Answer Book question
The time after buying a policy during which certain claims are not paid: an initial 30 days for most illnesses, one to two years for specified conditions such as hernia or cataract, and up to three years for pre-existing diseases under current norms. Buy before you are ill, because the clock starts at purchase.
The time after buying a policy during which certain claims are not paid: an initial 30 days for most illnesses, one to two years for specified conditions such as hernia or cataract, and up to three years for pre-existing diseases under current norms. Buy before you are ill, because the clock starts at purchase.
A 52-year-old buys his first policy after a borderline diabetes diagnosis. His pre-existing waiting period is three years. At 54 he needs a diabetes-related procedure. Not covered. Had he bought at 45, the waiting period would have long expired.
Insurers use waiting periods to prevent people buying cover only after they know they will claim. Accidents are typically covered from day one. Once a waiting period is served under one insurer, portability rules let you carry that credit to another insurer, so you do not restart the clock by switching.
Initial waiting period (usually 30 days) Specified-disease waiting period and the list Pre-existing disease waiting period Whether your declared conditions are permanently excluded or time-limited Portability credit if switching insurers
Not declaring a condition to avoid the waiting period is the single most common cause of rejected claims. Declare everything; serve the wait; then claim with confidence.
For parents in Kerala being insured by children abroad, the waiting period means the first two to three years offer partial protection. Keep a reserve for that window.
Policy bought 1 March. Accident 15 March: covered. Appendix surgery 20 March: not covered (30-day wait). Cataract in year one: not covered (specified wait). Diabetes complication in year two: not covered if diabetes was pre-existing and the wait is three years.
Waiting periods do not apply to accidents in most policies and some plans offer reduced pre-existing waits for higher premium. Read your specific plan.
Buy while healthy Declare every condition Note the date each waiting period expires
Can an insurer reject me because I have diabetes? Can I switch health insurers? My company already covers me. Why buy another policy?
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IRDAI health insurance regulations and consumer guidance · Your policy wording and schedule · Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP) / PM-JAY guidelines for whether you may qualify Rates, limits and whether you may qualify change. Confirm with the official source. Ask Kerala Rising: Send us the policy schedule and the ages of everyone covered. We will tell you what the policy actually pays, what it does not, and whether a large bill would be survivable. WhatsApp +1 443 595 9000 · keralarising.com Kerala Rising › Money › Health insurance · Health 10
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