'Pre-existing condition' strikes out cancer patient's insurance claim

Jan 31, 2007

Aviva panel says tumour started growing before policy took effect

'Pre-existing condition' strikes out cancer patient's insurance claim

Plan excludes coverage, but some rival firms say they would have paid

By Lorna Tan, Finance Correspondent

A 45-YEAR-OLD woman diagnosed with breast cancer thought her medical bill was covered by her insurance policy, but a rude shock awaited her.

Backed by medical reports, her insurer Aviva said that the 9cm lump found in her breast had begun growing before her policy took effect.

It refused to pay, saying her cancer was a pre-existing condition at the time that she signed up for her MyShield hospitalisation policy - never mind that she had no idea at the time.

Fortunately for Ms Simone Vaz, her company has paid for the bulk of her medical bills. She also managed to receive payouts from two critical illness policies, one of which she had signed up for at the same time as her MyShield plan.

Still, her case has turned the spotlight on an often-overlooked but vital issue in medical insurance - the definition of a pre-existing condition.

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