ICICI Elevate vs HDFC Optima Secure Plus: Which Is Cheaper? | Health Insurance Comparison 2026

7 min 3 sec · 11 November 2026 · nyvo

Two health plans that look almost the same on paper. In this Hinglish video, nyvo's Shadab compares HDFC ERGO Optima Secure Plus with ICICI Lombard Elevate: the features and waiting periods they share, how they differ on room rent, bonus, consumables, pre- and post-hospitalisation, sum insured and 30-day cover for chronic conditions, maternity and the discounts each insurer offers, a premium example for a 30-year-old couple in Mumbai, and each insurer's claim settlement ratio, hospital network and complaints.

What this video says

  • This Hinglish video by nyvo's Shadab compares HDFC ERGO Optima Secure Plus with ICICI Lombard Elevate, two plans that look almost the same on paper: what they share, where they differ, the discounts, a premium example and the insurers' records.
  • Both have no co-payment, no disease sub-limits and AYUSH cover, and the same standard waits: accidents from day one, 30 days for other illness, 2 years for specified illnesses and 3 years for pre-existing conditions.
  • Optima Secure Plus allows any room, doubles cover from day one, adds a 100% bonus a year with no ceiling and includes consumables. Elevate covers a single private room unless you buy an add-on, grows its Loyalty Bonus 20% a year to 100% (the Power Booster add-on adds 100% a year) and sells consumables as an add-on. Pre- and post-hospitalisation run 60 and 180 days against Elevate's 90 and 180.
  • Both offer 30-day cover for some chronic conditions through an option, and maternity through an add-on: Parenthood on Optima Secure Plus, Maternity Benefit on Elevate.
  • For a 30-year-old couple in Mumbai, the video puts Optima Secure Plus at about ₹19,000 a year for ₹10 lakh and ₹21,000 for ₹25 lakh, and Elevate at about ₹17,000 and ₹22,000, so the cheaper plan at ₹10 lakh is the dearer one at ₹25 lakh.
  • On IRDAI data it gives HDFC ERGO a 98% claim settlement ratio, 16,000 hospitals and 4.99 complaints per 10,000 claims, against 87%, 11,000+ and 16 for ICICI Lombard (nyvo's current data: 97.8% and 87.6%, with 8.3 and 16.6 complaints per 10,000 claims). Its verdict: Optima Secure Plus has more built in; on Elevate, read the add-ons carefully and pick the ones you need.

Figures to check against today's data

The video was recorded on 11 November 2026. Where nyvo's current data states a figure differently, it is below.

