Moratorium period in health insurance: the 5-year rule
In shortThe moratorium period is the point after which your insurer can’t refuse a claim or cancel your policy for non-disclosure, except for proven fraud. Under IRDAI’s 2024 rules it is 60 months of continuous cover.
It used to be 8 years. IRDAI’s Master Circular of May 2024 reduced it to 60 months, counted from your first policy with continuous renewals.
The policy’s own terms still apply after it: waiting periods, sub-limits and exclusions don’t go away.
Check yours
- Find your “first policy inception” or “insured since” date on your schedule.
- Renew within the grace period every year to keep it running.
Find the moratorium period in your policyUpload your policy PDF and see it in plain words, with the page it’s on. ₹99 per policy.
Questions people ask
Does the moratorium apply to a sum insured I increased later?
The extra cover usually has its own 60 months from when it was added.
Does porting reset the moratorium?
No. Continuous cover with your old insurer counts.
General information, not advice. Your policy’s own wording decides what it pays; IRDAI figures are from its Master Circular on Health Insurance Business (May 2024).