NRI · 6 min read
Health Insurance for Parents in India:
A Guide for NRIs
You can buy and pay for your parents' health cover from abroad. The hard part is choosing a senior plan that pays, and having someone on the ground when they need hospital care.
Ravinder Pal Singh Ubeja ·
An NRI can buy a health policy for parents who live in India and pay the premium from abroad. Choose a plan built for seniors, declare every existing condition, and make sure someone in India can handle a claim at short notice.
Who can buy it, and how you pay
The policy is issued to your parents as the insured persons, with you as the proposer and payer if you prefer. Insurers accept premiums from NRE or NRO accounts, and many accept international cards or payments from abroad; the exact options vary by insurer. Proposal forms, tele-medical questionnaires and policy documents can all be handled remotely.
Choosing a senior plan
- Sum insured. For parents in Raipur, ₹10 lakh is a sensible floor. Serious treatment often means Nagpur, Hyderabad or Delhi, where costs are higher.
- Pre-existing diseases. Diabetes, blood pressure and heart conditions are covered after a waiting period, commonly two to three years. Some plans shorten it for an extra premium.
- Co-payment. Many senior plans require your parents to pay a share of every claim, often 10 to 30 percent. A slightly higher premium without co-payment is usually the better buy.
- Room rent and sub-limits. Check for caps on room rent and on specific procedures such as cataract or knee replacement, which are common at this age.
Medical tests and entry age
Most insurers ask for a pre-policy medical check above a certain age, arranged near your parents' home. Entry is usually allowed well into the seventies, but premiums and conditions tighten with age, so buying earlier is cheaper and easier.
Tax
If you file an Indian return and have taxable income in India, the premium you pay for your parents may be deductible under Section 80D, with a higher limit for senior citizen parents. This applies under the old tax regime; the new regime does not allow it. Since 22 September 2025, individual health insurance premiums carry no GST.
The part that matters most
When a parent is admitted, the paperwork happens in India, at the hospital, often at night. If your parents live in Raipur or Bilaspur, we handle the cashless request, documents and follow-up with the insurer on your behalf, and keep you updated wherever you are.