In Summary
Goods and Services Tax (GST) is levied at a standard statutory rate of 18% on all commercial retail and corporate health insurance policies in India under HSN code 997133. This indirect tax is added directly to the net underwriting premium, determining the gross payable amount.
- Standard tax rate: An 18% GST applies across individual, family floater, critical illness, and super top-up policies, split equally into 9% CGST plus 9% SGST for intra-state sales or 18% IGST for inter-state policies.
- Government welfare exemptions: Social welfare schemes including Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY), Universal Health Insurance Scheme (UHIS), and Niramaya are 100% exempt from GST.
- Income tax recovery: The entire GST amount paid is eligible for income tax deductions under Section 126 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 (formerly Section 80D), up to statutory limits under the Old Tax Regime.
- Premium optimization: Choosing a combination of a base policy and a super top-up plan reduces total taxable premium outlay while preserving high cumulative sum insured protection.
Explore comprehensive coverage options and check premium to view transparent premium breakdowns with exact GST line items before buying.
What is GST?
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a unified, destination-based indirect tax implemented across India on 1 July 2017 to replace a fragmented patchwork of state and central levies, including Service Tax, Value Added Tax (VAT), Central Excise Duty, and Entry Tax. Comprehensive insurance services are governed under this unified code to establish national tax consistency.
Administered jointly by the Central Government and State Governments under the guidance of the GST Council, GST applies across standard statutory rate slabs. Under the GST framework, taxable transactions are categorized into three operational streams:
- Central GST (CGST): The revenue component collected by the Central Government on intra-state supplies.
- State GST (SGST) or Union Territory GST (UTGST): The revenue component collected by State Governments or Union Territories on intra-state supplies.
- Integrated GST (IGST): The tax levied on inter-state transactions, collected by the Central Government and apportioned between the Centre and destination states.
What is GST on health insurance?
GST on health insurance refers to the statutory indirect tax applied to the actuarial base premium charged by insurance companies for medical coverage. When buying retail health insurance, GST is calculated directly on the underwriting cost. Prior to July 2017, medical coverage was subject to a 15% Service Tax (comprising 14% basic service tax, 0.5% Swachh Bharat Cess, and 0.5% Krishi Kalyan Cess). Under the GST regime, health insurance services are classified under Chapter 99 (Services) and attract a standardized tax rate of 18%.
When an individual or corporate policyholder purchases or renews an insurance policy, the insurer calculates the base premium based on age, medical history, sum insured, and chosen riders. An 18% tax is then computed on this base figure and added to the final invoice. For example, if your base annual premium is Rs. 20,000, an 18% GST of Rs. 3,600 is added, resulting in a total payable premium of Rs. 23,600.
Did You Know? (No-claim bonus tax relief)
In 2022, the Ministry of Finance clarified via GST circulars (Circular No. 177/09/2022-TRU) that the cumulative bonus or No-Claim Bonus (NCB) discount granted by insurers directly reduces the taxable base premium. GST is calculated solely on the discounted net premium, not the gross unadjusted premium.
Quick Fact: HSN 997133 classification
All commercial accident and health insurance underwriting services are classified under HSN code 997133 in India's Harmonized System of Nomenclature, attracting a uniform 18% GST across public and private general insurers.
Health insurance GST rate across policy types
The statutory GST rate on health insurance policies stands at 18%. This tax applies across all commercial medical insurance variants sold by general and standalone health insurance companies in India:
- Individual mediclaim policies: 18% applied to individual health insurance base premiums.
- Family floater health insurance: 18% applied to consolidated family health insurance premiums.
- Senior citizen health plans: 18% applied to risk-adjusted senior citizens health insurance covers.
- Critical illness policies: 18% applied to lump-sum critical illness health insurance benefit premiums.
- Hospitalisation mediclaim covers: 18% applied to inpatient mediclaim insurance contracts.
- Employer group policies: 18% applied to corporate group health insurance premiums.
- Maternity benefit covers: 18% applied to family plans with maternity health insurance riders.
- Senior parental protection: 18% applied to dedicated parents health insurance policies.
- Private hospital plans: 18% applied to comprehensive private health insurance options.
Because health insurance is an essential social necessity, industry bodies and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) have repeatedly engaged the GST Council regarding potential rate rationalization. However, pending official statutory notifications by the GST Council, 18% remains the active, legally enforceable rate across all commercial retail policies.
