Young India’s New Health Cover Rewards Fitness, Sleep, And Smart Habits

Aditya Birla Health Insurance has launched a new health plan called Active Yuva, a health insurance plan designed for young Indians. This plan has a wellness component to it. That means it rewards individuals for healthy behaviours across nutrition, fitness, and recovery.

Rewards Linked To Daily Wellness Habits 

So, walking 10,000 steps or more per day is rewarded, and so is burning 300 calories in one single exercise session. Through this, customers can earn 100 per cent of their premiums back in the best-case scenario.

The plan is thus based on three pillars. The benefits are measured in terms of HealthReturns and ActiveDayz. Users who log any two meals a day for 21 days in a month on the app can unlock a 10 per cent boost in their monthly HealthReturns. Users maintaining a monthly average of over 7,500 steps or burning 250 calories can earn four bonus Active Dayz each month. Users maintaining seven to eight hours of sleep for 21 days in a month can unlock up to a 15 per cent boost in monthly HealthReturns.

Says Mayank Bathwal, Chief Executive Officer, Aditya Birla Health Insurance, “Health insurance must evolve with changing consumer lifestyles and wellness habits. Younger consumers today actively invest in their well-being as part of their daily lives. This creates a clear opportunity to make insurance more relevant to how they live.”

Can Customers Really Earn Back 100 Per Cent Premiums? 

“Many young Indians already track steps, sleep, and meals via Apple Watch, Fitbit, Cult, HealthifyMe, so Activ Yuva simply attaches financial value to behaviour they're doing anyway. That reframes insurance from a once-a-year transaction into a daily touchpoint, which is exactly the engagement problem health insurers struggle with,” says Abhishek Kumar, a Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi)-registered investment advisor (RIA), and founder and chief investment advisor of SahajMoney, a financial planning firm.

Also, he says that although it looks enticing as a benefit, in practice, the 100 per cent ceiling is hard to hit because of the requirements. “A realistically fit user might earn 30 per cent to 50 per cent; the full 100 per cent is essentially the reward for near daily app engagement plus genuinely healthy metrics,” he adds.

Optional Riders Need Careful Evaluation 

The plan also has other optional features like maternity cover, Outpatient Department (OPD) cover, and protecting your income during recovery cover. However, these make sense only on a case-by-case basis.

Explains Kumar, “Match each rider to a specific, near-term financial gap. For example, OPD cover would make sense if one is spending Rs 15,000+ annually on consultations, diagnostics, dental or therapy, as otherwise the premium likely exceeds usage given the per-category sub-limits.”

Also, maternity cover is worth it only if pregnancy is realistically three to five years away (the waiting period eats shorter horizons) and one is okay with the one delivery cap and surrogacy/ectopic exclusions.

“Finally, Income Protect would matter most for the self-employed, freelancers, or single earners without sick leave, as salaried employees with employer coverage often duplicate it,” he adds.

Insurers like Manipal Cigna, Star Health and Care Insurance also provide plans which reward a fit lifestyle, though the focus may not be on the youth.

“Wellness-led features are becoming an increasingly important aspect of health insurance adoption, particularly among customers who are proactively engaging with preventive healthcare and digital health ecosystems. Products such as Care Supreme are designed to encourage policyholders to participate in health-oriented activities through wellness-linked benefits, preventive care features, annual health check-ups, and digital engagement services,” says Manish Dodeja, executive director, Chief Business Officer, Care Health Insurance.

FAQs

Can policyholders really earn back 100 per cent of their premium under Activ Yuva?

While the plan allows up to 100 per cent premium recovery through wellness rewards, experts say most users may realistically achieve around 30-50 per cent depending on consistency and app engagement.

Who may benefit most from wellness-linked health insurance plans like Activ Yuva?

Young, digitally active individuals who already track fitness, sleep, nutrition, and exercise habits may find greater value in such plans through rewards and wellness-linked incentives.

Are optional riders like OPD, maternity, and income protection useful for everyone?

Not necessarily. Their usefulness depends on individual needs, expected medical expenses, family planning timelines, and employment situation.