Mistake I made during health insurance underwriter call — sharing so others don't repeat it
I recently applied for a 25L family floater policy with ICICI Elevate and made two costly mistakes during the telecall with the underwriter doctor. Sharing this so others don't fall into the same trap.
Mistake 1 — My knee pain: I had mild knee discomfort and visited an orthopedic doctor. The prescription only suggested increasing calcium intake. X-ray was normal. DEXA scan showed nothing abnormal. No arthritis diagnosis was made by the doctor.
But during the underwriter call, I had googled my symptoms beforehand and used the term "mild arthritis" to describe it. That was my mistake. I should have simply stated the facts from my medical records.
Mistake 2 — My spouse's digestive issue: My spouse occasionally had an urgent need to use the toilet before stepping out, which we now believe was anxiety-related. It also turned out she had a UTI, and once that was treated, the issue resolved completely. No gastroenterologist was consulted. No IBS diagnosis was ever made by any doctor.
Again, I had googled the symptoms and used the phrase "possible IBS" during the underwriter call. Another mistake I should not have made.
Result: ICICI rejected my spouse's application entirely and applied premium loading on my cover. I cancelled the application and received a full refund.
Key lesson: Disclose only what your doctors have actually diagnosed, not what you found on Google. The underwriter call is not the place to speculate or self-diagnose. Stick strictly to what is documented in your medical records.
I am now planning to reapply with another insurer with accurate disclosures backed by doctor letters. Let me know any suggestion/precaution I should consider before applying to another policy from new insurance company.