GST on health insurance with HSN codes
In accordance with indirect tax regulations, insurance services are designated under Chapter Heading 9971 (Financial and related services). The table below details approved HSN codes and statutory tax applicability:
| HSN Code | Service Description & Coverage Scope | Statutory GST Rate | Tax Applicability |
| 997133 | Accident and Health Insurance Services (Commercial Retail & Group Policies) | 18% | Fully taxable (standard rate) |
| 997133 | Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) | 0% (Nil) | Statutory government exemption |
| 997133 | Universal Health Insurance Scheme (UHIS) for Below Poverty Line (BPL) Families | 0% (Nil) | Statutory government exemption |
| 997133 | Niramaya Health Insurance Scheme (Administered by National Trust for Disabilities) | 0% (Nil) | Statutory government exemption |
| 997133 | Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) & State Welfare Health Programs | 0% (Nil) | Statutory government exemption |
| 997133 | Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) / Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) | 0% (Nil) | Exempt government employee schemes |
Data verified against Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) service tax tariff schedules.
Who is exempted from GST on health insurance?
While commercial policies purchased by individuals and corporate entities attract the standard 18% rate, the Central Government has exempted specific social security and public welfare schemes to ensure healthcare accessibility for economically vulnerable segments:
- Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY beneficiaries: Eligible low-income households identified under the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) receiving secondary and tertiary hospitalization cover up to Rs. 5 lakh per family receive 100% GST-exempt insurance.
- Persons with disabilities under Niramaya: Policies issued under the National Trust Act, 1999 providing health insurance coverage up to Rs. 1 lakh for individuals with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and multiple disabilities are completely exempt from GST.
- Government micro-insurance and BPL schemes: Janashree Bima Yojana, Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana, and State Government Arogyasri or CM Comprehensive Health Schemes attract 0% GST.
- Commercial retail policyholders: Private individuals, salaried professionals, and senior citizens purchasing standard retail mediclaim policies from commercial insurers are not exempt from GST. However, they can offset this expenditure through statutory income tax deductions.
Types of GST on health insurance
The exact categorization of GST appearing on your insurance premium receipt depends on whether the transaction is an intra-state or inter-state supply:
| Transaction Type | Geographic Scenario | Tax Components | Effective Rate | Tax Pool Allocation |
| Intra-state supply | Policyholder and servicing insurer branch in the same state | 9% CGST + 9% SGST | 18% Total | Split equally between Central and State Governments |
| Inter-state supply | Policyholder and issuing insurer operating entity in different states | 18% IGST | 18% Total | Collected by Central Government and apportioned to destination state |
- Intra-state policy purchase (CGST + SGST): If your policy is serviced by an insurer branch located within the same state as your permanent address (e.g., a Maharashtra resident purchasing from a Pune-registered branch), the 18% tax is divided equally into 9% CGST and 9% SGST.
- Inter-state policy purchase (IGST): If you purchase a digital policy where the issuing insurer entity is registered in a different state (e.g., a Karnataka resident purchasing directly from an insurer whose digital underwriting hub is registered in Gurugram, Haryana), the tax is levied as a consolidated 18% IGST.
- Total payable tax: The gross tax amount paid by the consumer remains identical in both situations (exactly 18%).
How does GST impact your health insurance premium?
The shift from the pre-GST 15% Service Tax regime to the 18% GST structure increased the out-of-pocket tax component on health insurance premiums by 300 basis points (a 20% relative tax hike).
The table below outlines the comparative tax incidence across identical base premiums:
| Policy Sum Insured & Type | Base Underwriting Premium (In Rs.) | Pre-2017 Service Tax @ 15% (In Rs.) | Current GST @ 18% (In Rs.) | Net Additional Tax Outflow (In Rs.) |
| Rs. 5 lakh (Individual 30 yrs) | 8,000 | 1,200 | 1,440 | + 240 |
| Rs. 10 lakh (Family floater 2A+1C) | 18,000 | 2,700 | 3,240 | + 540 |
| Rs. 15 lakh (Family floater 2A+2C) | 28,000 | 4,200 | 5,040 | + 840 |
| Rs. 10 lakh (Senior citizens 65+ yrs) | 48,000 | 7,200 | 8,640 | + 1,440 |
For senior citizens and large families requiring substantial coverage, the 18% tax represents a noticeable annual cash outlay. To evaluate transparent pricing across comprehensive covers, you can review partner plans and calculate your health insurance premium online.