Group of 3 - 19 employees
The Global Health plans do not cover the treatment of pre-existing medical conditions and related conditions.
A pre-existing medical condition means any disease, illness or injury for which you have received medication, advice or treatment, or for which you have experienced symptoms, whether the condition has been diagnosed or not, 2 years before the date on which your Global Health plan starts.
After two years of continuous cover, pre-existing medical conditions will become eligible for benefit, subject to the terms and conditions of your plan, provided you have not consulted any doctor or medical practitioner for medical treatment or advice (including check-ups), or taken medication, (including drugs, medicines, special diets or injections), or suffered symptoms for that medical condition or for any related condition, for a continuous period of two years.
If it is generally accepted medical advice that you should attend a regular consultation for on-going medical treatment or advice (including check-ups), or take drugs, medicines or injections, or follow a special diet for a pre-existing medical condition but you fail to do so, then that medical condition would be permanently excluded together with any related medical conditions.
By related we mean any disease, illness or injury that is caused by a pre-existing condition or results from the same underlying cause as a pre-existing condition.
Examples of related conditions are:
High blood pressure is related to heart disease and stroke, recurrent sore throats are related to tonsillitis, high cholesterol is related to heart disease and stroke. If you suffer from high blood pressure or high cholesterol (before your date of entry) you will never be covered for cardiac problems or strokes and if you suffer from recurrent sore throats (before you date of entry) you will never be covered for tonsillitis. Please note these are examples, for illustration purpose only, and there are many other sets of related conditions.
How regular check-ups affect the moratorium
If (prior to your date of entry) you have a condition that requires regular check-ups, then no treatment, consultations, tests or check-ups relating to that condition will ever become covered by your plan. This is because you suffered from the condition before cover commenced and you will never be able to go continuous 24 month period without either suffering symptoms or requiring treatment, medication or advice relating to it.
The following are examples of conditions that require regular treatment and/or check-ups. If you have suffered from one of these conditions it will never become covered:
Diabetes, hypertension (raised blood pressure), hyperlipidaemia (raised cholesterol levels), ischeamic heart disease, asthma, cancer, thyroid disease, certain types of aggressive arthritis, some skin diseases, conditions that require you to take immunosuppressive drugs, psychosis and bipolar disorders, renal failure, heart failure.
NB. This list is not exhaustive and if you have any other medical condition, your doctor will be able to advise you whether regular check-ups are required.
Groups of 20+ employees
Groups of 20+ employees are insured on a medical history disregarded basis, which covers pre-existing conditions.