What are the guidelines for pre-existing medical conditions and changing medical insurance?
I have a friend who’s 16 year old daughter was just diagnosed with arthritis. She has to receive very expensive shots to eleviate the inflimation in her joints. He would like to change jobs but is worried his new insurance would not cover her medical expenses because of the “pre-existing condions” protecting insurance companys from liability. Is that only true if he doesn’t have coverage for the 60 days prior to getting a new job or prior to getting the new health insurance……? He currently has a job and health insurance and would wait it out as long as he has to so he will have coverage.
August 11th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
From my understanding it would be considered a pre ex condition . Too bad that the 16 is being used as a profit base for a hmo. We need universal healthcare.
August 11th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
All insurance companies are different. But I have yet to see one who would deny coverage if that person was previously covered by another policy.
Now, if you have no insurance, then get cancer, should an insurance company be forced to insure you?
August 11th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
He will have to check with the new company . Many co. have diffrent guidlines. Gov. has some regulations on letting you keep the insurance he has now for a period of time but ,I’m pretty sure it will depend on the co.
August 11th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
This is a question for the HR department at the job he intends to go to.
Normally, companies (and their insurance carriers) have “open enrollments” at set times during the year. This means that you will be added to insurance coverage as if you had it all along.
However, a lot of companies have probation periods in which you are ineligible for full benefits pending the successful completion of you probation.
Your friend needs to sit down with the HR/Health Insurance specialist to see when he will be eligible for benefits and whether or not his daughter will be subject to a pre-existing condition clause (normally exists for 1 year).
He should also check into COBRA. It’s expensive, but he may be able to extend his current insurance while serving his probationary period or while waiting for open enrollment.
Best of luck.