In the videonyvo's current data
0:40jaise ke pehle din se accident cover, 30 days ka cooling period hota hai, 2 years will be the specified illness waiting period, and agar koi medical history hai that will be covered after 3 years.Right for both base plans. Elevate adds one more: diabetes, hypertension and cardiac conditions wait 90 days unless you declare them as pre-existing and the insurer accepts them (Elevate's prospectus, nyvo's policy database).
1:47Usme bhi aapka 100% se increase hoga to infinite tarike se.Power Booster is a paid add-on that adds 100% of the sum insured a year, irrespective of a claim. It is not available with Elevate's unlimited sum insured option, and the bonus built up falls to zero if you drop the add-on at a renewal (nyvo's policy database).
2:10jabki ICICI Elevate me aap 5 lakh rupaye se 3 crore rupaye tak aap selection kar sakte hainElevate's prospectus sets a minimum of ₹5 lakh and states no maximum. ₹3 crore is the cap on its Worldwide Cover add-on for treatment abroad (nyvo's policy database). Confirm the amount on your quote.
2:28HDFC Secure Plus me jisko bolte hain chronic disease, uske liye A, B, C, D covered hai, jaise asthma, BP, cholesterol aur diabetes ke liye aap instant cover choose kar sakte hain jo 30 din baad covered ho.ABCD Chronic Care covers up to three of the four conditions (asthma, blood pressure, cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes on oral medication), from day 31 instead of the 36-month wait.
2:41Jabki ICICI Elevate me aapko ye saari cheeze covered milengi, A B C D, lekin uske saath-saath aapko plus obesity aur coronary arteries ke liye jaise heart related disease hota hai, uske liye bhi aap instant cover 30 din ke baad le sakte hain.Through Jumpstart, a paid add-on. It cuts the pre-existing wait to 30 days for six named conditions, including asthma, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and obesity, only if you declared them and the insurer accepted them (nyvo's policy database).
3:16Toh haan, yeh dono plan mein maternity covered hai.Only through a paid add-on on both, each with a two-year wait (Elevate's can be cut to 12 months). Elevate's Maternity Benefit pays up to 10% of the sum insured, capped at ₹1 lakh, on a family floater only; Optima Secure Plus's Parenthood pays ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh and does not include newborn cover.
3:40Pehla aate hain HDFC Secure Plus mein jo aapko pehle saal pe 21% discount deta hai. Doosre saal aapko 18% discount deta hai.The brochure gives the favourable claims experience discount as up to 21% for a first-time health insurance buyer and up to 18% at renewal. It lists no 10% third-year step; its 10% discount is for covering two or more family members on the individual option (nyvo's policy database).
3:59agar aapki age 35 se below hai, toh aapko all time 5% discount applicable hoga.Up to 5%, for a first-time buyer when every insured person is 35 or under at the start; it then applies at every renewal (nyvo's policy database).
4:05Jabki ICICI Lombard Elevate me aapko 30% tak discount milta hai agar aapka CIBIL score accha hai toh.ICICI Lombard's Elevate page offers up to 15% for a credit score; its up to 30% is a renewal discount for staying active (icicilombard.com, read 11 November 2026). The prospectus also lists tenure, zone and NRI discounts (nyvo's policy database).
4:21Doosra, isme aapko 10% online discount milta hai.The discounts in Elevate's prospectus include no online discount. The 10% one it lists is Network Advantage, which brings a 20% co-payment at a non-network hospital (nyvo's policy database).
4:56HDFC Secure Plus ka 10 lakhs ka cover 19,000 approximately aayega, jahaan pe aapka ₹25 lakh ka cover 21... Jahan pe hum agar compare karte hai ICICI Elevate se, 10 lakh rupey ka cover 17,000 rupey ka aayega, 25 lakh rupey ka cover almost 22,000 ka.As quoted in the video, which does not say which add-ons or discounts each quote includes; get both quoted on the same options. nyvo has not quoted either plan for a couple. For scale, nyvo's 720 quotes of April 2026 put a couple with the eldest aged 30 at ₹10,000 to ₹20,500 a year for ₹10 lakh and ₹15,000 to ₹29,000 for ₹25 lakh, across 10 cities and four plans that include Optima Secure Plus but not Elevate.
5:39Jaise ke HDFC Secure ka claim settlement ratio 98% hai, jab ke ICICI Lombard ka 87% hai.97.8% for HDFC ERGO and 87.6% for ICICI Lombard (IRDAI data, three-year weighted average, latest available as of March 2026). These are insurer-level figures, not plan-level.
5:45HDFC me 16,000 hospitals cover hai, jab ke ICICI Lombard me yeh 11,000 plus hospitals cover hai.nyvo's policy database records 16,000 for HDFC ERGO and 14,000+ for ICICI Lombard, ICICI Lombard's own figure as on 30 September 2026 on its Elevate plan page (read 11 November 2026). Check the insurer's hospital locator for hospitals near you.
5:55HDFC me 10,000 ke against me 5 complaint hai 4.99.HDFC ERGO 8.3 and ICICI Lombard 16.6 complaints per 10,000 claims (IRDAI data, average of 2022-25). The video's HDFC ERGO figure is a single, later year.
6:17HDFC Secure Plus me aapko worry karne ki zarurat isliye nahi hai kyunki saare features, saare add-ons most of the time in-built hain.Much is built in (double cover from day one, the uncapped bonus, consumables), but maternity (Parenthood), ABCD Chronic Care and outpatient cover (Optima Wellbeing) are paid add-ons.

Chapters

Chapters as published with the video.

Transcript

As spoken, in Hinglish, from the captions nyvo published with the video. Tap a time to play from that point.

Read the full transcript

0:02Sochie do plan, paper pe almost same, ek ka premium kam, ek ka premium zyada. Chaliye farak jaante hain kya hai.

