Cover Crumbles On Fake Comorbidity Papers

Giving fake comorbidity certificates in the race for Covid vaccine is as risky as hiding pre-existing diseases and eventually being denied cover

- Sudha Reddy

The astronomical rise in healthcare costs, medical inflation and high Covid-19 treatment costs at private hospitals, along with increased awareness, has changed people’s perception of health insurance.

A health insurance typically covers the medical expenses of an individual that may occur due to ill health. The coverage and premium differ across policies depending on factors like lifestyle choices and pre-existing medical conditions.

For all health insurance, it is mandatory to submit the medical history and mention the lifestyle choices like smoking and alcohol consumption that can lead to medical conditions. One’s medical history is of utmost importance while availing of health insurance.

Pre-existing illnesses are medical conditions that a person suffers from even before buying the policy. This is one of the most important factors to decide what kind of policy would be suitable, what would be the waiting period before such illnesses can be covered, and what could be the premium for the policy.

With the Covid-19 crisis turning uglier by the day, the disclosure of pre-existing diseases becomes even more important in case of health insurance. When discovered, such issues crop up as comorbidity factors and the health cover suffers major dents.

The Covid vaccination is definitely a ray of hope. Understandably, everyone wants to get vaccinated at the earliest to protect themselves and their loved ones from the virus. And due to this there are some cases where people might have shown comorbidities that were not present. As an insurer, we would not advise to do this, as it is ethically and legally incorrect.