Adhering to Delhi High Court’s judgement, IRDAI has directed insurance companies offering health insurance policies not to reject claims arising out of genetic disorder.
Genetic disorder is a disease or abnormality that gets passed on to the next generation through genes. These diseases can be asthma, cancer, diabetes or heart disease.
In a circular issued yesterday, IRDAI said, “All insurance companies are directed not to include ‘Genetic Disorders’ as one of the exclusions in new health insurance policies issued in respect of all their existing health insurance products and also in the new products launched and/or filed under the provisions of Guidelines on Product Filing in Health Insurance Business.”
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had passed verdict against United Nations Insurance Company for denying claim on the grounds of the disease being genetic. The company had made changes to the existing policy of a policyholder to exclude genetic disorder.
Gurpal Dhingra, of Prudent Insurance, welcomes the move. “It is obviously good news for people with genetic disorder since this is not something they have chosen,” he says.
