Star Health Insurance: 65% increase in long-term policies purchased by women in 9M2026 vs 9M2025
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, March 5, 2026: Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited (NSE: STARHEALTH; BSE: 543412), one of India’s leading standalone health insurance companies, today released data from its retail health portfolio covering over 10 million women lives. The data highlights a structural shift in healthcare behaviour among Indian women. Women currently account for 21% of all new retail health policies where they are the primary policyholders.
Preventive health check-ups among women have grown 127% year-on-year (9M FY26 vs 9M FY25), with uptake among women aged 40 years and above increasing by 143%. These trends signal rising awareness around early detection and routine health monitoring, while also indicating that health insurance is increasingly being integrated into early-stage financial planning.
Anand Roy, MD & CEO, Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited, said: “India is witnessing a meaningful shift in women’s approach to healthcare and financial protection. Younger women are engaging more in preventive care and integrating health insurance earlier into financial planning—viewing it as a foundational element of security.
Highlights · 28% of women proposers in the 21–30 age group · 65% increase in long-term policies purchased by women · Preventive health check-ups have increased by 127% among women overall and 143% among women aged 40 and above · 37% growth in female premium contribution · 38% growth in female wellness engagement |
Health insurance plays three important roles in this journey: strengthening a family’s financial resilience, acting as a safety net during medical emergencies, and preserving long-term financial stability. We have observed long-term policy uptake among women has increased 65% year-on-year, indicating a clear shift toward longer-term coverage and sustained health protection. As this shift gathers pace, ensuring that more women view health protection as an essential part of financial planning will become even more important.”
Premium contribution from women has grown approximately 37% year-on-year. Over the past five years, the average overall sum insured purchased by women has increased from Rs5.5 lakh to Rs10.5 lakh.
Beyond ownership, engagement metrics also reflect behavioural evolution. Overall female wellness usage has grown 38% year-on-year, outpacing overall portfolio growth. Telemedicine and Home Health Care (HHC) services together have witnessed strong growth across metropolitan, urban, semi-urban, and rural markets. With telemedicine recording 21X growth and home health care at 4X growth amongst our women cohort.
Despite rising digital engagement in healthcare usage, policy sourcing remains predominantly agent-led, with 83% of female policies distributed through agents, underscoring the importance of assisted decision-making in insurance purchase.
In line with these behavioural shifts, Star Health has built a women-focused product ecosystem designed to support healthcare needs across different life stages. The company offers the Women’s Care Health Insurance Policy, a plan designed for women as primary policyholders, also covering the reproductive health journey from conception to childbirth and beyond. The policy includes maternity expenses, right from conception support, pregnancy-related complications with antenatal and postnatal care, till newborn coverage. Additionally, it also offers coverage on IVF and surrogacy related treatments.
Beyond maternity care, Star Health offers the Mamta women’s wellness rider. It addresses key conditions like PCOS/PCOD, osteoporosis, PMS, anaemia, UTIs, and cervical/breast cancer concerns. Mamta also provides preventive services, including virtual gynaecologist consultations, yoga sessions, and counselling support. For later life stages, the Param Seva add-on focuses on healthcare protection during senior years. Together, these offerings aim to provide health coverage for women from early adulthood through motherhood and into healthy ageing.
