Critical illnesses are on the rise, and they are one of the biggest threats to our physical and financial well-being. Heart disease, stroke, renal failure, and cancer are just some of the critical illnesses that make life difficult for the patient and their caretakers. They often require expensive long-term care. Insurance companies have special plans that try to address critical illnesses, and these are considered to be very beneficial for those who are prone to critical illnesses due to age, genetics, etc.
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When you buy a critical illness health insurance plan, an important clause to take note of is the survival period. This refers to the time period a person diagnosed with a critical illness has to stay alive after their diagnosis. Insurance companies pay out the lump sum promised under the critical insurance plan only if the patient makes it through the survival period. If the patient passes away within the stipulated period, the lump sum payment will not be disbursed. The lump sum is meant to take care of the medical needs and treatment of the patient if they survive, and it is not considered a death benefit.
The survival period varies from insurer to insurer, with the upper limit being 90 days in most cases. Some critical illness policies limit the survival period to 14 days or 30 days from the diagnosis.
Critical illnesses are life-threatening in nature. Some progress rapidly once diagnosed, while others leave enough time for treatment and recovery. Purchasing a critical health insurance plan that has a shorter survival period is in the best interest of the policyholder. Here’s how a longer survival period can have an adverse impact.
Your claim for the lump sum will be rejected if the patient doesn’t make it through the survival period. This is despite the fact that the illness is covered under the insurance policy and has been diagnosed properly.
If the insured passes away during the survival period, the family or caretakers will not be awarded a lump sum. This can put the family under financial distress and leave them with out-of-pocket expenses. They may have depended on the lump sum to address such expenses. A shorter survival period will stack the odds in favour of the patients and their families.
When you purchase any health insurance plan, a waiting period is imposed on the policyholder. There is an initial waiting period from the time a health insurance plan comes into effect before the policyholder can start making claims. Another waiting period is put in place for those with pre-existing conditions. These health issues are usually declared by the policyholder at the time of purchase. The policyholder will have to spend money from their own pocket during the waiting period if the medical expense is incurred due to a pre-existing condition. This is because insurers will reject claims related to these illnesses during the waiting period.
A survival period is different from a waiting period. It is usually shorter in duration compared to the waiting period and is specific to a critical health insurance plan.
| Waiting period | Survival period |
| Anywhere between 30 days and 3 years | Anywhere between 14 days and 3 months |
| Applied from when the policy takes effect | Applied once the patient is diagnosed with the critical illness |
| Can be applied to 30 days from when the policy activates, pre-existing conditions, maternity benefits and critical illnesses | It is applied only to critical illnesses |
| Can be found in all health insurance plans | It is specific to critical illness health insurance plans |
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Reviewed by Dr. Harshita Dahiya 
Acko Technology & Services Private Limited
#36/5, Hustlehub One East, Somasandrapalya, 27th Main Rd, Sector 2, HSR Layout, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560102
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