Health Insurance question

[croyde]

I have health insurance that comes with my job. It's a top level product that doesn't account for pre-existing conditions, a good job at my age as no medical needed, and also doesn't appear to have a grace period ie can't make a claim for x number of months after the policy starts.

Now I can add wife and kids for a few hundred pounds a month extra which I obviously have to fund, and they get the same level of cover....but this begs the question.

What stops me from saving money and not paying for extra cover until it's needed?

[Mr Pointy]

The fact that your wife/child could be seriously ill or in pain & remain so while you go through the application process?

[Big E 118]

Because your wife/child will go to your GP and they GP will say they may have X and need to seek treatment, your GP will need to write a referral letter that will have the date of the appointment on it and when symptoms started so your insurer will see you started paying for your family cover after that date.

That's not classed as a pre-existing condition, i.e. something that has been diagnosed and treated previously.

[croyde]

Ah! good point.

[mcflurry]

In additional to the above, ours can only add/remove people from the policy once a year
Only new starters, newly weds etc can add and change the policy adhoc mid year..