Pre-existing disease

A pre-existing disease (PED) is any condition you were diagnosed with, treated for, or had symptoms of before a health policy started. Insurers apply a waiting period to these — commonly 36 months — before related claims become payable, and the exact period is set out in your policy document. The critical part is declaration, not the waiting period: conditions you disclose are covered once the wait ends, while conditions you conceal give the insurer grounds to reject a claim years later. Declare everything at proposal stage, in writing, through IRDAI-licensed advisors.