Exclusions in a Health Insurance Policy
The moment of truth in an insurance policy is at the time when a claim arises. One of the most common reasons for a health insurance claim not being paid by an insurance company is when they say that the particular disease is not covered by the policy and is an "exclusion". It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of the policyholder and can sometimes put the policyholder in great financial difficulty. Thus, it is very important to know in detail about the exclusions in a health insurance policy before purchasing it. In our opinion, it is a far more important variable than price. A policy might be 10% cheaper than a competitor's policy but might have much more exclusion clauses-in such a case, the policy with the lesser number of exclusion clauses would be the better choice for the policyholder.
In this article, we deal with some of the common exclusion clauses in a health insurance policy. Of late, we are seeing some innovation in this area with the new companies not excluding certain ailments which had traditionally been within the exclusions area
- Maternity: In most cases, maternity and maternity-related expenses are not covered in an individual or family floater health insurance policy. Maternity is typically covered in a group policy. In certain cases, we are seeing maternity being covered after 5 years into the policy.
- Diseases or illnesses contracted within the first 30 days of the policy. The insurance company does this to safeguard itself against customers buying a policy immediately after a disease has been detected
- Cataracts, Prostrate, Hernia, Piles, fistula, gout, rheumatism, kidney stones, tonsils, and sinus-related disorders, congenital disorders, drug addictions, nonallopathic/alternate treatments, self-inflicted injuries, hysterectomy, fertility related treatments, etc are normally not covered under a health insurance policy. Dental treatment and cosmetic surgery are also typically excluded. Contact lenses cost is also not covered. HIV/AIDS is excluded, which has been a subject of great debate and criticism in the last few weeks. Some insurance companies do not cover treatment incurred outside the country, so you should check once before buying the policy
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