Disclosure of Medical History

When a person applies for private medical insurance they will be required to fill in lots of forms in an application pack. This may be done online, in paper format or occasionally over the telephone as part of the application process.

One part of applying is to disclose any existing complaints, existing medications and past medical history.

Why Do I Need To Disclose This Information?

There is a very good reason why it is important to disclose any relevant medicines and medical history as most insurers will not include this in your new policy.If you have any problems that are likely to need long term care or cause further problems in the future, each independent insurer will need to know so that your policy can be amended and tailored to suit.

If the insurers did not ask for this information and medical care was needed for any such conditions, it would not be cost-effective for them which means they would have to charge extremely high premiums for everyone in case of any existing medical conditions which would not make good business sense and the private sector would cease to flourish and offer the services it can at the moment.

What Happens If I Have a Long Term Illness?

If you disclose this information on application or inform your insurers as soon as you have had an official diagnosis they will remove this from your policy and add it to the exclusions list. If they don’t do this and continue to include it on your schedule, it is likely that your payments for the insurance will increase.

What Happens If I Don’t Disclose The Information?

If you are aware of a medical condition and you haven’t disclosed it to the insurance company your policy may become void in the future leaving you with exceptionally high bills with the private healthcare provider.Most applications will require a letter of confirmation from your GP so any past medical history that has been archived in your notes may be found and added as a matter of course.

If you are being treated for an illness or complaint and the treating specialist feels that it is a long term problem, they may investigate your claim.This may require evidence from your GP or a search of all your NHS notes from the past.

You are also required to state your smoking status and if you regularly drink alcohol on application as these also increase your premium as they are likely to increase the chances of you needing some sort of treatment in the future.

If you are seeking a private health insurer it is important to be honest with your own health as only you will be affected by your decisions in the future.If you are found to have lied on your application, your claims in the future may be void leaving you with some very hefty bills to pay.

If you have any questions at all when filling out your forms or have any queries whatsoever, a quick phone call to the insurance provider will help you answer any questions and leave you more sure of how to fill out your application properly.