Declaring pre-existing diseases and timelines: Know the rules

Under the current rules, illnesses that were diagnosed or for which treatment was administered in the past three years are classified as pre-existing diseases.

- Abhishek Bondia

Illnesses that were cured or treated more than three years ago are generally not classified as pre-existing diseases. As a result, the waiting period for pre-existing diseases applies only to illnesses that were recently diagnosed or treated.

However, this does not absolve the policyholder from disclosing any treatment they may have undergone more than three years ago. When issuing a policy, the insurer will want to know the complete health history of the individual. In some cases, based on the medical history, the insurer may not want to issue a policy. In other cases, the insurer may make the diseases a temporary or permanent exclusion. The rules do not prohibit this.