I recently met up with a friend’s sister.
Due to her blood related condition, a certain insurer loaded her CI plan application with extra premiums of 50%.
I was drawn into the case to find alternatives for her.
At least, we could validate if the 50% loading given was fair.
We did a preliminary underwriting process with other 3 insurers. This post is to shed more light on this seldom used process.
What is preliminary underwriting
Preliminary underwriting is a process to find out tentative terms in view of your pre-existing condition.
Some insurers allow you to be as an anonymous process. No NRIC needed and only the advisor signing off needed.
Of course, the insurer could end up declining an offer to you even on tentative terms. But at least you saved time.
In future, you also do not need to declare this preliminary application outcome to other insurance applications.
There is usually a " Have you have been declined/postponed an offer of life insurance before.." question.
Tip: Submit together your full medical reports to get a more favourable outcome.
What situations for Preliminary Underwriting
- Unhappy about your current application outcome and would like to seek alternatives
- Considering life insurance for your child but he/she has a congenital health condition.
- Life insurance for yourself but you have a serious/chronic health condition
If your condition is NOT serious/chronic (such as a cyst or an injury), perhaps there is also no need to do the preliminary underwriting in my opinion.
For a NOT serious condition, insurers in general give a simple exclusion in coverage to that condition. For example, an ovarian cyst pre-existing condition application gets an exclusion to ovarian/uterus related claims.
Preliminary underwriting is ONLY if you want to buy life insurance.
Health insurance (integrated shield plans) do NOT have preliminary underwriting process.
Preliminary Underwriting for life insurance application for baby
From experience, insurer’s seem to be cautious when it comes to congenital health conditions with babies as development of that medical condition is uncertain.
An example will be heart murmur (which is fairly common)
Hence, strongly consider this option.
If your child’s application is deferred or rejected in a full application, it leaves a permanent record when it comes to a future insurance application.
The preliminary underwriting (some insurers allow an anonymous process) is to prevent any records of it.
A much better way if you are currently pregnant is to have "wholelife insurance" purchased with pregnancy coverage, in that way baby will be insured
Looking to get started NOW? Further questions?
There is NO cost in doing preliminary underwriting.
If you are keen to do preliminary underwriting, look for a qualified financial planner or drop an email to josh.tan@promiseland.com.sg or WhatsApp below.
Our team would help you with this process and by working with multiple insurers to save you time in getting the best offer.