Insurance Query: NRI Health Insurance

I recently moved to the US for work, but my spouse and parents continue to live in India. My employer provides international health coverage for me, but I need a robust health insurance plan that adequately covers my family back home. Given their differing healthcare needs — my spouse being younger and my parents being senior citizens — should I opt for a comprehensive family floater plan, or would individual policies be more beneficial for them? Additionally, are there any tax benefits or considerations I should keep in mind while purchasing a policy from abroad? – Rajat Sen

Let’s break down your queries and address them in order. As your parents are old and it is likely that they may suffer from pre-existing ailments like hypertension, diabetes or heart ailments, it is advisable to go for a separate senior citizen health insurance policy for them. Even if they are not suffering from any pre-existing disease, their likelihood of needing medical attention is higher and including them in a family-floater plan would significantly raise the premium of such a policy. So it is always advisable to get a separate health insurance plan for them while you can go for a family floater plan for yourself and your spouse. This strategy would offer the best coverage at affordable premiums. And these days, there are several senior citizen-specific health insurance plans which are tailored for their unique medical requirements, including shorter waiting periods for pre-existing diseases (PEDs) and even relaxed underwriting norms.

Also, you should also take into account the distance and the logistical challenges you may face because of geographical distance. You wouldn’t want that to affect access to medical care for your family in case of an emergency. New-age plans come with additional services that ensure priority medical assistance, including 24/7 emergency support, hospitalisation guidance, and even on-ground claims support within 30 minutes. These features address one of the biggest concerns NRIs have, which is ensuring timely and high-quality medical care even in their absence.

You should also look for a plan that offers global coverage for critical illnesses, both for your parents as well as your spouse. This can be especially beneficial if you want bring your family to the US to receive specialised care in case of a severe medical emergency.

It is also advisable that you buy health coverage in India for yourself even when you reside in the US. So you should consider a family-floater plan along with your spouse with a sum insured of around ₹1 crore for adequately covering major treatments, including critical illnesses and emergency hospitalisations. By including yourself in the plan, you ensure your coverage on your visits to India with minimal increase in the premium. Also as healthcare costs are cheaper in India, you could plan health procedures on your visits here which can be unaffordable in the US. In this plan as well, you should go for NRI Care programme and global coverage, so your spouse is also fully protected in India, as well as on her visits to the US.

Finally, coming to the tax-benefits, NRIs can claim GST refund paying for the policy through an NRE (Non-Resident External) account. This means additional savings of 18 per cent. So, evaluate your options and make an informed decision that best suits your family.

The author is Joint Group CEO, PB Fintech

Published on August 2, 2025

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