Royal Sundaram vs ICICI Lombard health insurance: waiting periods and benefits compared

Royal Sundaram and ICICI Lombard both sell several health plans, and the rules differ by plan. Compare their waiting periods for pre-existing diseases, restoration benefits and no-claim bonuses, using each insurer's own documents, to understand how these options differ before you buy a policy.

By Qrates research desk · 2026-11-01

When you buy health insurance, the rules buried in the policy document dictate how much money you actually get during an emergency. Royal Sundaram and ICICI Lombard both sell several plans, and the rules differ by plan. Royal Sundaram's Lifeline brochure shows pre-existing disease waiting periods of 36 months on Classic and Supreme, and 24 months on Elite. ICICI Lombard's documents show 24 to 36 months on Complete Health and Elevate, and one Health AdvantEdge sheet still shows 48. Plans from both insurers include a benefit that refills your cover. You can see the policies we list in the Qrates health insurance directory.

Quick answer: Royal Sundaram vs ICICI Lombard health insurance

Royal Sundaram's Lifeline has a pre-existing disease wait of 24 or 36 months by plan. Its Multiplier plan has 36 months.
ICICI Lombard's Complete Health brochure says 2 years, and its Elevate wording says 36 months with an option to reduce it.
Both insurers offer a restoration benefit on the plans below. Royal Sundaram calls it Reload and ICICI Lombard calls it Reset.

At a glance: Royal Sundaram and ICICI Lombard

You can compare the plans below. These figures come from each insurer's own brochures and policy documents. Versions change, so treat your policy schedule as the final word.

Feature	Royal Sundaram	ICICI Lombard
Plans checked	Lifeline, Multiplier	Complete Health Insurance, Elevate, Health AdvantEdge
Pre-existing disease waiting period	Lifeline: 36 months (Classic, Supreme), 24 months (Elite). Multiplier: 36 months	Complete Health: 2 years. Elevate: 36 months, can be reduced to 24 or 12 months. Health AdvantEdge: 48, 36 or 24 months by option on one key information sheet
Restoration benefit	Lifeline, Multiplier: reload of up to 100% once a policy year, not on the first claim	Complete Health, Health AdvantEdge: reset of up to 100%. How often depends on the version and sum insured
No-claim bonus	Lifeline: 10% a year up to 50% (Classic), 20% a year up to 100% (Supreme, Elite)	Health AdvantEdge: 20% a year up to 100%

The Qrates directory currently lists 3 Royal Sundaram and 7 ICICI Lombard policies under health insurance. These lists do not show each insurer's full range. They include narrower covers such as surgery and travel policies, so the count does not tell you which insurer has more health plans.

Waiting periods for pre-existing diseases

A pre-existing disease is any health condition you already have when you buy the policy. Insurers enforce a waiting period before they will pay any hospital bills related to that specific illness. If you file a claim for a pre-existing condition before this period ends, the insurance company can reject it.

ICICI Lombard's Complete Health brochure gives a 2-year wait. Its Elevate policy wording sets 36 months, with an optional cover that reduces this to 24 or 12 months if you take it at the start. For Health AdvantEdge, one key information sheet shows 48, 36 or 24 months depending on the option you select, while the Apex Plus brochure lists 2 years.

Royal Sundaram's Lifeline brochure lists 36 months for Classic and Supreme and 24 months for Elite. Its Multiplier wording sets 36 months. During the second and third policy years, Multiplier covers declared pre-existing diseases with a 50% co-payment, up to ₹2 lakh a year.

IRDAI's health insurance FAQ says the maximum waiting period is 36 months, and it refers to the Master Circular dated 29 May 2024. Royal Sundaram's own note says these changes apply to its existing policies from 1 October 2024. Some older documents, including one older IRDAI FAQ page, still mention 48 months. If a document shows more than 36 months, ask the insurer which rule applies. You must check the exact waiting period in your policy schedule before paying the premium.

