When you take out a Saga HealthPlan, you can choose from three different underwriting methods, depending on whether you’re taking out a policy for the first time or changing from another insurer or employer’s scheme.
The following will help you decide which underwriting method is right for your health insurance policy.
Moratorium
The ease and simplicity of this underwriting method makes it the most popular choice with our customers. We provide cover for new medical conditions that arise after the policy begins. It doesn’t need a medical declaration – we’ll simply exclude treatment for any medical condition you’ve had or had symptoms of in the last three years (many other insurers insist on a longer period of five years). If you remain free from any symptoms, advice, treatment or medication, including over-the counter drugs, for any pre-existing condition for at least two consecutive years after the cover starts, you may be able to claim for treatment of those conditions. We’ll ask for your medical history when you make a claim.
Full medical history underwriting
This option is similar to Moratorium in that we provide cover for new medical conditions that arise after the policy begins. However, when it comes to exclusions for pre-existing and specified conditions, we will base these on the answers you provide in response to our full medical history assessment. The benefit of this option is that we will confirm, in writing, which medical conditions we will exclude – this means you’ll know what’s covered before the policy begins.
As with the Moratorium option, we may later cover a pre-existing medical condition if you ask us to review the exclusion providing you remain free from any symptoms, advice, treatment or medication, including over-the-counter drugs, for any pre-existing condition for at least two consecutive years after the cover starts. When you choose this underwriting method, it’s important to note that, if necessary, we may ask your doctor for any further information required to help us determine which medical conditions we should exclude from your policy.
If you would like this underwriting method, please contact the Saga Customer Care Team on 0330 018 1361 to discuss it further.
Continued personal medical exclusions (CMPE):
This option is only available if you already have cover with another insurer or are leaving an employer’s scheme and wish to switch to Saga, retaining your existing medical history. We will ask you four questions relating to your medical history over the previous12 months and any planned treatment. If any medical conditions are excluded we will confirm this in writing – this means you’ll know what’s covered before the policy begins.
This underwriting method is not available to purchase online. If you would like to get a quote for Continued Personal Medical Exclusions, please contact the Saga Customer Care Team on 0330 018 1361 to discuss it further.
Will my choice of underwriting method affect my premium?
Choosing between Moratorium and Full Medical History Underwriting will not affect your premium. However, if you choose Continued Personal Medical Exclusions, your premium will increase. This is because you will be retaining cover for some pre-existing medical conditions.