What are Waiting Periods?

Waiting period means the specific number of days (time frame) started from the policy approval date whereby certain benefits are not payable . For example:

The Waiting period for…
Specified illnesses claim is 120 days
Sickness claim is 30 days
Accidental injuries is 0 day

When will the waiting period re-count?

The waiting periods will be re-count (start all over again) from the date of reinstatement of your policy. Reinstatement means to reactive a terminated policy. Outstanding premium and interests incurred have to settle before the policy can be reinstated.

What Could You Expect from Your H&S Insurance Application?

The insurance company must process your application and give you an answer within
30 days from the date of receiving your application. Normally, there are 4 different responses, namely:

1) Accepted

Accepted means your application is fully approved by the insurance company and you start to get the protection.

2) Loaded with Extra Premium

Loadings means your application is approved by the insurance company, but you have to pay extra premium. The reasons you have to pay the extra premium might be due to:

· Poor health conditions (for example, over weight, under weight, high cholesterol level, high blood pressure, etc.)
· Previous health history

Normally, you have to pay an extra 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% of premium. The percentage of loading vary widely among insurance companies. Some might ask you to pay extra 25% of premium, while others might ask you to pay 50% extra on the same health condition (for example, high blood pressure). The point here is some companies penalize you less than others.

You must try to apply to another insurance company if you are not satisfied with the loading imposed on your insurance application.

3) Exclusion

Exclusion means your application is accepted by the insurance company but you cannot get 100% protection. You acceptance is subject to certain exclusions. For example, a person with high blood pressure might receive an underwriting outcome as ‘This policy does not cover any diseases or complication arising due to high blood pressure like heart attack, stroke and others.’

There is no standard underwriting process for insurance companies to determine which exclusions they will impose on your application.

Some insurance companies have better understanding on certain medical conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol level and they are comfortable to accept applicants with those conditions.


4) Rejected

Rejected means the insurance company does not accept your application. Some insurance companies use the word 'postphoned' to reject your application. They ask you to re-apply after certain months or even years. Do not feel insulted if this happens to you because there are many people out there receiving the same faith like you.

One insurance company denies your application does not mean that all insurance companies will deny your application. Do not give up, try to apply to another insurance company.

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**posted to www.MalaysiaInsuranceGuide.blogspot.com at 1.35pm, 5 Dec 06, Malaysia time**