Kerala High Court: LIC Cancer Cover Valid Only If First Diagnosis Happens After Waiting Period

The Kerala High Court has upheld Life Insurance Corporation of India’s decision to deny a cancer insurance claim, ruling that the policy applies only if the first diagnosis occurs after the 180-day waiting period, not when the disease is later confirmed by an expert.

The case involved policyholder Haripreetha T., whose initial medical tests, indicating malignancy (ultrasound, histopathology fragments, and MRI report), were conducted within the 180-day waiting period after policy renewal. The final confirmation via biopsy, which occurred after the waiting period, did not qualify as the “first diagnosis.”

The Court held that since cancer was first diagnosed during the waiting period, the insurer’s rejection of the claim was valid.