(TH) What You Must Know About COBRA/HIPAA and Preexisting Conditions

(TH) Its a sinking feeling to know you need health insurance and can not get any because you have preexisting conditions.  We have plans that do cover certain preexisting conditions or if you have exhausted your COBRA coverage and do not have a Conversion Plan available to you.

If You Need Immediate Assistance - Call (407) 425*9347missouri health insurance preexisting conditions
Like with most states, Missouri health insurance law lays out regulations on how Missouri health insurance companies can deal with a customers pre-existing conditions. In Missouri health insurance law, a pre-existing condition is deemed a health issue that might require coverage that you have been treated for or diagnosed with in the two years prior to the beginning of your new policy.

Missouri health insurance law gives companies the right to exclude pre-existing conditions.
This exclusion period means that the Missouri health insurance companies do not have to pay for treatment of the pre-existing condition. Health insurance companies in Missouri have the right to extend exclusion periods temporarily or even permanently. There is no limit to the length of an exclusion period in Missouri health insurance law.

Generally, a "pre-existing condition exclusion" is a limitation or exclusion of health insurance benefits based on the fact that a physical or mental condition was present before the first day of coverage.  Most health insurance plans in Missouri will have a period of at least 12 months sometimes 24 months before any benefits are paid on preexisting conditions and many plans place permanent or indefinite Riders on those conditions in the place of a preexisting clause.

Health Insurance companies try to discourage people from waiting until they get sick in order to purchase health insurance. One way in which they do this is to impose pre-existing condition exclusion periods. This means that if you have a medical problem which exists at the time you enroll in or purchase your health insurance, the insurance company will deny all claims pertaining to this medical problem for a certain period of time.

Don't rely on sites promising "Guaranteed Issue" health insurance, most are not truly health insurance at all, but Defined Benefit Plans that are hardly worth bothering particularly if you have serious preexisting conditions.  They offer little benefits and yes, they do cover preexisting conditions but only after one year.  Don't rely on internet quoting sites that give you "instant quotes".  I guarantee that if you don't know what you're doing you will be declined, or have your preexisting conditions Ridered (either indefinitely or Temporarily), pay more for coverage and oftentimes unnecessarily.  People get shy when it comes time to discussing their medical issues with a stranger, particularly one they found on the internet, that's understandable.  But when it comes to your health and getting potentially huge medical claims covered, it's time to step up to the plate!

Have you been denied coverage?  Are you conditions well controlled? Are you over weight? Before you hit the panic button you should also consider a Short Term Medical Plan.   It's far less expensive than a major medical plan and is much easier to qualify for.  The catch however, on any Short Term plan preexisting conditions are not covered nor is renewal guaranteed....hence, the lower cost.  But it many situations it can buy you some valuable time during which other options may arise.  Consider the following:

$2,000,000 in policy benefits;
Prescriptions covered;
PPO network discounts;
Very simple to get...only 5 Underwriting questions and issued in 24 hours;
Get coverage for up to one year...a full 12 months if you need it;
100% and an 80/20 plans to choose from.

If you have job-based coverage, the pre-existing condition exclusion period is limited to 12 months (18 months if you are a late enrollee) and only applies to conditions for which you sought treatment in the 6 months leading up to enrollment. You be able to apply creditable coverage to offset your pre-existing condition exclusion period. For example, if you were on an individual policy before enrolling in your job-based coverage, you might be able to subtract the amount of time you were covered on your individual policy from the pre-existing condition exclusion period.