Why Taking Out Health Insurance Over The Phone May Be Better

There are various ways to fill in your medical insurance application form: Face to face with either a broker or provider, in the privacy of your own home, or over the telephone. The latter is known as teleunderwriting and is considered to be the most effective method of taking your medical details. But why is this so, and why is it so important?

If you give accurate medical details to your insurance provider then they can issue you with the best medical insurance cover for you. If however, you are inaccurate in the information that you provide, it could invalidate any claim that you may make in the future. This can apply even if your non-disclosure was accidental. The health insurance industry has found that one way to avoid these mistakes is implementing the use of teleunderwriting and this is highlighted by the ABI's (Association of British Insurers) guidelines on the avoidance of non-disclosure.

• Teleunderwriting takes away the embarrassment of discussing personal health issues face to face with someone. This means that people are more likely to disclose information.
• During an interview you will be asked further questions on anything that is revealed, leaving no stone unturned. If you just have a medical form in front of you, then you only have the option of giving the most basic of information.
• Teleunderwriters can listen for subtle clues in language and voice, picking up on hesitations and uncertainties, thus helping you to understand better what is being asked of you.
• At the end of a teleunderwriting interview you will be asked what is known as 'mop-up questions' which allows for an open ended conversation. According to Health Insurance Magazine, '...it is amazing how many things are disclosed in this part of the interview – including people having been in long-term comas or suffering serious medical conditions.'

The thoroughness which teleunderwriting seems to provide can only be a good thing for those of us looking to take out private medical insurance. We can feel more confident that all bases have been covered, so that if we need to make a claim in the future we can be sure that it will be honoured.