The last few years have shown all of us that our health is our most treasured asset and protecting it has proven vital. Therefore, you want to trust that your healthcare will be covered, so that you have access to the best medical care when you need it.
Trusting your health insurance provider means understanding your pre-existing conditions and having a good grasp of the signs or symptoms to look out for. We’re making it easy for you to understand health insurance for pre-existing conditions by pulling everything you need to know into this article, to ensure you're confident going forward. This will set you up with the assurance you need when applying for health cover.
What is considered in health insurance for pre-existing conditions?
A pre-existing health condition is a sign or symptom that…
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You knew about before applying for your health cover
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You’ve previously sought diagnosis for or asked for medical advice about it
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A reasonable person would seek diagnosis or medical advice about
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Was identified in diagnosis, even if you did not know about it
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Was treated before your cover started
Most providers offer cover for pre-existing conditions in one of three ways:
1. They may permanently exclude the condition from your cover.
2. They may charge an additional premium to cover your existing condition.
3. They may cover your condition after a set time or waiting period.
What is a waiting period?
A waiting period, in reference to health insurance, means the period of time an insured individual must wait before their cover comes into effect. Or more simply - your policy must be in place for a certain amount of time before you're able to make a claim regarding your pre-existing condition.
This wait period may vary from provider to provider and could be anywhere between 12 months to four years. It is also often dependant on the level of cover or type of claim involved.
Underwriting: Determining your health status
Underwriting is another common term health insurance providers use. Underwriting, for health cover, is defined as a process used to determine the status of your health when you’re applying for your health insurance.
In this process the insurance provider will read your application to figure out which coverage we can offer you. It will also give us an indication of what this might cost you and what potential exclusions may apply.
Simply put, it’s our audit process of your medical history to ensure we’re offering you the best cover we can in alignment with our policy. The companies that provide health insurance for pre-existing conditions do not require medical underwriting, however you should still disclose any conditions you have had.
Another important thing to note is the insurance products that provide cover for preexisting conditions may be more expensive than your traditional products.
Summary
We hope to have made your life easier by providing all the need-to-know pieces of information when dealing with health insurance for pre-existing conditions. You’re now set up with all the main facts about what pre-existing conditions and waiting times are, along with what underwriting means if you see it in a policy. If you have a pre-existing health condition, be sure to disclose this information to your insurance advisor, so they are aware of this when seeking the best insurance policy for you.
