Health Insurance Transforms: Over One Lakh Policyholders Earn Premiums Back in FY25
In a groundbreaking shift for the insurance sector, more than one lakh policyholders have earned their premiums back up to 100% in FY25. This milestone reflects how health insurance is evolving to reward staying well, rather than merely paying for illness. Behind these numbers are thousands of individual journeys, shaped by everyday health choices and enabled by Aditya Birla Health Insurance (ABHI). From daily step goals to improved chronic care management, policyholders are turning small decisions into lasting habits that enhance their overall well-being.
Personal Stories of Health Transformation
These successes are driven by real people making consistent efforts. For instance, Shahnawaz Pathak, at 50, has embraced step tracking to stay active, while Kadambani Auslekar from Mumbai credits the Activ Health App for refocusing on her health journey. Similarly, Abhishek Goswami has managed his diabetes more effectively through regular check-ups, coaching support, and simple lifestyle adjustments. Together with over one lakh other customers, these stories highlight how healthy behavior is actively encouraged, tracked, and rewarded, transforming insurance into a daily partner in wellness.
Redefining Insurance: From Reactive Safety Net to Proactive Partner
Traditionally, health insurance in India has served as a reactive safety net, stepping in only during illness. However, with lifestyle-related conditions now accounting for over 56% of the disease burden, the model is being reimagined to complement treatment with prevention. ABHI has responded to this shift by adopting a "health first" philosophy, integrating wellness and prevention into its core offerings instead of treating them as optional add-ons. This approach recognizes that hospitalization support alone cannot shape long-term health outcomes, aiming to support customers well before a claim becomes necessary.
HealthReturns™: When Healthy Habits Pay Back
A key element of ABHI's strategy is HealthReturns™, a wellness-linked reward model. Policyholders can earn returns by completing Active Dayz™, such as walking 10,000 steps or burning 300 calories, and maintaining a good Healthy Heart Score™ through regular assessments. Those who achieve 325 Active Dayz™ in a year and keep a Green Healthy Heart Score™ can earn up to 100% of their annual premium back. These rewards can be used for renewal premiums, medicines, or diagnostic tests, allowing everyday healthy habits to translate into tangible savings on healthcare expenses.
The Activ Health App: Turning Choices into Wins
The Activ Health App plays a crucial role by combining activity tracking, digital health assessments, and personalized nudges. It offers lifestyle and mental well-being insights, helping customers identify areas for improvement. The experience is highly tailored, with prompts based on age, activity levels, health indicators, and lifestyle patterns. The focus is on simple, sustainable habits like staying active and getting regular check-ups, rather than short-term fitness trends. In FY25, over one lakh ABHI policyholders collectively recorded 350 billion steps, demonstrating sustained engagement and positive behavior change.
Wellness Integrated into Products
ABHI weaves wellness into its flagship health solutions in innovative ways. For example, Activ One combines comprehensive medical protection with proactive health support, including day-one chronic care for lifestyle diseases, annual health assessments, and broad coverage for inpatient and allied treatments. For younger customers, Activ Fit rewards healthy lifestyles by blending financial protection with behavioral incentives, offering premium discounts, step-based rewards, sum-insured refills, and additional benefits like maternity cover. These features help keep policyholders motivated to stay active and healthy over the long term.
Chronic Care Management as Core Support
Recognizing that many Indians live with long-term conditions, ABHI integrates chronic care into its core products rather than offering it as a separate add-on. In FY25, ABHI intervened with 1.8 lakh lives through chronic-care support. Eligible customers with conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, or high cholesterol can access day-one coverage alongside structured support, including regular doctor consultations, diagnostics, medicines, and lifestyle coaching. This integrated approach helps manage conditions proactively, combining routine care and acute episodes under one health proposition.
Broader Impact on Health Behaviors
Wellness-linked insurance models are gradually reshaping how people engage with health, bringing prevention and everyday choices into the insurance conversation alongside protection and claims. As more Indians focus on staying well rather than responding only after diagnosis, insurance is evolving from a reactive safety net into a longer-term health enabler. Approaches like ABHI's Health First philosophy reflect this shift, acknowledging that sustained health outcomes depend as much on daily behavior and chronic care management as on financial protection. In this new model, insurance moves beyond paying for illness to actively supporting healthier lives over time.
Note to readers: This article is part of a paid consumer connect initiative. The publisher assumes no editorial involvement or responsibility for errors, omissions, or content accuracy.
