health insurance

[wicketkeeper]

I took out private health insurance on 1st June. On 6th June I was diagnosed with a condition that will need sorting out - consultant's visits, ultrasound scan, MRI scan, course of injections and then possibly an operation if the injections don't work.

The insurers have just told me that I'm not covered as the condition was 'pre-existing' when the insurance was taken out. Well, yes it was - but I didn't know I had it. I had symptoms (bloating and heavy periods) which I put down to other things - time of the month, my age etc. I now know that those symptoms were a direct result of my condition - but my point is that I was unaware at the time when I took out the insurance. How can a condition be 'pre-existing' if you don't know you have it?

It doesn't matter if it was diagnosed or not. If you had the condition before you took out the insurance then it is by definition "pre-existing". It's to stop people who think they might have something wrong with them taking out insurance then getting it diagnosed.

Thanks nocake.

I know the reason for the ruling - my point is that I know I didn't know I had the condition - it's pure coincidence that I took out the insurance when I did. If I'd thought there was something really wrong, and wanted to defraud the system, I would have taken out the insurance 6 months earlier when the heavy bleeding started. And the symptoms that I had were symptoms that pretty much all women have at some point - not things you would go running to the doctor for. If we all went to the doctors every time we had a bit of bloating, we'd be queuing round the block!!

Not only did I not know I had it, I genuinely didn't even suspect (I honestly thought the GP would tell me there was nothing wrong). I know I'm on a bit of a sticky wicket, but I'm going to go to appeal - I don't like the implication that I'm trying to defraud the system by taking out insurance and then making a claim for a condition that I knew about beforehand.

Would also depend what was on your doctors notes. If you have ever mentioned to the doctor about anythng that might be closely related then the insurance companies view it as pre-existing.

Between 1st and 6th June is too close for them to consider as not pre-existing and sadly it doesnt matter that you didnt know for definite but chances are you had the symptons prior to 1st June.

Even though you may not have been diagnosed or even suspected the condition it still existed as you had the symptoms and could easily have seen the GP a week or two earlier if you had chosen to. It's hard but they have to draw a line somewhere.