Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

[skyways]

Hi There I would be grateful for any advice. This is my problem. In January 2007 I had to go to docs with a slight tremor in my hand,Doc thought it could be number of things such as essential tremor, parkinsons,wrestless arm,or stress. I was referred to consultant October 2007 ,thought it was parkinsons, needed a second opinion, Saw final consultant December 2007. Final diagnosis Parkinsons.Well I worked all those years up to February this year when I was paid off due to ill health and could not carry out my duties. We thought we were covered by Halifax insurance, to our dismay Halifax says you are not covered as you took out a loan knowing you had Parkiinsons,the loan was in February2007 ,but I was not officially diagnosed till December 2007, Because Parkinsons was mentioned in the doctors notes as well as other could bees they decided not to cover me. If I had known I had a serious illness insurance was the last thing on my mind, my world had collapsed around me,and I can assure you insurance was the last thing to think, I was too overcome by a fear of what lay ahead of me. why would I keep working all those years and eventually had to give up work? I presented myself at work for as long as I could as it is not in my character to give up.I want to fight Halifax but don't know how and I am already fighting a battle, Sorry to be so sad,hope I can get advice. Thanks.

[Angry Cat]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

So sorry to hear about the problems you have had!
If, you took out the loan after you were diagnosed. And the exclusions/limitations on the PPI policy were not explained to you, then IMO the PPI was mis-sold.

when exactly, what date, did you apply for the loan and associated PPI?

[Inca]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

Hi + to LegalBeagles
Can I just say please don't let your diagnosis of Parkinsons totally overshadow your life.It's happened and you have to find the absolute best way for you and your family deal with it and find good things in life to concentrate on (I do know what I'm talking about,I had a diagnosis of a lifechanging disease when I was 23,,I'm 50 now and still glory on)

We had an issue about insurance on here re a terminally ill gentleman and his family fought the insurance company and won but his case was quite clear cut,,he hadn't had a diagnosis of the illness the Insurance company tried to use to not pay out after his death..

I cannot advise you re your policy..other more knowledgeable Beagles will come by,I just wanted to welcome you and assure you that,however devastated you feel at the moment,don't let this issue destroy your life,,there's always something/someone that matters more

Good Luck and I'll keep an eye on your thread to ensure the brilliant Beagles come by.

[Eloise01]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

This isn't my area of specialism, but I think you may struggle with this because you did know that you were suffering from something at the time that you took out the insurance, and formal diagnosis aside, the possibility of the diagnosis was disclosed to you before you took it out. Because you had presented to the doctor with symptoms of "something" (regardless of whether you knew exactly what it was) you were already undergoing medical diagnosis / treatment, and most policies require you to disclose this when applying.

There are a couple of very interesting thread on LB somewhere on a similar topic where insurance companies have refused to pay out on pre-existing conditions. They contain a lot of useful information. I can't quite recall the titles of the threads - but perhaps someone else on the site can. I think they may provide you with some pointers, but the reality is that I suspect you would need legal advice on the precise terms of your policy, although in my experience these companies have usually got such matters tied up well in the terms of the insurance. You may be lucky, but it will be luck rather than anything else I suspect.

[Eloise01]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

So sorry to hear about the problems you have had!
If, you took out the loan after you were diagnosed. And the exclusions/limitations on the PPI policy were not explained to you, then IMO the PPI was mis-sold.

when exactly, what date, did you apply for the loan and associated PPI?

Is it PPI? The OP said medical insurance. The two are different, and I should point out to the OP that what I said was based on it being medical insurance and not PPI.

[Inca]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

Oh...I thought it was Life Insurance too.

[Angry Cat]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

Yes, the OPs title is ambiguous.
But he/she refers to a Loan!

No doubt skyways will clarify?

[charitynjw]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

An 'utmost good faith' issue?

The OP does mention in post #1 that the GP didn't know what the problem was - could have been stress.

As the insurance co is probably seeking to avoid the contract anyway, surely it would be worth a bit of a fight.

& the fact that OP continued in work until recently suggests (to me, that is) that there was no intention of misrepresentation.

[Eloise01]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

An 'utmost good faith' issue?

The OP does mention in post #1 that the GP didn't know what the problem was - could have been stress.

As the insurance co is probably seeking to avoid the contract anyway, surely it would be worth a bit of a fight.

& the fact that OP continued in work until recently suggests (to me, that is) that there was no intention of misrepresentation.

I agree it could have been stress. It also could have been Parkinsons though. I do think it's important the OP clarifies whether it is medical insurance or PPI though. I do agree that PPI may be a somewhat easier battle to fight than medical insurance. Medical insurance policies and life insurance policies are often well tied up. But it seems PPI often hasn't been as tightly written or properly sold, and in this case the OP would seem to have a potential misselling claim if they didn't qualify for the insurance in the first place.

[charitynjw]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

Just a thought, but if the OP is 'vindicated', couldn't they benefit from performance of the contract, rather than a one-off refund?

[Angry Cat]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

Most PPI policies include Life Cover.

PPI policies offered cover for:
Unemployment;
Disability and Life.

Well, that was what was promised...the rest is history!

[skyways]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

Hi again Skyways here ,the loan was taken out in Feb 2007,the doctor said it was in its notes 3 weeks previous which was Jan 2007,but it was always could be this could be that,it was 8 months later that suspected parkinsons that was oct 2007 official diagnosis Dec 2007 that's when I began medication.

[skyways]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

Hi again, could I just ad that I could have just went on sick leave for the next whole year as my fellow workers advised ,but that's just not in my work ethic and now I feel like I have taken part in an insurance scam almost 7 years later.also do I keep on paying this insurance,its no good now is it?

[charitynjw]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

Exactly when did Halifax inform you that you were not covered?

[skyways]

Re: Medical Insurance Pre existing conditions

Hi there,March this year2013.