Policies covering pre-existing diseases from day 1 reduce anxiety

Watch out for limited sum insured in such covers

Typically, when a customer with a pre-existing disease (PED) tries to buy a health insurance cover, one of three things happens: His proposal is turned down; he gets the coverage but the PED is permanently excluded; or he gets it with a waiting period of two-four years.

Last week Aditya Birla Health Insurance launched a revised version of its plan, Activ Health Platinum, which offers coverage from day one for four PEDs—asthma, blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. A few other insurers also offer products that give day one coverage for PEDs (see table).

Demand for such products is high. "A