Forgot to Declare Your Health Condition? Here’s What You Can Do

It is often suggested that you should get a health insurance plan as early as possible to cover yourself as well as your family. Moreover, it is necessary to remember that health policies are not long-term, so you may have to renew health insurance at suitable intervals. When you have a health insurance plan, it can be claimed to get financial support from pay-out. But what if your claim were to be rejected? This could put you in a financial as well as emotional lurch. It could add to the problems you are already facing. But why would your health insurance claim be rejected? One of the common reasons could be that you have not declared your pre-existing health conditions. Let’s take a look at why it matters.

Pre-existing health conditions and claim rejection

When buying a health insurance policy, you may or may not be required to undergo a health check-up. At the time of application or renewing of health insurance plans, you may also be asked to state any health conditions that you are currently dealing with. This is to ensure that you get the right sort of coverage at the right premium. If you fail to declare your pre-existing health conditions, it may increase complications for you. Not only could your insurer reject the claim when you happen to make one, they may also cancel your policy for these reasons. This especially applies to major illnesses. For example, if you have diabetes or hypertension, you are required to mention the same to your insurance provider when buying your health plan. On the other hand, if your previous conditions have been relatively minor, such as appendicitis or a fracture, you may get away with not mentioning them. The insurer may not even require you to mention them when you buy a new policy or renew your health insurance. Even a COVID-19 infection, if you have successfully recovered from the same, may not be necessary to mention on your health plan application. However, if it has left you with any further complications owing to the infection, and the condition is something you are currently dealing with, you may need to mention the same on your health insurance application. Remember that pre-existing health conditions, if significant, may also end up affecting your premium. You can use a health insurance calculator to understand how this works. Calculators corresponding to your health plan may be available online on your insurance provider’s website. * Standard T&C Apply

What to do if you have not declared your pre-existing condition?

When your pre-existing conditions have not been declared, you run the risk of policy cancellation by the insurance provider, or rejection of claim. Either way, you risk losing your premium as well as your source of financial support during your critical times. Hence, it is crucial for you to declare your health situation when buying the policy. However, if that has not been done, there are still ways you can help yourself. The first thing you can do in such a situation is make use of the free-look period. This is a period that begins immediately after you purchase the policy. For policies bought online, this period is usually 30 days, whereas for those purchased offline, the free-look period tends to be 15 days. It is a period where if you have any issues with the policy, you may consult your insurance provider and return the policy. You can use this period to inform your insurer of your pre-existing conditions. Now, the policy provider can underwrite the policy based on the applicable underwritten guidelines. Another option to consider, especially if you have already passed your free-look period, is to declare your pre-existing conditions when you renew health insurance. In either case, it is not necessary that the insurer will agree with the new information and continue as is with your policy. However, concealing information can have dire consequences. Hence, it is better to declare your pre-existing health conditions to your insurance provider as soon as possible.   * Standard T&C Apply Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation. For more details on benefits, exclusions, limitations, terms, and conditions, please read the sales brochure/policy wording carefully before concluding a sale.