How to get insurance for a pre-existing condition

Health insurance coverage is a necessity these days. In fact, it is advisable to purchase health insurance before you actually get sick. However, this is an ideal case, and it is possible for people to have an underlying condition at the time of buying insurance. 

Here is what you need to know if you have a pre-existing medical condition when purchasing insurance. 

What is a pre-existing condition?

This refers to the disease or ailments a person is suffering from at the time of buying the health insurance policy. This will usually include medical history. 

For example:

– A broken leg

– Diabetes detected following an analysis

– Asthma that you have had since birth

– A heart problem

– A chronic disease (Crohn’s disease, Uveitis, etc.)

– A current or old serious illness (HIV, Parkinson’s, etc.)

It is best to be transparent when declaring your pre-existing conditions. They must be mentioned in the membership form that constitutes your medical profile. This is necessary for the insurer to calculate the risk rate of your file and compare it with the standard rate.

What do insurers think about a pre-existing condition?

There is a scale of risks and pre-existing conditions, so each condition is judged on its own. Here are examples that will allow you to judge the state of your situation:

– An Appendicitis crisis that followed hospitalization. Everything is back to normal and this accident will not cause complications in the future. This is information the insurer will take note of, but it will have no consequences when you subscribe.

– You have had diabetes since childhood, so you need regular treatment and many consultations. All these medical acts can be quantified financially, so it is a certain cost for insurers, and it is no longer the cover of a risk. As a result, the insurer may increase your insurance premium or exclude this pathology.

In the case of exclusion, the insurer will take into account all the pathologies and or possible consequences due to your pre-existing condition, in order to calculate the maximum potential risk. It is sometimes difficult to understand but the insurer will prefer to rule out all the risks (even if these do not materialize).

Thus, insurance companies will, in many cases, offer the exclusion of the pathology and its consequences. In the riskiest or deemed most serious cases, the insurer may also issue, without justification, a total rejection of the application for membership.

This is a subject that must be taken seriously. Uncovered expenses should be considered, as they will be at your expense, and may jeopardize your expatriation. 

You can learn how to buy international health and medical insurance for a clear picture of the entire process, of which the consideration of pre-existing conditions is a part.

At Expatmedicare, we do our best to guide you. If you have any questions regarding insurance for a pre-existing condition, please contact us or visit our website.