Written by the Parayil team. 13 April 2026. 6 min read.
Health insurance for parents in Kerala: what to look for after sixty
Separate policy or family floater, waiting periods, co-payment, room rent limits and the tax deduction, explained for children arranging cover for their parents.
The short answer
Buy parents over sixty their own policy rather than adding them to your floater, choose one with no or low co-payment and no room rent cap, check the waiting period for existing conditions, and confirm that the hospitals your parents actually use in Ernakulam are in the cashless network.
Arranging health cover for parents is one of the most common reasons people come to see us, very often on behalf of a son or daughter working abroad. It is also where the fine print matters most.
A separate policy, not your floater
Adding parents to a family floater pushes the premium for everyone up to their age band, and one large claim can use up the cover for your children too. A separate senior citizen policy is usually the better arrangement.
The four clauses to read
- Waiting period for pre-existing diseases such as diabetes or hypertension. Two to three years is common; shorter is better.
- Co-payment: the share of every bill your parents pay themselves. Policies for older people often carry 10 to 30 percent.
- Room rent limits. A cap on room rent can cut the payout on the whole bill, not just the room.
- Disease-specific sub-limits, especially for cataract, knee replacement and cardiac procedures.
Hospitals that matter
Check that the hospitals your parents would actually go to are in the insurer's cashless network: in Angamaly, Aluva, Kochi or Thrissur. A policy is only as useful as the hospital desk that accepts it.
Tax
Under the old tax regime, premiums for parents who are senior citizens qualify for a deduction of up to ₹50,000 a year under Section 80D. The new regime does not allow this deduction, so it helps to know which regime you file under.
Disclose everything
Hiding a condition on the proposal form is the single biggest cause of rejected claims. Declare it, accept the waiting period, and the policy will hold when it is needed.
This guide is general information from Parayil Agencies & Financial Supermarket, a mutual fund distributor and insurance intermediary in Angamaly, Kerala. It is not personalised advice. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks; read all scheme-related documents carefully.