Lost 20 kg and controlled diabetes: Can getting healthier lower your health insurance premium?
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Lost 20 kg and controlled diabetes: Can getting healthier lower your health insurance premium?
Lost 20 kg or brought diabetes under control? Your healthier lifestyle may help reduce insurance costs, but only if your insurer reassesses your risk.
Navneet Dubey
August 20, 2026 / 16:41 IST
At policy purchase, insurers assess factors such as age, medical history and comorbidities
- Health improvements don’t automatically lower premiums.
- Premiums may drop if medical loading is removed.
- Wellness programs offer renewal premium discounts.
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Losing weight, bringing diabetes under control and adopting a healthier lifestyle can improve your health, but can it also reduce what you pay for health insurance? The answer is possibly it may, but not automatically. While insurers may reassess risk after significant health improvements, premium reductions depend on how the policy was originally priced, the insurer’s underwriting rules and whether a medical loading was applied
Can losing weight and controlling diabetes lower your health insurance premium?
Not necessarily. A healthier lifestyle does not automatically result in a lower premium at renewal. Insurers consider several factors while pricing health insurance, including age, medical history and past claims
“While weight loss of 20 kg and better diabetes maintenance are important steps for improving health, this does not necessarily translate into having a lower health insurance cost,” said Arun Ramamurthy, Co Founder, Staywell.health
“Various factors affecting the health insurance costs include the age of the individual, their previous medical history, and previous claims,” said Ramamurthy
However, policyholders can request a reassessment if their health has improved significantly
When can a health improvement actually reduce your premium?
The biggest opportunity arises when the insurer had charged a premium loading when the policy was originally purchased because of a higher perceived health risk
“If an insurer charged an extra premium amount (known as premium loading) when the policy was purchased due to conditions like obesity, Type 2 diabetes, smoking, or hypertension, that extra loading can be removed. However, the PED endorsement is not removed, and the waiting periods for the ailments will continue,” said G Srinivasan, MD& CEO – GALAXY Health Insurance
In other words, successfully improving your health may help remove an additional premium charged for your risk profile, but it does not mean the underlying pre-existing disease declaration or applicable waiting periods automatically disappear
What should a policyholder do to get premium loading reassessed?
The process generally involves three steps:
Wait until renewal: Medical reassessment is generally undertaken at renewal
Submit medical evidence: The policyholder needs to provide clinical evidence demonstrating improved health. For example, a normal BMI, improved HbA1c levels or consistently healthy blood pressure readings
Undergo fresh underwriting: The insurer reassesses the policyholder’s risk profile. If the reassessment is favourable, the insurer may remove the medical loading and bring the premium back towards the applicable baseline rate for that age bracket
Can wellness programmes reduce renewal premiums?
Yes. Even where there is no medical loading to remove, some health insurance policies offer wellness programmes that reward policyholders for healthier behaviour
“Policyholders can track their active lifestylests often translate into a 10 percent to 20 percent discount on renewal premiums. Some insurers reward positive health milestones by boosting the total coverage amountrinivasan
Insurers may also use linked fitness apps and wearable devices to track indicators such as daily steps, sleep and activity levels
Srinivasan said, “Digital Reassessmentinsurers measure daily steps, sleep quality, and active heart rate. The insurer updates the “wellness score” annually, converting the healthy lifestyle directly into renewal premium discounts of up to 10 percent to 20 percent.”
Do former smokers always pay smoker premiums?
No. Former smokers are not necessarily classified as smokers permanently. Srinivasan said most health insurers require a person to remain completely smoke-free for a defined period before they can qualify for non-smoker pricing
In many cases, this period can be around 24-36 months, although the exact requirement depends on the insurer and its underwriting rules
Can reversing a lifestyle disease help when buying a new policy?
It can. A person applying for a new health insurance policy after successfully improving or reversing a lifestyle-related condition may receive different underwriting treatment from someone with an active condition
“Individuals who successfully reverse lifestyle diseases receive significantly better, distinct underwriting treatment when applying for a new policy compared to active patients. They can get a 1. Policy with no loadings 2. Higher sum insured 3. Lesser waiting Period,” said Srinivasan
However, this remains subject to the insurer’s underwriting assessment and cannot be treated as a guaranteed outcome
What happens at purchase, renewal and migration?
At policy purchase, insurers assess factors such as age, medical history and comorbidities. They may rely on the proposal form, previous medical records, prescriptions and investigations, and may conduct tele-underwriting or request medical tests
At renewal, an insurer generally cannot refuse renewal simply because the policyholder’s health has deteriorated, except in cases involving issues such as non-disclosure or fraud. Fresh underwriting may be undertaken when the policyholder requests an increase in sum insured. If an adverse condition is found, the insurer may refuse the increase but must renew the existing coverage, subject to policy terms
Migration or portability allows an insured to shift to another policy while retaining eligible continuity benefits accumulated under the existing policy. This can include credit for waiting periods, subject to the new policy’s terms
“When it comes to portability, it can be regarded as a possibility given that the existing health insurance policy fails to meet one’s needs in the proper manner rather than being a guarantee of a lower insurance price. Portability allows one to transfer any waiting periods and credit accumulated with one’s old health insurance policy according to the new policy’s conditions. In the end, it should be mentioned that when choosing an insurance policy, one should compare the prices of various companies,” said Ramamurthy.
Also read: Is it better to buy separate health insurance for your parents or include them in your family floater?
For internal migration, Srinivasan said, “For internal migration fresh underwriting is not required. However, if a claim was made and a serious ailment has been diagnosed after taking policy the insurer may refuse migration.”
For portability to another insurer, the new insurer may ask for additional medical tests and verify existing health conditions before deciding whether to accept the porting request
What policyholders must know?
Losing 20 kg or bringing diabetes under control can significantly improve your health, but don’t assume your health insurance premium will automatically fall. The clearest route to a lower premium is where the insurer had previously imposed a specific medical loading that can be reassessed and removed
If there is no loading, policyholders may instead benefit from wellness-linked discounts or higher coverage rewards, depending on their policy. And if switching insurers is being considered, portability should be evaluated primarily for better coverage and continuity of benefits, not simply because it may offer a cheaper premium
Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Navneet Dubey With over a dozen years in business journalism spanning print and digital, he demystifies personal finance. His insights empower individuals to build wealth and achieve their financial goals.
first published: Aug 20, 2026 04:41 pm
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Navneet Dubey
