A medical exam may be requested before you are able to receive medical insurance. There are many reasons for the requirement of a medical exam. Your health will be evaluated and used to price your coverage. If your health is good and you are not involved in anything the insurance company finds dangerous or high risk your rates will be as low as possible. Insurance companies vary in what they determine to be high risk or dangerous but most agree that smoking, drinking, or participating in extreme sports are considered high risk. You can even be penalized for your occupation if the insurance company finds it dangerous.

Medical exams are given to anyone seeking medical insurance coverage. The information gathered at the medical exam will be returned to the insurance company. It will then be scrutinized for any details that they may consider high risk or dangerous. Habits such as smoking and drinking can fetch you a higher rate for coverage. Hobbies such as rock climbing, parasailing, or dirt biking may get you denied for coverage or if they accept you can expect to pay a much higher rate.

Even though it seems unfair for the insurance companies to use your habits and hobbies to deem you a high risk, it may seem unfair to someone else who does nothing unhealthy or participates in nothing dangerous and would be given the same rate as you. People expect breaks for their good behavior so you can expect that bad behavior will bring penalties. The insurance companies use your details on the medical exam to determine your risk rating. Smoking can create more medical problems as can excessive drinking so you should expect that extreme sports will cause more possibilities for injury.

Your previous conditions and any existing problems you may have will be revealed at your medical exam. The insurance company you are dealing with may or may not cover an existing condition. There are various stipulations on this subject, such as allowing the condition as long as it has not been diagnosed or treated prior to the medical exam, and there are some medical insurance companies that will allow the condition to be covered even if treated prior. Be sure to ask about this policy before undergoing a medical exam. If the insurance company finds an undiagnosed condition and they won?t cover you for it then it might hinder your chances of finding one that will.

It is necessary for the medical insurance company to require a medical exam. They cannot believe that everyone who applies for their coverage is in excellent health and partakes in no dangerous or high risk behaviors. The examination is used to determine the current health as well as any previous or pre-existing conditions the patient may have. This helps the insurance company avoid fraud where people only ask for coverage when they become ill or suffer an injury. This type of behavior can raise the costs of the coverage for everyone. By requiring a medical exam the insurance company can reduce the costs on coverage and also offer better coverage policies. If you do change your behaviors you will be rewarded with lower rates.

Susan Reynolds is the content coordinator for a leading South African Insurance Provider who specialises in Medical Insurance Policies.