UNDERSTANDING PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS

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This page contains dozens of short articles that will help you quickly understand international insurance. For example, terminology, purchasing details and managing your insurance coverage are topics that are all covered within these articles. Choose an Article From the Topics Below

WHAT'S A “PRE-EXISTING CONDITION”?

Technically, any medical condition that you have had prior to your application for health insurance with a given company can be considered a pre-existing condition. If you have been to a doctor about a sore elbow, even though it was four years ago and even though you received no treatment whatsoever, an insurance company could consider that a pre-existing condition.

Maybe you never went to a doctor, but had been aware for some time of a pain in your elbow. It didn't bother you continually, but every once in a while you took an aspirin to alleviate the pain. The pain in the elbow could also be considered a pre-existing condition.

Insurance companies vary on coverage for pre-existing conditions. Some will cover pre-existing conditions that were treated three years ago, others four years ago, still some even five years ago. You can generally find a statement about how an insurance company will handle a pre-existing condition by going to the “Exclusion” page in the insurance brochure.

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