Pre-Existing Conditions: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

One of the thorniest issues in health insurance is getting coverage when you have had a specific medical condition in the past. As the healthcare system stands now, healthcare consumers with pre-existing conditions, meaning a condition you had before you got the coverage, are simply out-and-out denied coverage for that condition. If not turned down altogether, then the cost of the health insurance for these individuals becomes prohibitively expensive. One of the few exceptions is if you can get coverage through a group plan from your employer.

One key provision of Obama's Affordable Care Act holds that insurance companies can no longer deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions. If this part of the healthcare reform law goes into affect in 2014 as written, then those who have medical conditions ranging from heart disease to depression will be able to find affordable health coverage. In the meantime, the law sets up temporary high-risk pools open to adult citizens and legal residents who have pre-existing conditions and have not had coverage for these conditions in the previous six months. This Pre-Existing Conditions Insurance Plan (PCIP) provision includes a total out-of-pocket expense ceiling, with insurance premiums varying by state.

The jury is still out in terms of whether the PCIP is offering the benefits it was enacted to provide. But if you have a pre-existing medical condition and you are not covered by a group plan, there are other strategies you can employ to obtain affordable coverage. Here are a few of them: Consider getting inexpensive short-term health insurance. Per federal regulations, if you have this type of insurance and prevent a gap in coverage of more than two months during the long-term insurance carrier's waiting period, then the long-term insurance carrier will have to cover you for pre-existing conditions immediately upon acceptance. Get health coverage from another carrier for your family members. For now, if you have a pre-existing condition, your premiums are going to be higher even if you come off a short term insurance plan. Therefore, it makes sense to put family members who may be relatively healthy on different plans that offer lower premiums. Obtain a healthcare discount card. Although these are not as good as having insurance, they can cut down considerably on your out-of-pocket expenses. It all depends on how steep your out-of-pocket expenses are in a given year.

When you have a serious pre-existing medical condition, the healthcare system can be more difficult and frustrating to navigate than when you are in good health. In this case, it is all the more important for you to stay current with the law and get a handle on your options through diligent offline investigation and online research at sites like www.quotewhizhealth.com.