Looking at the ongoing situation, maintaining health and taking care of it has become our top priority. To secure it you must also buy a comprehensive health insurance policy. However, while purchasing the health plan, people tend to make a common mistake by lying about or not disclosing their pre-existing medical condition when filling up the form. Some of them do it on purpose because they assume their policy might face rejection otherwise. And if it gets approved, the premium amount will increase. However, what you don’t understand is that if you hide your pre-existing conditions, your claim will be at risk later. Therefore, always disclose it to your insurer so you are clear at the time of claim. You need not worry about this situation anymore, as the insurers now provide coverage for pre-existing diseases, with just a few terms and conditions.
Let us first understand what pre-existing diseases are:
The medical ailments that you already are suffering from while purchasing health insurance policy are termed as pre-existing diseases.
Coverage for pre-existing diseases
Usually, when your health insurance providers understand about the pre-existing diseases that you are suffering from, they offer you coverage for the same but after a certain period which is also termed as the ‘waiting period’. The duration of this period completely depends on the type of plan that you have, and it varies from 1 to 4 years. In case any medical conditions happen to arise out of pre-existing illness during this period, it won’t be covered. If you keep the policy active by renewing it every year, the waiting period will be over covering the pre-existing conditions and you will be able to make claims henceforth.
Disclosing your pre-existing conditions
While purchasing the health insurance policy, you are asked to sign a form that asks whether all information provided is correct. This means you are agreeing to be faithful. Later, the insurance provider will assess all the conditions that are stated in the form, and your proposal will be accepted based on all the information. In case any detail is hidden from your insurer, you might be in trouble. On registration of a claim, the policy is held null and void by the insurance company. If you do not want your claim to get rejected, disclose the pre-existing conditions and all the other details with honesty. You sure won’t receive coverage for the beginning years, but once the waiting period gets over you can enjoy the benefit of the coverage received.
If you think you will suffer from a critical illness such as diabetes because someone from your family has it, or there are other such diseases that you fear you may be exposed to, then you should premeditatedly opt for a critical illness insurance to manage your expenses.
How to buy a health plan if you have a pre-existing condition?
You must disclose all your medical history when you’re buying a health insurance policy. Buy a policy that has a short waiting period, so you don’t have to wait much for your pre-existing disease to get covered. More importantly, purchase a health plan as early as you can so you can enjoy the benefits of the waiting period, and make a claim in case any illness that comes up.
You can choose from the various types of health insurance plans available in the market. To safeguard your entire family under a single plan, you can select a family health insurance plan. If you’re looking for a more customized cover, go for an individual insurance plan.
