How much should I reveal on my health insurance application?
That’s a good question because while you don’t want to conceal pre-existing conditions, neither do you want to give away too much information. You don’t want to disclose as little as possible, neither do you want to disclose everything.
If you don’t answer all the questions correctly and fail to give important information concerning the state of your health, the medical insurance company holds the right to rescind your coverage. We have had several cases where the insurance company, after the fact, discovered medical conditions not revealed on the application. They rescinded coverage and returned all premiums. So you need to be forthright about your medical conditions.
I know of a case where an individual failed to reveal a back problem because he did not consider it significant. He was accepted for coverage, and later had an operation. But the insurance company discovered the failure to report the back injury and they rescinded his coverage, and would not pay for the surgery. He was left trying to handle a huge hospital bill.
But often applications will put a time limit on the questions. They will ask you to reveal medical conditions in the last five or ten years. If that is the case, don’t reveal what happened beyond the time limit they ask about.
Second, do not reveal all minute details concerning your condition. It is good enough to say that you had an accident, or were hospitalized, or had an injury, etc., without giving all the details about it. If the insurance company feels they need more details, they will contact you for medical records.
My advice to you: It is much better to give too much information. Usually people err by giving away too little. Then comes the shock of a letter from the health insurance company saying that the claims are not going to be paid and your medical insurance is rescinded (cancelled by the insurance company). The effects of a cancelled insurance claim can be devastating.