If you have you been rated up or declined for health insurance it’s probably because you have a pre-existing condition.
Thousands of uninsured, underinsured and uninsurable individuals are facing serious health issues like heart disease, heart attack, diabetes, cancer, stroke, liver disease, AIDS, pregnancy, depression and kidney disease. Any of these pre existing conditions can cause them to be declined for health coverage. Today, you may even be declined if you are over-weight.
It’s a real challenge obtaining health insurance for someone with pre existing conditions. However, before we get ahead of ourselves, here are some questions we need to address.
What is a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition is any injury or sickness for which diagnosis has been made, treatment has been recommended, treatment has been rendered, or expenses have been incurred within a set amount of months prior to the effective date of coverage (usually 3, 6 or 12 months and this can vary by state). It includes any condition manifesting itself in symptoms which would cause a prudent person to seek medical advice.
What is a pre-existing condition exclusion period?
Insurance companies try to discourage people from waiting until they get sick to purchase medical insurance. This is accomplished by imposing what is known as a preexisting condition exclusion period. This simply means, if you have a medical problem which exists at the time you purchase insurance, the insurer will deny the claims pertaining to that medical problem for a certain period of time.
The rules governing preexisting condition exclusion periods in individual health policies vary widely from state to state and are very much different from the rules of an employer-sponsored plan. If you have or recently have had health coverage, you may be able to apply this creditable coverage to offset a preexisting condition exclusion period.
Why all the hoopla over a pre-existing condition?
The biggest stumbling block with private individual medical insurance is the problem with preexisting conditions. Plain and simple… insurance companies don’t like preexisting conditions. They know in the long run… it will cost them more money to insure you. Frankly, insurers prefer to insure people who are not very likely to need the insurance.
But stop and think! Who doesn’t have some kind of health or medical issue? It may be something as simple as asthma or as complex as cancer. Some pre-existing conditions can be managed and these individuals can live a relatively healthy and normal life.
Yet, insurers can and do turn down “high risks” individuals for coverage because of an existing or previous illness. Even if coverage is found, the premiums charged are often unaffordable. Sometimes the individual may end up with a modified policy paying more because of their medical history or having to take a policy that excludes their pre existing conditions.
Are there things I can do to get healthcare coverage?
Here are some choices for obtaining health coverage. See if any apply to your situation.
(1). Employer-sponsored group health plan
(2). Join a professional organization (e.g. Chamber of Commerce)
(3). Individual health insurance
(4). State risk pool (if one exist in your state)
(5). Discount health cards
(6). Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance
Whether covered by insurance or by some other means, the total cost of health insurance for someone with pre existing conditions is high enough to dramatically impact that person’s lifestyle.
Today it is important for all of us to lead a healthy lifestyle. However, if you already have a preexisting condition that is keeping you from getting affordable health coverage, you should investigate the 6 options listed above to see which would work best for you.
By: Rudy Wilson
Archive for October, 2009
Health Insurance For Someone With Pre-Existing Conditions
October 27th, 2009Why is Health Insurance Very Important?
October 27th, 2009
It has been said that life is very unpredictable and there is a lot of truth to that saying. There are people who are very healthy, fall sick suddenly and then discover that they got a critical illness. There are people who are very careful in everything they do, including on the road, but, got knock by other careless driver and ended up lying in hospital for months. These cases happen every now and then and we all know what follows next: the huge medical fee.
Are you prepared for it?
All along, people think health insurance as an option; you can live with or without it. Well, the truth is, you can’t ignore it, it is very important to have health insurance, especially with the high rising medical cost in recent years. If you don’t have any health insurance coverage, when the times comes where you need to receive medical attention or services, you will have to pay the entire fee from your own pocket and that can be a huge financial burden. If it is a serious illness, that can means several thousand dollars and are you prepare for it or in simple terms, do you have the financial ability to pay for it?
Again, some people think that they are health and strong and won’t get any illness easily. That’s a very risky thought because really, nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. There is too much uncertainty about life, that’s why people said life is unpredictable.
What is health insurance and how it helps you?
The purpose of health insurance is to protect and cover you financially when it comes to medical fee. The way it works is similar to other insurance like the life or auto insurance: you pay a sum of money to the insurance company monthly or yearly and they will help to pay your medical cost at a predetermined principal sum up to a limit.
Usually, the first thing that comes to one’s mind when he or she falls sick is the concern about the medical cost. Now, if you have a health insurance policy, you can be assured that there is something you can fall back on. You just need to concentrate to recover from your illness and don’t have to worry about how much you have incurred on your medical fee as majority of the cost will be covered by the insurance company.
Having a health insurance policy is very crucial as nobody knows when one will fall sick. Preparing yourself for the uncertainty will be very beneficial.
By: Lora Haig
How to Compare Low Cost Health Insurance in Georgia
October 27th, 2009
The Georgia Department of Insurance should be one stop you make on your road to finding low cost health insurance. The state can confirm to a consumer whether or not a particular insurance company is licensed to do business in the state. They can also provide that same information as it pertains to individual insurance agents. This is something that every consumer should look into before finalizing their decision to purchase a policy.
Consumers should also take some time to research the various companies that do offer health insurance. It may be tempting to call one company, receive what seems like a reasonable quote, and then purchase a policy from them. Although this certainly takes much of the headache of purchasing low cost health insurance away, it rarely will result in you finding the lowest price. Instead gather a few quotes, and then carefully review them before making a decision.
It’s also advisable to consider other qualifying factors when you are choosing health insurance. The claims process for health insurance can be tricky. Some companies will even refuse to pay a claim if the form isn’t filled out correctly. For this reason, ask your insurance agent about the process of making a claim and how long it generally takes to receive reimbursement. This will give you a good idea of how easy the company is to work with. You can even request a sample claim form so you can review it to see how complicated or detailed it truly is.
Also, don’t rest on your laurels once you do find a good plan. It never hurts to recheck prices every few months and this is especially important if your health or family situation changes. You want to ensure that you are always receiving the lowest price possible for your health insurance needs.
By: Deborah Mills
