2. Would my base premium remain constant, or it would change over a period?

Yes, your premiums would increase over time and it depends on age brackets, claim experience and other factors. So, even if you opt for a health insurance plan earlier in life, your premium would go up almost every year or every 5 years, depending on your age, health conditions and other factors.

So, the natural question everyone would have is, why opt for a health insurance plan early? In any case, younger people need to claim their health insurance lesser than older people, right? So, should the younger ones wait to grow old before opting for a good HI plan?

In my opinion, the answer is NO and there are multiple reasons for the same.

a. Is there a guarantee that the young will not fall ill?

With COVID-19 second wave, we have seen that the young needed more hospitalisation than the old.

b. With the rise of lifestyle ailments, diabetes, obesity, digestive concerns and hypertension has taken a leap in the youth of India. Fitness and a healthy lifestyle, which have taken a backseat, need to be focused along with a large comprehensive health plan to tackle the issue.

c. The earlier you opt for a health insurance plan, the lesser likely it would be that you would have any pre-existing ailments. So, your coverage quantum would be higher than if you have any of the pre-existing lifestyle ailments.

d. Since the young usually need lesser hospitalisation than the old, your mandatory and specific waiting periods would be over before you actually need them.

The moral of the story is that you need to opt for a high health insurance plan as early as possible. You can always top it up later.