Restoration benefits and policy features

A restoration benefit refills your health cover amount if you exhaust it during the policy year. This feature helps if you or a family member face multiple hospital visits in the same year.

Royal Sundaram's Lifeline wording gives a 100% reload of the sum insured once in a policy year. Its customer information sheet says reload does not apply to the first claim in the year. Multiplier has a similar reload.

ICICI Lombard's Complete Health brochures describe a reset of up to 100% of the base sum insured. One brochure says once a year and a newer one says unlimited times. In Health AdvantEdge, the wording says policies below ₹10 lakh reset once per illness, and those at ₹10 lakh and above reset unlimited times.

Health AdvantEdge also has a Guaranteed Cumulative Bonus of 20% for each claim-free year, up to 100%. A no-claim bonus increases your total cover amount for every year you do not file a claim. A 100 percent bonus means a ₹5 lakh base cover could grow to ₹10 lakh over several claim-free years. Lifeline Supreme and Elite have the same 100% ceiling, and Lifeline Classic stops at 50%.

Network hospitals and IRDAI claim data

Network hospitals are medical facilities that have an agreement with your insurance company. You can check the cashless network hospitals for both insurers using their official portals. Insurers update these lists regularly as they add or remove hospitals from their network.

The insurance regulator publishes insurer claims data in its annual reports. The latest one listed on its site is the IRDAI Annual Report 2024-25. The claim settlement ratio shows how many claims the company settles out of the total claims it receives. The incurred claims ratio shows how much money the company pays out in claims compared to the total premiums it collects.

Cashless claims usually require admission at a network hospital. If you visit a non-network hospital, you usually pay the bill first and file for a refund later. The General Insurance Council launched the Cashless Everywhere initiative in January 2024 to let policyholders avoid paying out of pocket when a claim is admissible, so you can ask for a cashless health insurance claim at a non-network hospital. Conditions apply. ICICI Lombard's page, for example, asks you to inform it at least 48 hours before a planned admission.

Who each one suits, by need

If a shorter waiting period for pre-existing diseases matters to you, compare Lifeline Elite and Complete Health, and check the Elevate option to reduce the wait. Each has its own price and conditions.

If you want restoration benefits to refill your sum insured, note that the plans checked from both insurers include one. Compare how often it applies and whether it covers the first claim.

If a high no-claim bonus is a priority, note that Lifeline Supreme and Elite and Health AdvantEdge go up to 100 percent on the documents we checked.

FAQs

What is the waiting period for pre-existing diseases in ICICI Lombard?

It depends on the plan and version. ICICI Lombard's Complete Health brochure says 2 years. The Elevate wording says 36 months, with an option to reduce it to 24 or 12 months. A Health AdvantEdge key information sheet shows 48, 36 or 24 months by the option chosen. Check your own policy schedule.

How to check network hospitals for Royal Sundaram and ICICI Lombard?

You can find the hospital network lists on the official Royal Sundaram and ICICI Lombard websites. The tool names can vary, so look on their health insurance pages.

ICICI Lombard health insurance me room rent limit kitni hai?

Room rent limits depend on the specific policy document, such as the ICICI Lombard Complete Health Insurance plan. You can find this clause in the health insurance policy wording document under the hospitalisation benefits section.

The short version

The waiting period depends on the plan, not just the insurer. IRDAI's FAQ puts the maximum at 36 months.
Royal Sundaram's Lifeline shows 24 or 36 months, and its Multiplier shows 36 months.
ICICI Lombard's Complete Health shows 2 years, and Elevate shows 36 months with an option to reduce it.
The plans checked from both insurers include a restoration benefit.

Sources

Disclaimer

Qrates is an information directory. It takes no commission from any company listed and does not recommend products. Figures are taken from the sources named and dated, and they change; check the company's own page before you decide. This is not investment, credit, insurance or tax advice for your situation.