Autistic and ADHD children are not denied cover in isolated cases; 10Life has received complaints.

Recent media reports on the difficulties children with autism and ADHD face when applying for insurance have sparked public discussion and concern. In fact, 10Life had earlier received many reports from parents saying that, when trying to purchase medical or critical illness insurance for children with autism or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), they encountered significant difficulties. In one case, it took nearly a year and a half to secure a medical insurance policy that other children could obtain in less than a day. The insurer also imposed an additional premium, and cases of outright refusal to insure are even more common. 

After the above report was published, 10Life followed up on the case and further understood the insurance application situation from the person concerned, Dennis. As early as when his son was 7 years old, Dennis had tried through different agents to purchase medical insurance for his son. However, the process was not smooth, and he had been declined cover by different insurers.

After repeated attempts, Dennis submitted follow-up consultation reports and medical records to the insurer. One and a half years after the application process began, his son finally passed the health assessment and successfully took out Fubon’s “Lifetime Protection” medical account.

However, the insurer imposed a five-year observation period, and the plan’s sum insured was only HK$500,000. An additional premium was also applied, along with exclusions for up to five years, including no cover for claims arising from mental illness under the hospitalisation and surgical benefits. Medical coverage would only be granted from the sixth year onwards. Dennis also tried to apply for critical illness insurance for his son, but the application was likewise declined by the insurer on the grounds of a chronic medical condition.

10Life has received several similar cases via social media. Among them were two applications for boys with mild and moderate autism respectively. Both started applying for insurance when the children were 2 years old, but despite trying multiple insurers, they were unsuccessful and no clear reason for the rejection was provided.

Table: Complaint cases received by 10Life

Note:
Last updated: 12 January 2024

This English version of this article has been generated by machine translation powered by AI. It is provided solely for reference purposes. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between this translation and the original Chinese version, the Chinese version shall prevail.