Updates for Pre-Existing Ailments in Health Insurance as per IRDAI Regulations
Health insurance is no luxury in today’s day and age, but in fact, a necessity that cannot be overlooked. With soaring treatment costs due to rising medical inflation, it is difficult to avail of standardized treatment for ailments using your hard-earned savings. Additionally, all your financial plans are disturbed when such medical difficulty occurs, and you must pay from your pocket.
Thus, a health insurance policy comes to the rescue to safeguard your finances and alleviate any financial stress due to medical treatments. The earlier you start, the more advantages you get. But what if you have missed the early train? Can you not apply for one?
It isn’t the case. You can purchase a health insurance policy irrespective of your age. But when buying one, one critical factor that needs attention is coverage for pre-existing diseases.
What are pre-existing diseases, and how do insurance companies deal with them?
Pre-existing diseases are those medical conditions the policyholder already suffers during policy purchase. So, if you are diagnosed with an ailment at the time of policy purchase, it is termed a pre-existing disease.
Some insurers also cover pre-existing diseases in their critical illness insurance plans. Different insurance companies deal differently with such pre-existing ailments. Some levy an additional premium, whereas others mandate a waiting period to include them as part of the coverage; some may even implement a premium increase and a waiting duration.
An additional premium levy increases the cost of insurance coverage. At the same time, waiting for nurtures you to wait for a specified period until the ailment is a part of your policy’s scope. Even if the premium is increased, ensuring coverage for such pre-existing ailment is essential as it has a higher probability of occurrence shortly despite seeking medication. * Standard T&C Apply
The regulator, IRDAI’s take on pre-existing ailments
In September 2019, IRDAI announced the modification of the pre-existing ailment clause. This modification led to the rejection of applications by the insurance companies. However, in February 2020, this amendment was soon deleted, resolving the ambiguity it caused. Here’s a comparative table showcasing the old and the new definitions.
| Earlier definition | Amended definition |
| Pre-existing disease means any condition, ailment, injury, or disease | Pre-existing disease means any illness, illness, damage, or disease |
or |
or |
|
|
| (deleted) |
(Source: IRDAI)
You can visit the official website of IRDAI for further details.
So, to summarise, a pre-existing disease means any condition already in existence at the time of availing of health insurance coverage. It is generally excluded from coverage for a waiting period, which can be a maximum of 4 years. All pre-existing ailments are automatically covered once the waiting period is completed, subject to the policy terms. * Standard T&C Apply
Please note that 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.
