Best Health Insurance Policies with Low Waiting Period for Pre-Existing Diseases (PED)

Insurance companies in India have become considerably more inclusive in recent years, in that they extend health insurance coverage to people with Pre-Existing Diseases (PED) – i.e. a condition or ailment that has been diagnosed or treated within 48 months prior to policy issuance. Such plans cover the hospital and medical bills for treatment of the PED along with other health contingencies.

Pre-existing Diseases and Health Insurance

If you suffer from any medical illness or disease when you are investing in a health insurance plan (for up to 4 years prior), such an ailment is called a pre-existing condition, or, more commonly, a pre-existing disease (PED). Though many individuals are sceptical about getting covered, health insurance plans allow coverage for many pre-existing diseases. The terms and conditions of application procedure and extent of coverage are specific to each insurance company. However, there is a waiting period applicable for PED. This waiting period ranges from 12 months to 48 months, depending upon the plan that you choose. If you suffer medical complications due to pre-existing illnesses during the waiting period, the health plan would not cover such complications. However, after the waiting period is over, you can get coverage for the complications arising out of pre-existing illnesses.

Best Health Insurance Plans with the Lowest Waiting Period for PED

If you or any other family member suffers from a pre-existing condition, it is best to choose a health plan which has the lowest waiting period. This would ensure that you can enjoy coverage for the pre-existing diseases at the earliest. Here are some health insurance plans which have the low waiting periods –

1. Plans with ZERO Waiting Period in Base Plan for PED
   
   

   Name of the Plan	Name of the Insurer
   Global Mediclaim Plan A	New India Assurance
   Global Mediclaim Plan B	New India Assurance

   
   
   
2. Plans with 12-month Waiting Period for PED
   
   

   Name of the Plan	Name of the Insurer
   Extra Care Plus	Bajaj Allianz General Insurance
   Senior Citizens Red Carpet – Floater and Individual	Star Health & Allied Insurance
   Silver Health	Bajaj Allianz General Insurance
   Super Health Care Plan Platinum	Universal Sompo General Insurance
   Super Top Up Mediclaim	National India Assurance
   Varistha Mediclaim for Senior Citizens	National India Assurance
   Young Star – GOLD and SILVER variants – Individual and Family Floater	Star Health Insurance & Allied Insurance

   
   
   
3. Plans with Riders to Waive off Waiting Period for PED
   
   

   Name of the Plan	Name of the Insurer
   Care Health Insurance Plan	Care Health Insurance
   Star Comprehensive Insurance	Star Health Insurance

   
   

Moreover, if you are covered under Group Health Insurance plans, a PED waiting period may not apply. This means that you can enjoy coverage from Day 1 of the policy.

Other Waiting Periods in Health insurance for Pre-existing Diseases

There are other waiting periods too which should not be confused with the PED waiting period. These waiting periods are as follows –

• An initial 30-day waiting period, also called the cooling-off period. During this period, claims due to illnesses are not covered. Accidental injuries, however, are covered from Day 1.
• A specific waiting period of 1 or 2 years for specific diseases like hernia, fistula, joint replacement surgeries, cataract, etc. Specific Diseases differ across insurers and plans.
• Waiting period for maternity coverage which ranges from 9 months to 48 months.

Waiting Periods and other crucial information regarding coverage would be mentioned in the Policy Wordings or Customer Information Sheet for each health insurance plan. One must read and understand these terms carefully for complete information.

Things to Know about Coverage for Pre-existing Diseases

When you apply for health insurance for pre-existing diseases, each application for coverage is assessed independently by the insurance company before the policy is issued. The insurer might place some terms and conditions on the coverage prior to issuance. Though many health insurance plans allow coverage, there are some finer aspects related to Pre-existing Diseases that you ought to know about. These are as follows –

1. The insurer usually requires you to undergo a pre-policy health check-up before issuing the policy. The cost of the check-up is borne fully or partially by the insurer once the policy is issued. In severe cases, the policy can be rejected.
2. In some cases, the insurance company might increase the premium amount due to pre-existing illnesses.
3. Some plans allow you to reduce the PED waiting period by paying an additional premium.
4. Some plans allow coverage for diabetes or hypertension without any waiting period, if you pay an additional premium and if your diabetes or hypertension is not very severe.
5. You should declare your pre-existing conditions when buying the policy. Even though there would be a waiting period, you would, at least, be covered for such illnesses after the period would be over. In the case of non-declaration or hiding the PED, you risk a high probability of claim rejection.

SANA.Insure is integrated online with 16 general and health insurance companies. The health insurance portal, SANA.insure allows you to compare and find a health insurance for pre-existing diseases which has the lowest PED waiting period. With SANA.Insure’s help you can also get personalized assistance in choosing the right policy for your needs. Our Health Insurance Experts are happy to help you should you need any assistance along the way. Please get in touch with us over WhatsApp chat on 8278271818 or call us on 18002028118 for more information.

Wish you a healthy and happy life!