Significance Of Medical Checkup Before Purchasing A Health Insurance Plan

A medical test or pre-medical test is a set of tests that are performed by potential policy buyers before purchasing health insurance policies. These health insurance exam tests are an integral part of the process of purchasing a health policy.

Most Indian health insurers have the prerequisite of undergoing a medical test for insurance before accepting the policy or offering the coverage to the policy buyers.

Medical Test Lists for Purchasing Policy

Let’s take a look at the lists of medical tests for health insurance:

• Fasting blood sugar
• CBC
• Blood pressure
• ECG
• Urinalysis
• Lipid profile test
• Blood serum tests

These health insurance blood tests are generally performed on two parameters (age and the coverage amount). You need more tests if your coverage amount or your age is on the higher side. Most policy purchasers abhor the idea of undergoing pre-policy medical checkups when purchasing health insurance. They usually avoid these medical check-ups due to their lack of awareness.

Is a Medical Test required for Health Insurance?

Many insurers also don’t recommend medical check-ups for people who are below 45 years and don’t have any underlying conditions. But do you think a health plan that doesn’t require a medical check-up is better than the plans that demand medical check-ups for enrollment? Certainly not.

Even if your insurers don’t ask for medical check-ups, you never hide or conceal a pre-existing condition. In the future, your claims can be called fraudulent and the company has every right to reject your claims.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of medical tests for health insurance:

1. Fewer Chances of Claim Rejection

Very often, people prefer those health insurance policies that don’t demand a medical test from the customers. Thus, these types of policies are highly applauded by the customers as the policy approval time is quicker and the policy plans are also cheaper. But, if you avoid a health check-up before purchasing your health insurance, then in the future, you might need to pay a hefty amount. If you purchase a health policy without any check-up, you may hide your underlying health condition from your insurer. Though the insurer doesn’t force you to go for medical tests, you can’t hide your pre-existing conditions from the company. In the future, withholding can be considered a fraud. If the company finds out that you have hidden your pre-existing conditions, it can reject your claims.

2. Eligible for Discounts

This is another pivotal reason why you should opt for a medical check-up before purchasing a policy. Very often, insurance companies offer discounts on premiums. If you are a wholesome person and you pass the medical test without any hassle, then you will be eligible for rewards from the company with a particular discount on the premium.

3. Coverage for Pre-existing Condition

If you are having some pre-existing conditions, the health insurance provider will offer you some specific exclusions or waiting periods related to your ailments. The insurance company may ask you to pay a higher premium amount for your underlying conditions. But, it’s better to spend a few more bucks today rather than getting the coverage declined when you need it the most.

4. Awareness of Health Condition

Very often, the proposer himself is not aware of his underlying health condition. Under this scenario, the declaration of good health without performing medical check-ups is meaningless. But, if he opts for a medical test before purchasing a health policy, then his insurer will automatically know about his health conditions. So, this is one of the main benefits of medical tests in insurance.

5. No Chances of Underinsured

Getting an insurance medical exam also waives off any chances of being underinsured. If the policy purchaser performs all medical tests and duly submits the test reports, then he will receive the best coverage according to his healthcare condition. These medical tests portray the exact condition of your health. This will also minimize your claim rejection chances and you will also get adequate coverage against your health conditions.

Why do you need to disclose your pre-existing conditions to the insurance company?

Before purchasing a policy, you should disclose your health conditions to the insurer for the following two reasons:

• The health insurance company will accept the claim only when you submit your complete health conditions and this belongs to a contract of good faith.
• If you conceal information and may fall sick due to the same disease, the insurance provider has every right to reject your claims. The insured policyholder should disclose all relevant details at the time of policy purchase.

Principle of Utmost Good Faith

Don’t hide your pre-existing conditions from the insurance company. This may lead to many serious problems in the future. This may put your insurance cover in jeopardy while initiating a claim for your health condition.

The Conclusion

So, it is always recommended to opt for a health insurance policy that wants you to perform pre-entrance medical tests. Try to discard a policy without this clause. According to the IRDAI guidelines, the insurance provider will bear at least 50% costs of your pre-medical check-ups. To minimize the financial burden from the customers, many health insurers compensate for the entire costs of such pre-entrance medical tests. These pre-medical tests are different from insurer-to-insurer.