Pre-screening guide
This guide is designed to help you anticipate the decisions the insurer will make when an insurance application is submitted and the proposed insured presents a specific condition. It includes common medical and non-medical conditions.
For each condition, this guide indicates the factors that may influence the risk and presents an overview of the decisions you may expect. However, the final decision may be declined once the file has been assessed.
For most of these condition, the decision applies for adult and may be different for children.
Tips and tricks
Before completing an insurance application
- If an investigation is underway or test results have yet to be received: wait until completed and the results are available.
- If any follow-up exams or tests are recommended: wait until completed and the results are available.
- If travel to an at-risk country is planned in the near future: wait until the client returns.
General rules
- The longer the time since the last event or last episode, the lower the rated premium will be.
- The younger the insured is at the time of the event, the higher the rated premium will be.
- For disability insurance with shorter waiting, generally there is a higher rating and likelihood of an exclusion.
- For disability insurance with longer benefit period, generally there is a higher rating and likelihood of an exclusion.
- No exclusion apply for dangerous sports or activities when it is insured’s occupation. A flat dollar per $1,000 of insurance is applied.
Also, remember to check our guidelines when you offer a newcomer life or critical illness insurance.
A PDF version of this guide is also available.
- Alcohol abuse/alcoholism
- Anemia
- Aneurysm
- Ankylosing spondylitis (rheumatoid spondylitis)
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Autism / Autism spectrum disorders
- Back pain
- Bariatric surgery
- Cancer
- Cerebral palsy
- Cerebrovascular accident - CVA (Stroke)
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Concussion
- Coronary artery disease (angina, myocardial infarction/heart attack)
- Crohn’s disease
- Cystic fibrosis (mucoviscidosis)
- Diabetes type 1
- Diabetes type 2
- Discoid lupus erythematosus
- Down syndrome (Trisomy 21)
- Drug and narcotic abuse
- Epilepsy
- Family history
- Gestational diabetes
- Height and weight
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hodgkin’s lymphoma (Hodgkin’s disease)
- Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol)
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypothyroidism
- Impaired glucose tolerance/Prediabetes
- Leukemia
- Long COVID
- Mental disorders: anxiety, stress, adjustment disorder
- Mental disorders: hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (ADHD/ADD)
- Mental disorders: bipolar disorder, manic depressive disorder
- Mental disorders: depression (minor or major)
- Mental disorders: schizophrenia
- Multiple sclerosis
- Muscle and joint conditions (bursitis, tendonitis, epicondylitis,carpal tunnel syndrome, sprain, patellofemoral syndrome)
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
- Polycystic kidney disease (polycystic kidneys)
- Pulmonary embolism
- Sleep apnea
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Thrombophlebitis
- Transient ischemic attacks (TIA)
- Ulcerative colitis