In a bid to make health insurance more simple and
customer-friendly, the Insurance Regulator and Development
Authority of India (IRDAI) recently amended the definition of
pre-existing diseases. It deleted 'the additional/modified
clause' in its current definition of pre-existing diseases
through a circular dated 10 February 2020. This move could
definitely help in reducing claim rejection rates by the health
insurance companies.
Pre-existing disease is a condition, ailment or injury that
already exists at the time of buying a health insurance policy.
Conditions like diabetes, epilepsy, lupus, sleep apnea, depression
and anxiety are considered as pre-existing health conditions.
To include certain illness under health insurance policy, the
regulator had modified the definition of pre-existing disease
through a circular in September, 2019. It added that if certain
illnesses were diagnosed within 3 months of buying the health
insurance policy, those would be considered
