Looking to secure a health insurance plan? If so, chances are you'll come across "exclusions" in your policy. Essentially, these are what the plan won't cover you for. Before you dive right in to assess your policy (or indeed, use a broker like us to help you do so), it's worth familiarizing yourself with the most common health insurance exclusions. In this Pacific Prime article, we'll introduce our latest video on this topic.
8 most common health insurance exclusions
In no particular order, this video shows the 8 most common health insurance exclusions, as identified by our insurance experts. We hope you will enjoy watching it!
Here's a summary of the points covered in the video:
1. Pre-existing Conditions
Pre-existing conditions are medical conditions that you have before getting health insurance. For instance, heart diseases or chronic conditions. You'll be hard-pressed to find policies that cover you for this. If you are able to do so, it'll come with an extra premium or a "waiting period."
2. Behavioral and Personality Disorders
Behavioral and Personality Disorders are often not covered on your health insurance policy. There are many disorders that fall under this category, but think along the lines of conduct disorder, attention deficit disorders (ADHD), and a whole host of others.
3. Fertility Problems
Typically speaking, you won't be able to get treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) covered by health insurers. However, insurers in some countries may cover this if both partners are signed up or with a "waiting period".
4. Sleep Disorders
Do you have trouble sleeping? This is another type of disorder that health insurers are very reluctant to cover. The list of sleep disorders includes, but is not limited to, snoring, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnoea.
5. Specific Situations
In addition to conditions and disorders, you may also come across specific situations in the health insurance policies' "exclusion" clause. These are illnesses or injuries that arise due to natural disasters, terrorist acts, or extreme sports. Moreover, those that are self-inflicted are also not covered.
6. Cosmetic Surgery
As a general rule of thumb, you're not going to be able to get coverage for "medically unnecessary" procedures such as cosmetic surgery. Some examples include facelifts and tummy tucks.
7. Obesity-related Treatments
Looking to get obesity-related treatments like slimming classes, aids, drugs, etc? Unfortunately, it won't be covered by health insurers. Though, for those with a BMI of over 40, some policies may cover gastric banding or bypass surgery.
8. Acquisition of Organs
Acquiring organs have a string of expenses relating to donor search, typing, harvesting, transport, and more. Nevertheless, these expenses are generally not covered by health insurance policies.
Want to learn more about health insurance?
If you've found the above video insightful, check out our infographic on the same topic. It goes into a bit more depth about health insurance exclusions. Alternatively, you can browse our wealth of health insurance resources on our blog and video page. As our motto is "simplifying insurance", we constantly look for new ways to help our clients better understand the industry.
Our expert advisors are also only one phone call or email away if you'd like to discuss your health insurance options. As each individual and situation is unique, our advisors provide you with unbiased insurance consultation, guide you through the process of securing the right plan, as well as present to you a no-obligation quote. Contact us today to learn more!