Can You Move a Group Health Insurance Policy to Another Insurer?
For employers, a group health insurance policy is not portable to another insurance company. The employer has the choice of changing the insurance company by buying another group health insurance plan during the renewal period. This is considered a policy switch, not portability.
There is another option available for employees. An employee who is leaving a job may have the opportunity to convert his/her group health insurance plan into an individual health insurance plan with the same insurance company. Once the individual plan is issued, the plan may be transferred to another insurance company as per the applicable regulations.
What Do Migration and Portability Mean in Group Health Insurance?
Migration and portability are two different things that are sometimes misunderstood. Understanding the difference can help you continue your health insurance coverage without losing valuable continuity benefits.
Dimension | Migration | Portability |
|---|---|---|
Insurer | Same insurer as the group health insurance plan | Different insurer |
Who can use it | Group member whose coverage is ending | Individual health insurance policyholder at renewal |
Waiting period credit | Continuity benefits may be carried forward, subject to insurer terms | Continuity benefits may be carried forward, subject to IRDAI guidelines |
Sum insured continuity | Up to the previous sum insured and applicable bonus, subject to insurer terms | Up to the previous sum insured and applicable bonus, subject to IRDAI guidelines |
Best time to use | Before group coverage ends | At policy renewal |
Who is Eligible to Migrate from a Group Health Insurance Policy?
Migration is available to members whose coverage under a group health insurance policy is coming to an end. This may include:
Employees who are leaving their jobs
Retiring, or otherwise becoming ineligible for the group plan
The exact eligibility criteria, timelines, and available plans vary by insurer and policy terms. To avoid a break in coverage, it is advisable to explore migration options before your group health insurance policy ends.
Act within the renewal window
Waiting-period credit is preserved only if you migrate before or at the point your group cover ends. If there is a gap and you buy a fresh individual policy later, waiting periods usually restart from zero. Apply for migration well before your group cover lapses, ideally 30 to 45 days ahead.
Why is Migration Important When Your Group Health Insurance Coverage Ends?
If your group health insurance coverage is ending because you are leaving your job or retiring, migration can help you continue your health insurance coverage with the same insurer.
Key benefits of migration include:
Will assist in preventing disruption of your health insurance coverage during the time your group policy is terminated.
It could help you retain the continuity benefits already in place, such as full recognition of completed waiting periods, subject to the insurer's terms and conditions.
Eligible family members will be able to continue coverage under the new policy; however, the transition will depend on the insurer's migration rules.
Opens the door to portability, as it is only available for eligible individual health insurance policies.
Facilitates the long-term retention of health insurance coverage, even after leaving an employer-sponsored group plan.
To take advantage of migration, it is important to explore your options before your group health insurance coverage ends.
Learn more about how to switch from Group Health Insurance to Individual Health Insurance.
How to Move a Group Health Insurance Policy to an Individual Health Policy?
Verify your exit date
Observe your expiry date from the group cover policy, which is either your last day at work or the end of the notice period. This sets your migration deadline.
Approach the insurance company for an individual product
Contact the insurance company that has issued your group health cover and ask for migration to its retail individual/family floater plan. Ensure that this happens before expiry of your group health cover.
Choose your sum insured and plan
Select the individual plan and sum insured you want. You can usually keep a similar level of cover, subject to the insurer's retail options.
Complete the proposal and pay the retail premium
Submit the migration proposal form and pay the new premium, which is at individual (not group) rates based on your age and plan.
Serve out the remaining waiting periods with credit applied
Your served time reduces the remaining PED and other waiting periods on the new policy.
Port later if you wish
At any future renewal of this individual policy, you can port it to another insurer, carrying the same accumulated credit.
Key Takeaways
A group health insurance policy cannot be ported as a group. If an employer wants to change insurers, they purchase a new group health insurance policy at renewal.
When leaving a job or losing group coverage, eligible members may be able to move to an individual or family floater health insurance policy offered by the same insurer.
Portability is available only for individual health insurance plans. If you have an eligible individual health insurance plan, then it can be ported to another insurance company while retaining applicable continuity benefits.
Frequently asked questions
Eligible continuity benefits, including applicable waiting period credits and cumulative bonus benefits, may be carried forward when you migrate from a group health insurance policy to an individual policy with the same insurer, subject to the insurer's terms and conditions.
No. A group health insurance policy cannot be ported as a group. If an employer wants to switch insurers, they can purchase a new group health insurance policy at renewal. This is considered a policy change rather than portability.
Yes, once you have a portable health insurance policy, you can port it to another insurer upon renewal.
Yes, after migrating from a group health insurance policy to an individual health insurance policy, you are solely responsible for paying the entire premium. The premium, coverage, and policy terms may differ from those available under your employer's group plan.
Yes,this is quite possible in many cases.The covered family members are eligible for migrating to an individual/family floater health insurance plan provided by the same insurer, subject to the insurer's migration rules and eligibility criteria.
Yes. Eligible employees and covered family members may be able to migrate from a group health insurance policy to an individual or family floater policy offered by the same insurer, subject to the insurer's terms and conditions.
About the authors
Neviya Laishram
Written by · Senior Editor – Health, Life and Group Health Insurance Content at ACKOWith a journalism background, she brings 9 years of experience in strategising and editing health, life, and group health insurance content. Having written for magazines and digital publications, she combines research and editorial expertise to create credible, useful content for readers.
Nitesh Kapur
Reviewed by · Senior Director – Underwriting & Claims, Group Health Insurance at ACKOWith over 15 years of experience in health insurance underwriting, he has led group health insurance strategy, risk assessment, and policy design. He has held leadership roles at leading insurers, building risk frameworks, evaluating complex health risks, and strengthening underwriting standards.
