Life Insurance Policies That Can be Availed with Pre-existing Diseases the UAE

It’s a common misconception that people with pre-existing medical conditions can’t buy a life insurance policy in the UAE. There are various insurance providers who accept life insurance applications from individuals with medical conditions upon prior disclosure of their medical issues. It may seem invasive to disclose your medical history, but your insurance premiums depend on your lifestyle and health, that is why it is important to share detailed medical log with your insurance provider. 

While most companies offer you life insurance with pre-existing medical conditions, some may deny your application upon non-disclosure or misrepresentation of information. For an insurer, your medical condition can pose a risk for increased payouts. Hence, the company calculates the viability of your insurance before signing you up. In the UAE, where you have a variety of life insurance plans, you need to consider the most suitable life insurance which allows pre-existing medical conditions to provide you comprehensive coverage. Let’s begin with understanding the basics.  

What is a Pre-existing Medical Condition?

Individuals can have health issues by birth or acquire them as they age. Any health issue that an applicant has been diagnosed with before applying for life insurance policy is termed as a pre-existing medical condition. The acceptance for these conditions may vary from insurer to insurer, the type of ailment in question, and the severity of risk it poses. Critical illnesses and chronic diseases can be called pre-existing medical conditions if they pose a threat to your life. Examples of a few pre-existing medical conditions are:

• Obesity and obesity related health issues
• Hearth and lung diseases
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• Liver or Kidney disease

Your insurance provider provides complete details of the pre-existing conditions so that you can make an informed decision. Most of these clauses are standard, followed by majority of insurance providers. The key takeaway for you is:

• A pre-existing condition is a health issue for which you underwent a treatment, surgery, diagnostics, any form of medical consultation, etc, before buying the life insurance plan in the UAE. 
• The health condition may or may not be known to you. 

Understanding the pre-existing condition is important because the insurance company has the right to reject your claim arising due to pre-existing conditions. It is important that you declare your medical history before applying for a life insurance plan to make the most of it. 

Impact of Pre-existing Medical Condition on Your Life Insurance in the UAE

Pre-existing medical conditions have a significant impact on your life insurance application. Disclosing your medical issues is likely to increase your insurance premium, but hiding them is not an option. Your insurer may reject your insurance claim application due to non-disclosure of facts if your health conditions are not in line with the details you mentioned in the application.  

While applying for life insurance in UAE, make sure to go through the insurance terms and conditions and understand them thoroughly, especially with terms related to pre-existing conditions. Also, consult an insurance expert about how your pre-existing health condition might impact your life insurance. If your health issue gets covered under an additional rider, you should consider buying the add-on to ensure a hassle-free claim process. 

What is the Risk of Non-Disclosure?

You will often encounter the term ‘non-disclosure’ while going through the terms and conditions of various life insurance plans. During life insurance application, the insurer asks you several questions about your health, lifestyle habits, sports and activities, occupation and more. As an applicant, you’re expected to answer these questions with utmost honesty because concealing any health-related information or any other fact can revoke your insurance altogether. The company might reject your claim application due to non-disclosure or misrepresentation of facts. 

Suppressing your lifestyle habits or pre-existing medical conditions may help you get low premium life insurance in UAE, but it is likely to get unearthed during the claim process. If a situation like this arises, your insurance provider can reject your claim or pay a fractional amount depending on the severity of the case.

What actions can your life insurance provider take upon finding a pre-existing condition?

After you complete your life insurance application mentioning your pre-existing health condition, your insurer can take the following actions: 

• Increase your premium rate - Your insurance provider would increase the premium cost of your life insurance policy on finding a pre-existing condition. They may also suggest you buy an add-on if your health condition has an additional rider option.  
• Ask for a medical examination - The insurance provider might ask you to have a medical check-up to understand your pre-existing condition better. It is to help them decide your life insurance premium accurately. 
• Ask for Exclusion - Your insurance provider may also ask you to exclude the coverage against a specific pre-existing condition. They would provide you with life insurance coverage if you agree to exclusion. Commonly, this happens with individuals in UAE who have pre-existing health conditions related to diabetes. 

Life Insurance Plans with Pre-existing Conditions Rider in UAE

There are several options available for comprehensive life insurance in UAE with pre-existing conditions. Your life insurance plan will substantially depend on the severity of your pre-existing health condition. However, you can opt for comprehensive life coverage with exclusion or without exclusion. 

If you choose life insurance with the exclusion of pre-existing conditions, your insurance provider will not provide you with any security for death due to pre-existing health conditions. Exclusion from your insurance plan may not affect your comprehensive life insurance premium. 

However, if you opt for life insurance without the exclusion of pre-existing conditions, your insurance premiums are likely to increase but with a promise of a more holistic coverage.  

Things to Keep in Mind When Applying for a Life Insurance Plan with Pre-existing Medical Condition

Buying an insurance plan can be tricky when you have a medical condition. The options are aplenty but you have to make the right choice to be able to make the most of your health insurance plan. It is important that you take a glimpse at the complexity of the insurance plan and make a well informed decision. Sometimes the complex terminology is difficult to understand and options are confusing. You can go through the following points before buying a life insurance plan with a pre-existing medical condition. 

• Compare all the life insurance plans that are available. It would acquaint you with various terms and conditions related to health conditions and would aid you in selecting the best life insurance plan in UAE. 
• Health deteriorates as we age, so it’s better to buy life insurance as early as you can and save up on your premiums. A poor health status is known to attract higher premiums. 
• Hiding pre-existing conditions in the insurance application to save on premiums is not an option. You should disclose your complete medical history to find the best deals and be able to claim your due share when you need it the most. Your insurer may ask for a pre-examination, and you should necessarily undertake it. Life insurance without a health check-up leads to higher premiums so, it’s better to get tested without worrying about the additional cost. 

Conclusion

Having a pre-existing health condition can keep you from availing of a good life insurance policy. However, it is important that remain truthful in disclosing your current health status to get the best life insurance plans in UAE. Non-disclosure of facts can lead to rejection of a life insurance claim and it would be a devastating situation for your family in case of your untimely demise. You can conduct thorough research about life insurance plans with pre-existing conditions available in UAE before buying. If you have any queries related to life insurance plans, reach out to the Policybazaar support team to get instant access to the best available options.