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/Road Ambulance
Find what matters most to you.
Pick a coverage concern and see its exact policy terms, compared side-by-side across top Indian health insurance plans.
36 features mapped
6 coverage topics
Start here8
The concerns that cost the most when a plan gets them wrong
Step 1Coverage Directory
Every category, decoded
All 6 coverage topics in one place - start with the worry on your mind, and open the features that decide it.
Step 2Feature Library
Big hospital bills
Every feature behind Big hospital bills, deciders first - pick one to see how the plans differ.
5 more features here look much the same across the plans we cover - they rarely decide the choice.
Step 3Plan Comparison
What is Road Ambulance in health insurance?
Covers the cost of a registered road ambulance to take you to the hospital in an emergency. A small but important benefit - no one should worry about ambulance costs in the middle of a medical crisis.
Every plan, ranked11 · 8 strong · 1 standard · 2 limited
Star HealthStrongSuper StarCovered up to full Sum Insured
Strong
Road ambulance costs are paid up to your Sum Insured with no rupee cap. Three journeys qualify: to hospital when it is medically needed, from one hospital to another for better treatment, and hospital to home in the same city when the doctor certifies the ambulance was needed. An admissible hospitalisation claim has to sit behind it.
Coverage detailstap any row to understand it
Expense limitCovered up to full Sum Insured
Reduces Main Sum InsuredYes
Watch out
The ride home is paid only if your home is in the same city and the treating doctor certifies the ambulance was necessary. The amount comes out of the same Sum Insured as the treatment.
Star HealthStrongStar ComprehensiveCovered up to full Sum Insured
Strong
Road ambulance costs are paid with no rupee cap - the clause sets no limit on this benefit beyond your Sum Insured. It covers the ride to hospital, a transfer from one hospital to another for better treatment, and the ride home from hospital if your home is in the same city and the doctor certifies the ambulance was needed.
Coverage detailstap any row to understand it
Expense limitCovered up to full Sum Insured
Reduces Main Sum InsuredYes
Watch out
The ambulance is paid only when the hospitalisation claim itself is admitted, and the ride home is paid only within the same city. For the trip home, get the treating doctor's written certificate that an ambulance was required.
ICICI LombardStrongElevateCovered up to full Sum Insured
Strong
Road ambulance is covered up to your full Sum Insured with no rupee cap. It pays only when the in-patient or day-care claim for the same illness or injury is accepted, and only for three journeys: to the nearest hospital that can treat you, between hospitals, or to a diagnostic centre during the stay.
Coverage detailstap any row to understand it
Expense limitCovered up to full Sum Insured
Reduces Main Sum InsuredYes
Watch out
The operator must be registered with the road traffic authority, so keep its receipt. A transfer between hospitals needs a doctor's written prescription. The separate Ambulance Assistance service only arranges a vehicle; it does not pay for one.
Care HealthStrongCare AdvantageCovered up to full Sum Insured
Strong
Road ambulance is paid up to your full Sum Insured, with no rupee cap, which is unusual in this market. It covers the trip from where the emergency happened to the nearest hospital, and a transfer between hospitals when your doctor certifies you need better-equipped care.
Coverage detailstap any row to understand it
Expense limitCovered up to full Sum Insured
Reduces Main Sum InsuredYes
Watch out
The ambulance claim is payable only if the hospitalisation claim is admitted, so an ambulance trip that ends without admission is not covered.
Aditya BirlaStrongActiv One · VYTLCovered up to full Sum Insured
Strong
Road ambulance is paid at actual cost up to the Sum Insured, with no rupee cap - for the emergency trip to hospital, a transfer between hospitals, or the ride home after your stay. It is paid from the Sum Insured, so it reduces what is left for treatment.
Coverage detailstap any row to understand it
Expense limitCovered up to full Sum Insured
Reduces Main Sum InsuredYes
Watch out
Only ambulances inside India are covered, and the vehicle has to be run by a licensed or authorised service provider. The claim needs the original ambulance invoice and paid receipt, so do not leave the hospital without them.
