Health insurance - what exactly is a pre existing condition??

[CocoSims]

I’m new to the world of health insurance so although I’m looking into this I just wondered if anyone had experience or knowledge of how this works...

I suffer from a rare bladder condition which the NHS is openly poorly educated on. I’ve been to them with bladder pain and have been put on painkillers for the pain but have never had an official illness diagnosed, there’s no name for what I have on my file.

So, if I’ve not been diagnosed with anything other than pain would this still count as a pre existing condition?? Im looking at going private so I can guide the doctors more and get the treatment I actually want but obviously if it’s pre existing they won’t touch it for 2 years.

I’m sure this is a grey area but any help would be appreciated.

Many thanks

Yeah that’s pre existing.
Also there’s no guarantee that paying privately you will get the treatment that you “want”,

Even privately paid Drs have rules.
I suspect that you may get appropriate treatment that you need based on current evidence base.

I have private health insurance and have read their moratorium clause several times and still can't understand it!

Sorry, OP, not much help!

Could your GP advise?

The best thing to do would be to give the insurer as much detail as you can and ask if they will cover you for future bladder problems.

Could your GP advise?

The GP won’t advise on what may or may not be covered in a private insurance policy or what they will declare as pre-existing.

Op you would need to phone whoever you are considering taking insurance out with and ask them any questions. However, I imagine, as pp dragons said, that it would be classed as pre existing.

Of you've had symptoms then it's pre existing. You can't take out insurance at £x a month and expect £hundreds of treatment for the illness.

For my health insurance, pre existing is anything I've been to the doctors about in any given period of time (differs from provider to provider). In the last 5 years is my current policy and it's anything that could be linked to it. For instance; I had a scan on my knee years ago after a fall and my insurance policy blocks anything to do with either knees!

Yeah that’s pre existing and in fact the exclusion can be up to 5 years for some things- I think. Ring them and ask 🌺

Yes that’s pre-existing. You give them the details in terms of pain / doctor visits / medication and they will tell you what they would exclude if you took out the insurance and for how long.

The GP won’t advise on what may or may not be covered in a private insurance policy or what they will declare as pre-existing

It's the GP who will be writing the referral letter to the consultant and completing (for a fee) a declaration from the policy provider. So whilst she won't know the terms of the different insurance companies, she would be able to advise whether in her professional opinion it was a pre existing condition. Though she'd be free to decline to do so.

Declaration - wrong word but I can't think of the right one!

Yes, that would be pre-existing and if you're undergoing investigation the likelihood is that they simply won't insure you at all. Same with holiday insurance. As soon as you're under investigation, they just don't insure.