In India, a **No Claim Bonus (NCB)** (also called a **Cumulative Bonus**) is a feature that rewards you if you complete a policy year without making a health insurance claim. For 2026, this remains a common feature across many retail health insurance plans, although the exact benefit varies by insurer and product. Typically, you'll see one of these benefits: - **Higher sum insured at no extra premium** (the most common type). For example, a ₹10 lakh policy may increase to ₹11 lakh after one claim-free year if the plan offers a 10% cumulative bonus. - **Renewal premium discount**, offered by some insurers instead of (or in addition to) increasing the sum insured. - **NCB protection add-on**, available with certain plans, which lets you retain your accumulated bonus even if you make an eligible claim. Things to check before buying a policy: - How much NCB is added each claim-free year (e.g. 10%, 20%, etc.). - The **maximum cap** (many plans cap the bonus at 50%, 100%, or even higher depending on the product). - Whether one claim reduces the bonus partially or resets it completely. - Whether an **NCB protector** add-on is available. - Whether the accumulated bonus can be retained when porting your policy to another insurer, subject to regulatory and policy conditions. If you're shopping for a new policy in 2026, it's worth comparing plans based on: - Base sum insured. - NCB percentage and maximum limit. - Premium. - Room rent limits (if any). - Waiting periods. - Claim settlement service and network hospitals. If your goal is to maximize long-term coverage, plans that offer a **high cumulative bonus (up to 100–200% of the base sum insured over time)** can provide better value than plans that only offer a renewal premium discount. If you're looking for recommendations, I can also compare the **best health insurance plans in India (2026)** with the strongest No Claim Bonus benefits across insurers.
Sources cited · 3
- No Claim Bonus (NCB) in Health Insuranceaxismaxlife.com/blog/health-insurance/no-claim-bonus-in-health-insurance
- No Claim Bonus (NCB) in Health Insurancestarhealth.in/health-insurance/no-claim-bonus-ncb-in-health-insurance
- No Claim Bonus (NCB): Free Cover Boost or Gimmick?nyvo.in/health-insurance/no-claim-bonus