Star HealthStrongStar Health AssureCovered up to full Sum Insured
Strong
Road ambulance expenses are paid at actuals with no rupee cap, at every Sum Insured. Cover runs three ways: to hospital in an emergency, between hospitals for better treatment, and from hospital back home in the same city when a doctor certifies an ambulance is needed.
Coverage detailstap any row to understand it
Expense limitCovered up to full Sum Insured
Reduces Main Sum InsuredYes
Watch out
The ambulance is paid only when the hospitalisation claim itself is admitted, and the trip home is covered only within the same city.
HDFC ERGOStrongOptima Secure · Optima-SelectCovered up to full Sum Insured
Strong
Road ambulance costs are covered up to your full sum insured on every plan, with no per-trip rupee cap. Transfers to the nearest hospital in an emergency, between two hospitals, and from hospital to home within the same city are all included. The cost comes out of your sum insured.
Coverage detailstap any row to understand it
Expense limitCovered up to full Sum Insured
Reduces Main Sum InsuredYes
Watch out
The hospital-to-home leg is covered only within the same city, so a transfer to another town after discharge is not paid. Ambulance collar and ambulance equipment are billed as non-medical items and are not paid unless your plan carries the Protect Benefit.
Niva BupaStrongReAssure 3.0 · EliteCovered up to full Sum Insured
Strong
Elite and Black pay road ambulance costs up to your Sum Insured. Classic and Select cap it at Rs 2,000 per hospitalisation, which covers a short city trip but not much more.
Coverage detailstap any row to understand it
Expense limitCovered up to full Sum Insured
Reduces Main Sum InsuredYes
Watch out
The ambulance is paid only if the hospitalisation claim is also paid, and only a registered provider counts. The Rs 2,000 limit is per hospitalisation, not per year, so a second admission gets a fresh Rs 2,000.
Care HealthStandardCare SupremeUp to ₹10,000 - Per Policy Year
Standard
Road ambulance costs are paid up to the Sum Insured on plans of Rs 15 lakh and above. Below that, the payout is capped at Rs 10,000 per policy year. Both the trip to hospital in an emergency and a transfer between hospitals for better facilities are covered, and the amount paid reduces your Sum Insured for that year.
Coverage detailstap any row to understand it
Expense limitUp to ₹10,000 - Per Policy Year
Reduces Main Sum InsuredYes
Watch out
The ambulance claim is payable only if your hospitalisation claim is accepted.
HDFC ERGOLimitedOptima RestoreUp to ₹2,000 - Per Claim
Limited
A road ambulance to hospital in an emergency is paid up to ₹2,000 per hospitalisation. That is a low cap: an ambulance run in a metro with oxygen and a paramedic often costs ₹3,000 to ₹5,000, and anything above ₹2,000 you pay from your own pocket. The cap is the same at every Sum Insured.
Coverage detailstap any row to understand it
Expense limitUp to ₹2,000 - Per Claim
Reduces Main Sum InsuredYes
The catch
The ₹2,000 limit does not rise with your Sum Insured. On a ₹1 Crore cover the ambulance is still capped at ₹2,000 per hospitalisation, so a longer transfer between cities leaves the rest for you to pay.
Star HealthLimitedFamily Health OptimaUp to ₹750 - Per Claim
Limited
Road ambulance is paid up to ₹750 per hospitalisation and ₹1,500 for the whole policy period - for the trip to hospital, between hospitals, or home if your doctor certifies an ambulance was needed. A separate benefit pays ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 per hospitalisation when a life-threatening emergency forces a transfer to another hospital.
Coverage detailstap any row to understand it
Expense limitUp to ₹750 - Per Claim
Reduces Main Sum InsuredYes
Watch out
The Road ambulance stops at ₹1,500 for the whole policy period. Any amount above ₹750 on a single trip, and any further trips once the ₹1,500 is used, you pay from your own pocket.
Step 4Shortlist
Your decision so far
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Nothing kept yet
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Or read one we prepared for Road AmbulanceSuper Star vs Optima RestoreSuper Star vs Star ComprehensiveOptima Restore vs Star Comprehensive
Every feature, A to Z
Each one has its own page - what it means, and how every plan handles it.