|
What about "Pre-Existing Conditions"?
This is the one of the most asked-about sections in health care insurance, and the least understood.
First of all, something which ails YOU is not necessarily all that important to an insurance company! Insurance companies care about what they will have to pay out for your future health care, NOT necessarily what has happened in the past. For example, if you had a family member pass away and you went on anti-depression drugs (usually meaning a policy "decline") a few years back, but got over it, dropped the drugs, and haven't used them since, the insurance company generally doesn't care.
But if you have a history of using anti-depressants year after year, SORRY! That's simply because they see an ongoing prescription drug expense with you, and these drugs can be very expensive.
If you had a bout with cancer 15 years ago, had surgery, took a few pills, and haven't had a problem since, the insurance company probably doesn't care too much!
On the flip side, if you have had ANYTHING relating to your heart or circulatory system, no matter how insignificant, expect the insurance company to care - big time!
There are significant legal differences between individual and group health care policies regarding pre-existing conditions. You must make yourself knowledgeable.
STATEMENT - Exactly what are "Pre-existing conditions"? And, does the insurance company "care"?
ANSWER - It depends. The answers are way too complex to try to set down on this web page because there are variables within variables within variables! People aren't the same and neither are their problems. The insurance company's underwriters are definitely not all the same!!!
Insurance companies generally define a pre-existing condition as a condition "that you seeked medical treatment, consultation, or advise" or that "a prudent person would have seeked medical treatment, consultation, or advise".
So what does this all mean?
It means you have to spend some time with a knowledgeable and CONSIDERATE agent who can walk you through all this, making sure you fill out an application with the correct answers, and follow through with the underwriting department to make sure you get a fair shake!
STATEMENT - Didn't the Health Care Reform Act (also known as the "Affordable Health Care Act") make it so the insurance companies cannot decline to accept me and my "Pre-existing conditions"?
ANSWER - Yes, it did. First off, Starting September 2010 they cannot decline children with pre-existing conditions. The result of this is ALL insurance companies (except in my state there is one short term company) stopped writing child only policies. Second, the requirement for adults will go into effect in 2014, unless the Act is repealed or changed.
Maybe you DO have an uninsurable condition. If you do, you will clear 99.9% of the insurance agents out of your home. At this point, you'll need to go to the Pre-existing Conditions Insurance Plan (PCIP) website. This page will give you more information and will direct you to the government website which gives those with pre-existing conditions information on how to get a policy, thanks to the Health Care Reform Act.
|
Connect with us on LinkedIn |
