How does my medical history affect my medical insurance ?
Finding yourself amid hospitalization and a refused claim often seems frustrating. The best way to get out of such hassles is to make sure that you have ticked off all the important things while applying for a health insurance.
Health insurance can be a way out to cover your medical expenses for any kind of unforeseen happening. Without health insurance, handling such situations might seem bundled.
While applying for insurance, making sure of all the perfect ingredients to prepare your policy is important.
Therefore, if you are applying for a health insurance, make sure that you disclose all aspects of your known medical history to the insurer.
It is the accelerator of your policy
Disclosing your medical history to the insurance company will be the main step of the whole process. Just as a doctor is eager to know about your medical history to treat you well, similarly, knowing the important parts of your health record will help the insurer to underwrite your policy in a better way.
The insurance company will estimate the risk and calculate the premium to cover them. Therefore, being honest to the insurer will surely give you a smooth claim experience.
Begin with filling the proposal form
Being stuck while filling the application for an insurance policy is quite normal. The first step is to fill the proposal form where all the necessary details related to the proposed insurer (the one who applies for insurance) are asked.
While filling the form, you will come across a health questionnaire which will ask you about your medical history. Now this is where you have to open the box of history!
What you will be asked ?
Some of the commonly asked questions in the health questionnaire part of the proposal forms while applying for health insurance are:
- Are you currently suffering from Hypertension/High Blood Pressure? Yes/No
- Asthma, Pneumonia, Tuberculosis, Bronchitis, or any other disorder of lungs. Yes/No
- Is any of the proposed insured currently pregnant? (For Females) Yes/No
- Any disorder of the nervous system like Unconsciousness, Stroke, Paralysis, Epilepsy. Yes/No
Once you disclose all the aspects of your medical history in the form, you will have to sign the declaration.
Sign the declaration & be in favour of the policy
Signing the declaration means that you are in favour of the terms and conditions as well as features of the policy. Therefore, it is important that you carefully look into the proposal form and fill it accordingly. As per the declaration, you can also communicate any changes in the health status or occupation before the communication of risk acceptance by the company.
Hiding medical record will leave you nowhere !
Not revealing major facts about your medical history will take away your claim benefits in future. The insurance company puts certain diseases under the pre-existing column which can give you an idea about what your coverage will cover and exclude.
For example, pregnancy treatment, abortion, cosmetic surgeries, self-inflicted injuries etc may not be covered under the policy. Pre-existing diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure generally come with a waiting period.
Hospitalization due to an undisclosed illness can lead to the rejection of a health insurance claim. Not only this, but the insurer can also begin the process of cancellation of your policy depending upon the severity of the case. This can become a hurdle in your overall claim experience. So, why take a risk when you have a chance to avoid it!
Diving into the family history
Your family’s medical history also plays a major role in this process. As some diseases are genetically passed on, the risk assessment will include the medical history of the individual’s family as well.
The health insurers can also look into the number of sick leaves or medical leaves that were taken at the workplace and may want to know their reasons as well. The factors may vary in different companies.
Your insurance claim will depend on your credibility and honesty which will give you a safe and happy experience without any delays or obstacles. So, do remember this important ingredient to prepare the recipe of your flexible policy!
What can we do?
ClaimTherapist can help you in decoding your policy. We can help you in understanding your policies better and providing you claim assistance. Contact our expert today and let them handle the rest!