0:10Welcome to nyvo channel. Mera naam Shadab hai. nyvo mein as a Vice President main hoon aur aaj hum do plans ke comparison karenge, jo pehla plan hai HDFC ERGO Secure Plus jo 2021 mein launch hua tha aur doosra plan hai ICICI Lombard ka Elevate jo 2024 mein launch hua hai.

0:28Chaliye pehla jaante hain common aur base feature kya hain policies ke. Jaise ke no co-payment, no sub-limits, pre and post, AYUSH treatment, aisi bahut saari cheezein hain jo dono plans mein ye features same hain.

0:40Aur hum standard waiting period bhi jaante hain jo lagbhag dono plans mein same hain, jaise ke pehle din se accident cover, 30 days ka cooling period hota hai, 2 years will be the specified illness waiting period, and agar koi medical history hai that will be covered after 3 years.

0:55Toh humne common aur base features ka thoda sa comparison kiya hai, toh dono mein ye pata chalta hai jo important key features hain wo lagbhag lagbhag dono... To ye achhi baat hai policy me rehna.

1:06Ab aate hain key differences pe. To pehla aata hai room rent limit. HDFC Secure Plus me aap koi bhi type ka room rent select kar sakte ho jabke ICICI Elevate me aap single private room choose kar sakte ho lekin aap additional premium deke as a add-on aap koi bhi room choose kar sakte ho.

1:23Second aata hai bonus. HDFC me bonus aapko 100% se increase karta hai wo bhi infinite tarike se.

1:29Lekin isme ek aur feature hai jisme 2X benefit, aapka coverage almost double ho jata hai day 1 se.

1:36Jabke ICICI Elevate me loyalty bonus hai jo aapko 20% se increase hoga up to 100%. Lekin saath me aap add-on bhi le sakte jisko bolte hain power booster.

1:47Usme bhi aapka 100% se increase hoga to infinite tarike se. Third, consumables. HDFC me ye in-built hai jahan pe jaise gloves, syringe aisi cheezon ke liye non-consumable item in-built hai. Jabke ICICI Elevate me ye as a add-on lena hota hai.

2:02Ab aate hain chauthe pe. Pre and post HDFC me 60 pre hai and post 180 hai, jabki ICICI Elevate me ye 90 180 hai.

2:10Ab aate hain ke aap coverage kaisa selection kar sakte hain aur kitne amount tak kar sakte hain. HDFC Secure me aap 10 lakh rupaye se 2 crore tak ka select kar sakte hain, jabki ICICI Elevate me aap 5 lakh rupaye se 3 crore rupaye tak aap selection kar sakte hain, depending upon your requirement.

2:28Fifth, instant cover. HDFC Secure Plus me jisko bolte hain chronic disease, uske liye A, B, C, D covered hai, jaise asthma, BP, cholesterol aur diabetes ke liye aap instant cover choose kar sakte hain jo 30 din baad covered ho.

2:41Jabki ICICI Elevate me aapko ye saari cheeze covered milengi, A B C D, lekin uske saath-saath aapko plus obesity aur coronary arteries ke liye jaise heart related disease hota hai, uske liye bhi aap instant cover 30 din ke baad le sakte hain. Next section hai add-ons.

2:56So hum logo ko kaun sa add-ons selection karna chahiye? Bahut saare add-ons hote hain, dono plans me bahut saare add-ons hain.

3:03Lekin aapki requirement kya hai usi hisab se aapko add ons selection karna chahiye.

3:07Lekin aap meri maane aur meri advice lena chahte hain toh bohot saari request aati hai young ages ki. Jo young ages ki requirement kya hoti hai, maternity covered hai ki nahi?

3:16Toh haan, yeh dono plan mein maternity covered hai. HDFC Secure Plus mein bhi hai jisko parent hood bolte hain.

3:23Aur ICICI Elevate mein maternity benefit kehte hain. Toh aap apne mutabik aapka coverage choose kar sakte ho isme. Chaliye humne bohot achi tareeqe se features-wise, add-on-wise humne kaafi discussion kar liya.

3:34Ab aate hain hum pricing pe. Aur pricing se pehle hum ek cheez zaroor check karte hain, discount.

