Switching health insurance providers

[Mason'sMom&Dad]

How huge of a problem is it to switch health care insurers? I am considering exploring other options in my career field, but have awesome insurance where I work - they have paid for everything and there rarely has been a problem. I am grateful for this everyday. My question is can a new insurer say the trach and all the other myriad of medical issues that come with a special needs child are pre-existing conditions and deny coverage ?

[Kate]

From my understanding on insurance, usually as long as you do not have a laps in coverage-it shouldn't be a pre-exist. condition. We also switched and the only problem we had was that the new one wouldn't cover nursing care...we ended up appealing and winning. Anyway, I don't think that you should have a problem-but I would make sure that you are covered throughout-don't even laps for 1 day or they can deny you.
Just my understanding of how it is...good luck. Insurance is NOT a fun thing to deal with!
Katie
mom to Mitchell
www.caringbridge.org/mn/mitchelljohncragg

[Ann]

Under federal law, as long as there is no break in coverage -- an insurance company cannot refuse to cover something as a pre-existing condition. Â*That's why it is so important to pay for COBRA coverage during a break in employment (if you have major medical issues, that is). Â*Usually when you terminate coverage with an insurance company they give you a letter that states when coverage ended Â*-- your new employer will ask to see that in hopes that there was in fact a break in coverage so they don't have to pay for pre-existing conditions. (I'm such a cynic, aren't I?)

(I think Katie and I were typing our responses at the same time. I'm glad we both are on the same page regarding this issue).

[Jacob's Mom]

Ditto what Kate and Ann said. We had to use COBRA coverage for 3 months when we moved and my husband switched employers. Expensive, but well worth it because there was no way for the new company to get out of covering Jacob.

[hcs_mom]

Pre-existing will haunt you if you have a break in coverage. However, unless the rules have changed, when you switch from one job to another, there is usually a 30-day waiting period before your new insurance becomes effective. This "waiting" period is not considered the break in coverage. The break would be, say, if you lost a job and had no insurance for X days. I think that break is something like 60 days. If you go over that, that's when it becomes pre-existing. Does that make sense?

Double check, but that's how it used to be.

Good luck.
Jennie

[Barb]

As long as you are switching from group to group with no lapse in coverage, you will be okay. Most people think the "P" in HIPAA refers to "privacy", but is really for "portability". Under HIPAA, you can't be denied GROUP insurance for pre-existing conditions, as long as you have been covered by a group policy for a certain period of time. (And, even if you weren't covered, after a while the preexisting condition limitation goes away, which doesn't help with our kids, I know, b/c a month of their care would bankrupt anyone) ... The rules are different when you talk about individual insurance policies that many self-employed people have...

When you find a new job, just check with their HR dept to make sure you cross t's and dot i's and you should be fine.
Plus, as an added bonus, you'll probably start over again on the lifetime limit!

-Barb

After I was hired at my job, I was sitting in a huge auditorium listening to all the benefits information. I raised my hand during the health insurance portion and inquired about pre-existing conditions, their response was "we don't ask". I nearly jumped through the roof with elation. I left the auditorium and went to call my husband to share the good news.
Â* Ever since that day, I say I work for the insurance and raises are simply an added bonus.
Â* Long story, but I'd be cautious giving up good insurance with a special needs child.
Angie