When searching for Texas health insurance, one of the biggest concerns people face is whether or not a health plan will cover their preexisting conditions. A pre-existing condition is any medical condition that may be excluded from coverage by an insurance company because the condition was present prior to the individual obtaining a policy from the particular Texas health insurance company. Example conditions include diabetes, heart disease and asthma.
If applying for a new Texas health insurance policy, people with preexisting conditions may have to wait several months, or even years, before the policy will provide coverage for the condition. The waiting period is typically shorter for people enrolling in a group Texas health insurance plan than for people enrolling in an individual Texas health insurance plan. And if you do obtain coverage, insurance companies may choose to cover you for everything but medical claims related to your preexisting condition. Of course, recent health care legislation will change these exclusionary practices.
Beginning June 21, 2010, a national high risk pool will be established to cover people with preexisting conditions. American citizens and legal immigrants who have been uninsured for at least six months and have preexisting conditions will be eligible to enroll in this pool and receive subsidies to help them afford the premiums.
Further legislation stipulates that starting September 23, 2010, health insurance companies will be prohibited from excluding children with preexisting conditions from being covered by their family policy. The process takes far longer for adults, however, as insurance companies can continue to exclude adults with preexisting conditions until January 1, 2014, at which point the high risk pool will be eradicated.
Since the majority of changes don’t go into effect until 2014, it’s important to do what you can to remain covered. To get all the facts and details about how insurance companies will treat your preexisting condition, try contacting a Texas health insurance broker or potential carrier to discuss your particular situation.
