It’s a sad fact that many Americans are without health insurance. For some it’s a matter of choice, others simply can’t afford it. There is a third group however, who can afford it and desperately want it, but are unable to qualify for it because of their current or past health conditions. These are what insurance companies refer to as the “uninsurables”.
The presidential candidates this year all put forward ideas for fixing the broken health care system in this country. Hopefully, there will be sweeping changes made that will allow everyone access to affordable healthcare. In the meantime, if you are sick and uninsured, you can’t wait for the politicians to fix the system. You need help today.
Here are a few ways you can get yourself insured now:
1. Get a job. If you’re healthy enough to work, getting a job with a company that offers health insurance benefits may be your ticket to healthcare. As a new employee, you are guaranteed to get coverage. You will have to wait 6 after enrolling in the company’s insurance plan before any pre-existing conditions are covered, but after that you will have full coverage. If it has been less than 63 days since your last insurance policy lapsed, you may have what is referred to as “creditable coverage” which means that the pre-existing clause will be waived and you can get full coverage right away.
2. Start your own business. In the state of California, you can get guaranteed-issue group coverage with as few as two employees. One of these employees can even be your spouse. Things to keep in mind:
a. It must be a legitimate business, but it doesn’t have to show income for the first two years;
b. The business must be the major source of income for all employees You can’t include an “employee” who earns the majority of his/her income from another source.
c. There will still be a waiting period for pre-existing conditions (unless you’ve had creditable coverage within the last 63 days) but once the waiting period is satisfied, you’re good to go. Talk to your local health insurance agent to see if you can qualify for a group health plan.
3. Get married. No, I’m not suggesting you grab some stranger off the street and arrange a marriage of convenience. However, if you already have a life partner, or are in a serious relationship that is heading toward marriage, you might want to consider taking it to the next level. There are many legal benefits to marriage. One of them is access to your spouse’s health insurance. If your spouse-to-be is already insured through their place of work, you can be added to their policy without any underwriting requirements (usually). Again, there may be a waiting period where pre-existing conditions are excluded, but once you’ve satisfied the waiting period, you’re 100% covered.
Have your spouse-to-be check with his/her human resources department to get the full scoop.
4. Consider a mini-med product Some states have what is referred to as “mini-med” products. They are NOT major medical plans and don’t pretend to be. However, they are guaranteed issue (you can’t be declined because of poor health) and they do pay a limited benefit. Something is better than nothing. Although California does not currently offer such a product, it will very soon. We’re told it is coming “any day now.”
Check with your local health insurance agent to find out more.
By: Tamarin Martin
Posts Tagged ‘Affordable Healthcare’
Uninsurable? Four Ways to Get Health Insurance
April 7th, 2010Health Insurance For Preexisting Conditions
December 20th, 2009
So you have a preexisting medical condition? And you are looking for affordable healthcare coverage. Right! These are some of the most common health concerns today.
Or maybe you have just moved from one job to another and your new employer does not offer a healthcare plan. Or possibly you lost your group insurance coverage due to some situation completely outside your control. When someone is confronted with these situations and they also have pre existing conditions, this really makes it tough to find affordable health coverage. The main reason is obvious… the risk you impose to the insurer is just too great.
Preexisting conditions involving health are defined and treated differently from insurance company to insurance company. Generally speaking, a pre existing condition is any medical condition that a policyholder had knowledge of, or was treated for, prior to enrolling in a healthcare plan. This really becomes a problem when individuals with preexisting conditions are forced to seek new health coverage because of a change in employment or other reasons. It may only take what looks like a small reason, but an insurer can deny a policy completely or to maybe refuse coverage of the pre existing conditions.
You can find health insurance for preexisting conditions but this may not be easy. There are some insurance companies who will provide you with health coverage; however, most companies will not. Typically the insurance companies do not wish to provide coverage for circumstances that are already known to exist. Let’s be honest, insurers prefer to insure people who are not likely to NEED health insurance.
One way insurance carriers try to discourage people from waiting until they get sick to purchase a health plan is to impose a pre-existing condition exclusion period. What this means is that if you have a medical condition at the time you enroll into or purchase a health plan, the insurance companies can deny all claims pertaining to that medical condition for a certain period of time. So when looking for an individual healthcare policy, the rules governing the pre-existing condition exclusion period can vary widely from state to state. Usually this is limited to 12 months and applies to health conditions for which you sought treatment in the 6 months leading up to enrollment. If you have a letter of creditable coverage you may be able to reduce or completely offset your pre existing condition exclusion period. For example, if you were covered under an individual or group policy before enrolling, you may be able to subtract the amount of time you were covered from the pre-existing condition exclusion period.
The insurance choices for those with a pre-existing condition are somewhat limited. Hopefully you can enroll with an employer-sponsored group health plan. This is your best choice by far but for many this is not possible. Maybe a professional organization such as the Chamber of Commerce can provide you with some health coverage.
Applying for individual health insurance is still a possibility but you will probably meet with some insurance declines before you can obtain acceptable healthcare. If your state has a risk pool then this is something you definitely investigate. Today, Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance is becoming a great alternative as better health plans exist now than just a few years ago.
It really does not matter if they are covered by insurance or not, the total cost of healthcare for someone with pre existing conditions will be high enough to dramatically impact that persons lifestyle. To get the best possible health insurance for your preexisting conditions, you will need to investigate your choices, do your homework and make wise decisions. Only you can judge what is best for your situation.
By: Rudy Wilson
