Optima Secure in one table
| Insurer | HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited |
|---|---|
| Sum insured | ₹5 lakh to ₹2 crore, in tiers of 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 / 50 / 100 / 200 lakh |
Claim settlement and complaint figures are IRDAI-published and held centrally by NYVO, not taken from the insurer's marketing.
What Optima Secure covers
These are the terms that decide what you are actually paid when you claim. Room rent, co-pay and restoration do more to shape a settlement than the sum insured does, and they are read from HDFC ERGO's own policy wording.
| Feature | This plan | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Co-payment | No co-payment | No Co-payment |
| Room Rent Limit | At actuals, for both the room and the ICU | No room rent capping |
| Disease sub-limit | No disease sub-limits | No sub-limit |
| Secure Benefit (2X cover from Day 1) | 100% of base sum insured, added at inception at no extra premium | 2X cover from Day 1 |
| Plus Benefit | 50% of base sum insured each renewal to a ceiling of 100%, added irrespective of claims | 50% each year (Minimum upto 100%) |
| Restoration Benefit | 100% of base sum insured, once per policy year, usable for the same illness | 100% restoration once in a year |
| Pre-Hospitalization | 60 days | At least 60 days |
| Post-Hospitalization | 180 days | At least 120 days |
| Consumables (Protect Benefit) | Listed non-medical items covered up to the sum insured, built in | Consumables covered |
| Day-Care Procedures | Covered up to the sum insured | Covered without a capped list |
| AYUSH Treatment | Covered up to the sum insured, as an in-patient | Included |
| Emergency Air Ambulance | Up to ₹5 lakh, over and above the sum insured | Included |
| Geography | India only | Check before you rely on overseas cover |
| Entry age | Adults from 18, no upper limit · children 91 days to 25 years | No maximum entry age |
Optima Secure add-ons you can buy with it
Each of these costs extra and each has its own conditions. Some are genuinely worth it; several exist to patch a gap in the base plan. Ask what each one adds before it goes on your quote.
Optima Secure discounts you can ask for
Published discounts on this plan. Most are applied at quote stage rather than offered, so it is worth naming the ones you qualify for. Every figure is a ceiling, not a promise - what you actually get depends on the case.
| Discount | Worth | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Family discount | Up to 10% | Two or more family members on the same policy under the individual sum insured option. |
| Long-term discount | Up to 7.5% or 10% | 7.5% on a 2-year policy and 10% on a 3-year policy, when the premium is paid up front as a single payment. |
| Loyalty discount | Up to 2.5% | If you already hold an HDFC ERGO retail policy with a premium above ₹2,000. |
| Value Buy deductible | Up to 65% | In exchange for paying the first ₹25,000 to ₹3 lakh of claims each year yourself, on a base cover under ₹25 lakh. |
| NRI discount | Up to 40% | Where the insured person declares they are resident abroad for the whole policy year. You have to tell the insurer and pay the difference if you return. |
From the my:Optima Secure prospectus and plan brochure. Online, employee, loyalty and family discounts stack but are capped at 20% in total.
Optima Secure waiting periods: when each part of the cover starts
Waiting periods run from the day cover began, not from the day you fall ill, and they run in parallel rather than one after another.
| Initial Waiting Period | 30 days |
|---|---|
| Specific Illness | 24 months |
| Pre-Existing Disease | 36 months |
The named illnesses that wait 24 months
Payable once the policy has run 24 months without a break; an accident is covered from day one. This list is indicative – the policy wording carries the full set.
Optima Secure exclusions: what the plan will not pay for
Every policy carries exclusions, and they are the clauses people read for the first time at claim stage. These are the ones worth knowing before you buy.
Where Optima Secure falls short
No plan is right for everyone, and a page that only lists strengths is not much use to you. These are the gaps we would raise on a call before recommending it.
Optima Secure questions, answered
What is the difference between Optima Secure and Optima Secure Plus?
Two things a buyer will feel. Optima Secure starts at ₹5 lakh, Optima Secure Plus starts at ₹10 lakh, so if you have been quoted ₹5 lakh you are looking at the base plan. And the way the cover grows is different: Optima Secure adds 50% of your base cover a year and stops at 100%, while the Plus variant keeps adding every year with no ceiling. Check which one your quote names before you compare premiums.
Is the Plus Benefit a no-claim bonus?
No, and the distinction matters. A no-claim bonus is taken away or cut back when you claim. The Plus Benefit is added on every renewal regardless of how many claims you made in the year that just ended. What it does have is a ceiling: 50% of your base cover each year, stopping once the accumulated amount reaches 100%.
Does Optima Secure limit the room I can take?
No. Room rent and ICU charges are both payable at actuals, so no proportionate deduction is applied to the rest of your bill because of the room category you chose. On plans that do cap room rent, taking a room one tier above your entitlement cuts the whole claim, not just the room charge.
Are consumables like gloves and PPE covered?
Yes, through the built-in Protect Benefit. The items on IRDAI's non-payable list are paid up to your sum insured instead of being deducted from your claim. On most plans this is a paid add-on, and it is one of the commonest reasons a settled claim still leaves a bill behind.
How many times can the cover be restored in a year?
Once, as standard. The restored amount is 100% of your base sum insured, and it can be used for the same illness you have already claimed for, which is better than the usual unrelated-illness-only rule. If you want the refill to trigger every time, the Unlimited Restore add-on does that for an extra premium.
Can I reduce the premium if I am willing to pay the first part of a claim?
Yes. The aggregate deductible, marketed as Value Buy, lets you agree to pay the first slice of each year's claims. On a base cover under ₹25 lakh, a ₹25,000 deductible cuts the premium about 25% and a ₹3 lakh deductible cuts it about 65%. It is worth doing only if you can actually fund that first slice from savings in a bad year.
Read it from the insurer
We summarise. The policy wording is the contract, and it is the only document that settles a dispute. These links go to the insurer's own pages.
Understand the terms before you commit
A plan page tells you what this policy does. These explain why each term matters and what it costs you when it is missing.
Other HDFC ERGO plans we have read
HDFC ERGO files these separately, and the terms differ between them. If you are choosing within the range, compare the waiting periods and the exclusions rather than the sum insured.