What Isn’t Covered By Your Health Insurance?
Alex de Wit
Personalised financial planning, affordable investment solutions and award-winning management services for expatriates.
by Infinity
Health insurance in Asia is vital to protect you or your family against the risk of incurring medical expenses in the case of illness or injury. It’s particularly important for expats living abroad as they rarely benefit from the same level of state healthcare as in their home country. While reading the small print is dull (and most people skip it altogether) it’s really important to make sure that you know exactly what you are and aren’t covered for to avoid any unpleasant surprises down the line.
Here are some common exclusions which are found in the small print of medical insurance policies in Asia. Note that this is not a comprehensive list and may not apply in all cases which is precisely why reading the small print of your specific policy is essential:
Pre-existing diseases
It is very common for pre-existing diseases such as asthma, heart conditions and diabetes to be excluded and in many cases this also extends to complications arising out of the pre-existing disease. Never be tempted to lie about your medical history when taking out a policy as this is one of the main reasons disputes occur between insurers and their customers when a claim is made. Sometimes a waiting period of a number of years will apply after which certain pre-existing conditions may be covered and it’s worth asking about moratorium options and Medical History Disregarded (MHD) policies if you have a recent pre-existing condition that is no longer an issue.
Congenital disorders
Genetic and congenital disorders such as Down’s Syndrome and cystic fibrosis are generally excluded from health insurance policies.
Diagnostic tests
Policies vary as to whether diagnostic tests are covered, even if these are carried out during hospitalisation. Waiting periods may also apply.
Maternity cover
Most policies apply a waiting period of 10-12 months to maternity cover which is why if you are planning a family at some time in the future you really need to take out insurance well in advance to benefit from maternity cover. The cost of maternity care can be extremely high and we would strongly advise against going through pregnancy and childbirth without it.
Alternative and complementary medicines
Treatments of this nature including naturopathy, acupuncture and even physiotherapy and osteopathy may be excluded or limited. It could depend on whether the care in question is medically necessary or not. For example, going to an osteopath every week because it makes you feel better is not the same as receiving treatment after a back injury.
Travel vaccines
As these are not considered medically necessary, vaccines for typhoid, yellow fever etc may not be covered.
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Cosmetic surgery
An elective face lift or botox treatment to make you look better will obviously not be covered but constructive surgery following a mastectomy may be deemed medically necessary.
Dental and eye care
Policies differ on the level of cover they provide for dental and eye treatment. If these are important to you then you need to compare policies and choose one which best suits your needs.
You buy an insurance policy to help you and your family during tough times and protect your personal finances from unexpected costs which can quickly escalate into the thousands when illness or injury strikes. It is vitally important to spend some time reading through the fine print of the policy, and clearly understand how it will benefit you.
If the thought of ploughing through the small print is sending shivers down your spine, why not let us take the stress out of selecting an insurance policy to suit the needs of you and your family? We work with all the leading insurance providers in Asia and can find you appropriate health insurance cover at the most competitive price. Drop Alex a line for more details.
Get in touch with Alex here or at alex.dewit.linkedin@gmail.com
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