crore. A 25% bonus, and a 36-month pre-existing wait on one- and two-year policies.
- Young Star
12-month pre-existing and specific-illness waits, sold only to buyers under 41.
- Comprehensive
Maternity, outpatient and dental under one policy; a single private room and 90 days after discharge.
- Family Health Optima
One floater for the wider family and a 10% loyalty bonus. No maternity, and a 20% co-pay from 61.
- Medi Classic
Individual cover. The base plan caps the room at 2% of the sum insured a day, up to ₹5,000; the Gold Plan lifts that.
- Senior Citizens Red Carpet
Entry 60 to 75, a 12-month pre-existing wait, a 30% co-pay and disease sub-limits.
Star Health questions, answered
Is Star Health good for parents over 60?
Only on the right plan, and the co-pay decides it. Senior Citizens Red Carpet takes people from 60 to 75 with a 12-month pre-existing wait, but they pay 30% of every claim. Assure, Comprehensive and Medi Classic take 10% for life from anyone joining at 61 or older, and Family Health Optima 20%. Super Star has no compulsory co-pay at any entry age.
What do Star Health customers complain about most?
Claims. Of the 25,072 complaints Star Health registered in 2025-26, 18,137, or 72.3%, were about claims, according to its own NL-45 disclosure for the year to 31 March 2026. Policy servicing came next at 3,002. For the market, IRDAI's Annual Report 2024-25 says 69 per cent of the grievances reported under general insurance business were related to claims.
Which Star Health plan is the best?
There isn't one best Star plan; it depends on your age and what you need. Of the seven we've read, Super Star is the most flexible and has no compulsory co-pay, Young Star has the shortest waits but closes at 41, and Assure refills cover without limit. Whichever you pick, check its room-rent and co-pay terms against your age first.
How do I complain about Star Health?
Start with Star Health's own grievance desk and get a complaint reference number. The insurer has to resolve a grievance within 14 days (IRDAI Master Circular on Protection of Policyholders' Interests, 5 September 2024). If it doesn't, or the reply doesn't settle it, register the complaint on IRDAI's Bima Bharosa portal or call 155255. After that, the Insurance Ombudsman is free, and its award binds the insurer.
Sources
- Star Health and Allied Insurance, public disclosures for Q4 2025-26, Form NL-45 Grievance Disposal, statement as on 31 March 2026 (linked from starhealth.in/media-center), read 24 October 2026.
- IRDAI Annual Report 2024-25, section II.6 (Grievances), Tables II.15 to II.17 and paragraphs II.6.8 and II.6.9, read 24 October 2026.
- Claim settlement ratios and complaints per 10,000 claims: IRDAI published data as compiled in our claim settlement ratio table.
- Plan facts: the nyvo policy database pages linked above, each built from Star Health's own wording.
Weighing Star Health against another insurer? A nyvo advisor will read both wordings with you and tell you plainly which one fits. The call is free.
Talk to an advisor →