Advance inquiry (insurance)
A preliminary inquiry in the insurance sector (also referred to as a preliminary risk inquiry ), especially in the area of personal insurance, is the submission of the relevant information from the potential policyholder on the personal risks to the insurance company, which uses the available documents to assess the possible outcome of the application process and to the person making the Notifies you in advance. The preliminary inquiry is not a legally binding application.
Advantages for the applicant
The conclusion conditions (tariff contributions to be paid and guaranteed insurance benefits) of personal insurance are closely related to personal risks, such as occupational or leisure risks and the state of health at the time the contract was concluded. With the advance inquiry, the applicant (e.g. in the case of a previous illness) can have his application checked without risking an entry in the information system (HIS) of the insurance industry (often also referred to as a special risk file). As a result, the advance inquiry has no negative effects in the event of a negative outcome.
As part of a preliminary inquiry made to several insurers, the applicant can evaluate how insurance companies evaluate various risk factors in detail when taking out personal insurance (e.g. occupational disability insurance).
Risk inquiries and data protection
Unlike in the past, some insurers no longer process anonymous advance risk inquiries. This is not relevant because the insurer is not allowed to pass on any data without the written consent of the applicant. On the other hand, if the application was correct, you would always have to agree that certain data can be forwarded to the information system (HIS) of the insurance industry.
Occupational disability insurance
In the application phase for disability insurance, extensive health questions have to be answered. Since the insurers ask different amounts of time back into the past (e.g. all visits to the doctor in the last five years or ten years ...), pre-risk inquiries can protect the interests of the applicant. This approach can be particularly useful for people who, due to their state of health, have to fear surcharges, exclusions or even a complete rejection. This prevents detrimental entries that could make future applications difficult.
Special case: private health insurance
Private health insurers also query the applicant's health status in great detail. An entry in the information and advice system of the insurance industry (HIS) does not have to be expected here. In the case of previous illnesses, however, it seems sensible to use an advance risk inquiry, as private health insurers have developed their own information procedure. In the "system of the insured person survey", data is not stored permanently, but rather bundled and collectively forwarded to all health insurers if there is a concrete suspicion of double insurance, fraud or pre-contractual breaches of duty to notify.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Risk file can do harm ( Memento from August 20, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Werner Müller: Warning File: The black list of insurers . In: focus.de. June 20, 2009, accessed August 15, 2019 .