3:40Toh ab discounted part pe aate hain ke kaun sa plan kya discount de raha hai. Pehla aate hain HDFC Secure Plus mein jo aapko pehle saal pe 21% discount deta hai. Doosre saal aapko 18% discount deta hai.

3:53Teesre teesre saal mein aapko 10% discount karta hai deta hai, jisko bolte hain favorable claim discount.

3:59Second aate hain, agar aapki age 35 se below hai, toh aapko all time 5% discount applicable hoga.

4:05Teesra aate hai, online discount, agar aap online purchase karte hai toh aapko 5% ka additional discount, matlab isme teen discounts aapko milte hai. Jabki ICICI Lombard Elevate me aapko 30% tak discount milta hai agar aapka CIBIL score accha hai toh.

4:21Doosra, isme aapko 10% online discount milta hai. Jahaan pe aapko HDFC me teen tareeke ke discount mil rahe hai, wahaan pe ICICI Elevate me aapko do tareeke ke discount.

4:30Kaunsa aapke liye behtar hoga, woh aap choose kar sakte hai. Aapne agar features dekh liye honge aur uske add-ons dekh liye honge, ab hum logon ko end me humko premium bhi jaanna padega premium difference kya hai dono me.

4:43Dhyan rakhna, ye dono plans me zone-wise alag-alag premium hai. Jo zone, jo aap cities me rehte ho, woh alag-alag hai.

4:50Chaliye example lete hai: 30 years old couple, Mumbai me rehte hai, toh premium kya ho sakta hai?

4:56HDFC Secure Plus ka 10 lakhs ka cover 19,000 approximately aayega, jahaan pe aapka ₹25 lakh ka cover 21... Jahan pe hum agar compare karte hai ICICI Elevate se, 10 lakh rupey ka cover 17,000 rupey ka aayega, 25 lakh rupey ka cover almost 22,000 ka.

5:12Jaise premium humne dekha, premium me kuch zyada difference nahi hai, lekin bahut saari cheeze HDFC Secure me in-built hai jaise aapka coverage almost double ho ja raha hai.

5:23Lekin agar hum ICICI Elevate me dekhe, waha pe bahut saare add-ons hai. Add-ons ke mutabiq aap apna plan select kar sakte hai. Ab aate hai last section pe.

5:32Aur yeh last section hota hai, yeh IRDAI se li gayi jaankari hai jo aapko dhyan dena hai.

5:39Jaise ke HDFC Secure ka claim settlement ratio 98% hai, jab ke ICICI Lombard ka 87% hai.

5:45Ab aate hai number of hospital cover. HDFC me 16,000 hospitals cover hai, jab ke ICICI Lombard me yeh 11,000 plus hospitals cover hai.

5:55Teesre pe aate hai, complaints 10,000 ke against me kitni complaints hai. HDFC me 10,000 ke against me 5 complaint hai 4.99.

6:04Jabki ICICI Lombard me 10,000 ke against me 16 complaints hain. Hope aapko ye plans acche lage honge kyunki humne deep dive tarike se aapko saare features, add-ons comparison karke aapko easy way me aapko samjhaya.

6:17Lekin aapke mind me ye aa raha hoga ki ye dono plan me se kaun sa best hai. To mai aapko step by step batata hu. HDFC Secure Plus me aapko worry karne ki zarurat isliye nahi hai kyunki saare features, saare add-ons most of the time in-built hain.

6:33Jabki aapko ICICI Lombard Elevate me carefully add-ons padhna hoga aur usko selection karna hoga aapko plan aapke hisab se chunne ke liye.

6:40Ye dono plans ke aur details me jaane ke liye aur features kya hain, kaun se add-ons select karna hai, kaun sa plan best hai, niche gaye link pe aap click kar sakte hain aur hamare saath call book kar sakte hain.

6:52Aise hi acche videos ke liye aur bhi koi comparison aapko karna hai plans ke liye, ek comparison nahi aur char plans ke saath comparison karna hai, to hamare channel ko subscribe kar sakte hain aur hame me like kar sakte hain.

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ICICI Lombard Elevate vs HDFC ERGO Optima Secure Plus, feature by feature →

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