Major medical insurance

The big problems that are covered - and the ones that aren't

For major medical insurance claims, you'll find that even serious conditions are covered: for example, most medical insurance policies will pay for radiotherapy and chemotherapy, together with the expensive scans required for such treatment. However, some other treatments won't be covered and it's important to know which ones are excluded.

Major medical insurance claims aren't always rejected by insurers: if you're unfortunate enough to require cancer treatment, you'll find that most insurers will happily pay for the necessary scans together with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy treatment. However, not all major medical insurance matters are covered by all insurers: for example, AIG won't pay for cancer treatment.

Insurers group major medical insurance claims into two categories: acute and chronic. An acute condition is one that is short term, severe and curable - for example cancer - while a chronic condition is long-lasting and generally considered to be incurable. Long-term kidney dialysis is an example of treatment for a chronic condition, and you'll find that few, if any, insurers will pay for such treatment.