Health Insurance comparison
Royal Sundaram vs Star Health
Royal Sundaram leads on overall score, but the better choice depends on your priorities. Here is how they compare, dimension by dimension.
IRDAI figures side by side
| Measure | Royal Sundaram | Star Health |
|---|---|---|
| Claim settlement ratio (latest year)Claims paid out of claims decided, by number. 95% or more is strong; below 90% is a flag. | Not available | 86.42% in FY 2024-25 |
| Claims counted in that yearBelow 1,000 claims, the ratio swings too much to compare. Each insurer's review names the exact IRDAI table used. | Not available | 23,74,200 reported, 20,22,177 paid |
| Three-year average claim settlement ratioShown only when all three years are available. | Not available | 84.06% |
| Incurred claims ratioClaims incurred as a share of premium earned, from IRDAI's Annual Report. | 97.20% in FY 2024-25 | 70.53% in FY 2024-25 |
| Complaints to IRDAIGrievances reported, from IRDAI's Handbook. | 1,052 in FY 2024-25, 28.4 per 10,000 claims | 20,527 in FY 2024-25, 86.5 per 10,000 claims |
| Solvency ratioIRDAI's minimum is 1.50. | 2.20 at 31 Mar 2025 | 2.21 at 31 Mar 2025 |
Sources: IRDAI Handbook on Indian Insurance Statistics 2024-25, IRDAI Annual Report 2024-25 and insurers' NL-37 public disclosures. Each insurer's review lists the exact table and link. See how we calculate these.
Side-by-side scores
| Dimension | Royal Sundaram | Star Health | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7.7/10 | 7.6/10 | Royal Sundaram |
| Claim settlement | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | Star Health |
| Value | 7.8/10 | 7.5/10 | Royal Sundaram |
| Customer service | 7.5/10 | 7.1/10 | Royal Sundaram |
| Digital experience | 7.5/10 | 7.4/10 | Royal Sundaram |
| Flexibility | 8/10 | 8/10 | Tie |
Royal Sundaram
7.7/10Private insurer with strong Lifeline plans and good family-cover choices.
Pros
- Strong Lifeline lineup
- High-cover Elite option
- Good listed hospital network
Cons
- Global benefits may add cost without everyday value
- Classic variant can be too small
- Health claim settlement ratio not yet verified; FY 2024-25 health ICR was 97.2% (IRDAI Handbook Table 62)
Star Health
7.6/10India's largest standalone health insurer by claims handled, but its FY 2024-25 claim settlement ratio (86.4%) was the lowest of the large standalone insurers.
Pros
- Massive hospital network
- Specialized plans for pre-existing conditions
Cons
- 86.5 complaints per 10,000 claims in FY 2024-25, the highest of the standalone health insurers we track
- Proportionate room rent deductions on older plans
The verdict
On our scoring, Royal Sundaram edges ahead overall. That said, the loser may still win for you on a dimension you weight heavily, so match the table above to your priorities and read both full reviews.