How Best to cover Your Medical Needs?

[wanderful]

Hi candy, randwick, fellow seniors n graduates,

After months of lengthy waiting and medical report submitting, my mum is finally accepted in Aviva, Myshield plan, only to be found EXCLUDED "directly or indirectly from hypertension and/or any disease or disorder of the cardiovascular, cerebrovascular systems and/or their related complications" due to the fact that she is having hypertension.

It was expected that my mum's condition would definitely caused exclusion in some terms or another but never to expect it to be so "broad n complicated". As far as i know, it does not cover anything relates to problems with blood vessels,arteries: kidney failure, heart disease/ failure, stroke etc etc... Seems like alot of illnesses NOT covered.

As i'm going to be paying abt $1200, am seriously thinking to just go ahead get my mum protected first or try my luck in another insurance Co. (but which may also end up getting the same outcome).

Any advice from anyone is greatly appreciated. Thank you.










Hi candy,

Appreciated for your advice and sharing of your personal experience. Your advice definitely helped me in my decision to try to provide an affordable and comprehensive plan for my mum. Thank you very much and good health & speedy recovery to your father.

Hi wanderful,
Personally, I didn't see the importance of buying riders (cover deductible and co-insurance) for myself or my family until my 76-years old dad was hospitalised due to stroke a few months ago.

As he only has a basic medishield plan from CPF and he doesn't want to deplete the children's medisave, he chooses to settle for C-class ward in government hospital.

Subsequently, he was transferred to a community hospital which is subjected to mean testing of household income, and medisave can be withdraw up to a maximum of $5,000 a year per patient.

Currently, he is undergoing physiotherapy with medisave withdrawal up to $1500 per year per patient.

That's when we realise total coverage (by adding a rider to cover both deductible and co-insurance) is crucial as 10% co-insurance can be quite substantial. Imagine, if the total bill is $100,000, we may need to foot co-insurance of $10,000, in addition to the deductible of $1,000 in C-class ward.

As you mentioned that your mum is in her 60+, assuming she is within the age range of 61 to 65, you could consider at least buy Myshield Plus option A that covers the co-insurance only, annual cash premium is $465.75 instead of paying $780.60 to cover both co-insurance and deductible.

As stated on the brochures, annual deductible will increase by 50% for any insured Person above 80 years old at age next birthday.

Hi candy,

Thank you for sharing the info, im awaiting approval from aviva for my mum's hospitalization plan... am pondering whether to add in the rider for her which i think its a bit ex for her age now 60+. though my agent friend told me its best to get "covered" completely in case something major happen or out-patient surgery which can't be claim when its lower than the Co-insurance.

Aviva provides 2 different riders options to to cover deductible and co-insurance. Eg. for age 1 to 30, $195 is payable for deductible and $52 is payable for 10% co-insurance under Aviva plan 1

Below are comparison of rider (cover both deductible and co-insurance) by AIA HealthShield Gold Max Essential (Plan 1) and Aviva Myshield Plus Plan 1, show a great difference in cash premium paid for AIA rider.

Age AIA Aviva

1 - 18 $240.00 $247.05
19 - 30 $201.20 $247.05
31 - 40 $244.00 $302.45
41 - 45 $295.30 $370.45
46 - 50 $295.30 $384.40
51 - 55 $453.70 $464.95
56 - 60 $659.10 $555.80
61 - 65 $954.40 $780.60
66 - 70 $1,579.30 $1,014.70
71 - 73 $2,063.00 $1,274.25
74 - 75 $2,099.30 $1,389.45
76 - 78 $2,146.40 $1,595.85
79 - 80 $2,146.40 $1,721.40
81 - 83 $2,495.20 $2,064.80
84 - 85 $2,690.90 $2,232.35
86 - 88 $2,815.70 $2,289.95
89 - 90 $2,924.90 $2,496.10
91 - 93 $3,050.40 $2,720.70
94 - 95 $3,233.00 $2,856.75
96 - 98 $3,524.20 $2,999.60
99 - 100 $3,735.50 $3,149.55

AIA Healthshield Gold Max Plan 1 rider is more expensive than Aviva Myshield Plan 1 rider by $6,689.00 from birth till 100 years old.

Note: Above figures are obtained from brochures obtained from my AIA and Aviva agents.[/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote][/quote]

[mort]

Hi Wanderful,

Many diseases can be directly or indirectly due to hypertension. So you are right the exclusion is quite broad. The insurer is trying to reduce their risks.

However, there are many other diseases that can cost tons of money to treat e.g. cancers. So it is still wise to accept the policy for now.

You can apply for removal of the exclusion if your mom's hypertension is well controlled and there is no end organ damage i.e. healthy heart, good kidney function and no stroke. You can get your doctor to write a medical report a year later and ask your agent to submit on your behalf.

You can try applying to another insurer but the likely outcome is the same since they will know that another insurer has put in place exclusions.

This is also true for many other diseases.

Hope this is helpful.

Thanks.

[wanderful]

Hi Mort,

Thank you very much for your useful advice. What you mentioned is very true, its still better to get my mum "protected" first, try for the removal of exclusion" in future than to look for another insurer which may end up being the same or worse, not being accepted at all. Your advice is greatly appreciated.

To all: "Good Health, Good Wealth"

Hi Wanderful,

Many diseases can be directly or indirectly due to hypertension. So you are right the exclusion is quite broad. The insurer is trying to reduce their risks.

However, there are many other diseases that can cost tons of money to treat e.g. cancers. So it is still wise to accept the policy for now.

You can apply for removal of the exclusion if your mom's hypertension is well controlled and there is no end organ damage i.e. healthy heart, good kidney function and no stroke. You can get your doctor to write a medical report a year later and ask your agent to submit on your behalf.

You can try applying to another insurer but the likely outcome is the same since they will know that another insurer has put in place exclusions.

This is also true for many other diseases.

Hope this is helpful.

Thanks.

[candy_chia]

A Utah County man went to Iraqis (more than 7,000 miles away from the four children he so dearly loves) to help pay off the medical bills (after his wife passed away)

— one treatment cost $60,000 alone. Sometimes medication ran as high as $45,000 a month.

He estimated it will take at least another 12 to 18 months working in Iraq to pay off the rest of his debt.


http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7053 ... .html?pg=2