Complaint Landscape Erupts
Recent analyses of insurance ombudsman data for the fiscal year 2024-25 reveal a concerning trend of increasing policyholder dissatisfaction across India's
health insurance sector. Many individuals find themselves at odds with their insurers due to various issues, ranging from misleading sales tactics and inadequate customer support to protracted claim settlements and outright claim rejections. This widespread discontent has led to a substantial number of formal complaints being lodged. The Council of Insurance Ombudsman (CIO) annual report, in conjunction with IRDAI statistics, sheds light on which companies are most frequently the subject of these grievances, providing a critical benchmark for evaluating insurer performance and customer satisfaction levels. Understanding these complaint figures is vital for consumers seeking reliable health coverage.
Star Health Leads Complaints
Star Health and Allied Insurance Co. Ltd. stands out significantly in the realm of policyholder complaints, amassing an overwhelming 12,186 grievances during FY2024-25. This figure encompasses both ongoing complaints from the previous year and those filed anew within the current reporting period. Following a considerable distance, CARE Health garnered 4,423 complaints, while Niva Bupa Health Insurance registered 3,983 complaints. These three stand-alone health insurers dominated the top positions for customer dissatisfaction. Notably, among public sector insurers, only National Insurance Co. Ltd. managed to enter the top five, with 1,890 complaints, underscoring the disproportionate volume of issues faced by the leading private health insurers. The sheer magnitude of complaints against Star Health dwarfs those of its closest competitors, with the sum of complaints against the next four insurers still falling short of Star Health's total.
Complaint Ratios Unveiled
To contextualize the total complaint numbers, it's essential to examine the ratio of complaints relative to the number of policyholders. This metric, calculated by dividing the total complaints by the number of lives covered (in thousands) and multiplying by 100, provides a clearer picture of an insurer's customer service effectiveness per lakh policyholders. Star Health, despite its large policyholder base of 23,780 thousand, recorded a complaint rate of 51 per lakh policyholders. CARE Health, with 25,549 thousand lives covered, had 17 complaints per lakh, and Niva Bupa, covering 21,675 thousand lives, saw 18 complaints per lakh. Other insurers like Aditya Birla Health Insurance (12 per lakh), HDFC Ergo General Insurance (10 per lakh), and The Oriental Insurance (10 per lakh) also feature in the top ten. Interestingly, United India Insurance Co. Ltd., with the largest coverage of 168,779.44 thousand lives, reported the lowest ratio at just 1% (or 1 complaint per lakh policyholders), indicating a strong performance in customer service relative to its vast customer base.
Top Ten Complaint Leaders
The Council of Insurance Ombudsman's annual report for 2024-25, augmented by IRDAI statistics, identifies the top ten health insurers facing the highest number of policyholder complaints. Star Health and Allied Insurance Co. Ltd. leads this list with 12,186 complaints and a ratio of 51 complaints per lakh policyholders, based on 23,780 thousand lives covered. CARE Health Insurance Ltd. follows with 4,423 complaints, a ratio of 17 per lakh, and 25,549 thousand lives covered. NIVA BUPA Health Insurance Co. Ltd. is third with 3,983 complaints, a ratio of 18 per lakh, and 21,675 thousand lives covered. Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited secured the fourth spot with 2,354 complaints, a ratio of 12 per lakh, and 18,962 thousand lives covered. National Insurance Co. Ltd. reported 1,890 complaints, a ratio of 5 per lakh, with 40,731.49 thousand lives covered. The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. received 1,706 complaints, a ratio of 2 per lakh, and covered 80,847.272 thousand lives. HDFC Ergo General Insurance Company Limited had 1,542 complaints, a ratio of 10 per lakh, from 15,654 thousand lives. The Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd. registered 1,456 complaints, a ratio of 10 per lakh, with 14,789.824 thousand lives. ICICI LOMBARD General Insurance Co.Ltd. garnered 974 complaints, a ratio of 2 per lakh, from 40,899 thousand lives. Finally, United India Insurance Co. Ltd. received 876 complaints, achieving the lowest ratio of 1 per lakh, despite covering the most lives at 168,779.44 thousand.



