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Existing illnesses are those suffered by the insured when contracting new medical insurance. The IRDAI defines pre-existing illness as a) any condition, illness, injury, or ailment diagnosed by a physician in the 48 months prior to the effective date of the policy issued by the insurer or its reimbursement; or b) for those within A physician has recommended or received medical treatment or advice 48 months after the date of issue or reinstatement of the insurance policy.
IRDAI has requested that all existing health insurance products that do not meet this definition are no longer offered or advertised as of October 1, 2020.
As a general rule, most health insurance covers pre-existing conditions after a certain period of time called a “waiting period.” The waiting period for pre-existing conditions ranges from one year to four years of uninterrupted coverage from the date the first policy was purchased from the insurer. At the end of the waiting period, the insurance company begins to cover the existing conditions.
In the event of an increase in the insured sum, the exclusion and the waiting time will be applied again until the insured sum is increased.
Health insurance is bought and sold almost in “good faith.” If you hide information while completing the application form, the insurance company may deny your claims in the future based on incorrect information. If you want to avoid such denial of a claim, you must honestly disclose your pre-existing terms and all other details.
You must disclose all medical conditions to the best of your knowledge. It is important to verify the policy exclusions and the waiting time before purchasing health insurance. You can compare policies and choose a policy with a shorter wait time if you have an illness when you buy the policy.
