Facts About Buying Health Insurance Before Medicare
Many companies do not offer health insurance and many other people do not qualify for the health insurance that they do offer. For those who are old enough to qualify for Medicare, this is not too much of a problem. For those who are too young or do not otherwise qualify for Medicare, other health insurance is necessary.
Importance of Health Insurance
Studies have shown that people who do not have health insurance are less likely to be as healthy as those who do have health insurance. Health insurance makes it affordable for individuals to visit their primary care physician and if hospitalization is necessary it too can be affordable.
Continuing Previous Insurance
Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconcilidation Act (COBRA) insurance allows individuals to keep their previous insurance from a previous job for a price. While this insurance is expensive and time sensitive, often running out after 18 months, it can help people remain covered.
Coming off COBRA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is government-sanctioned insurance coverage. This covered ensures coverage but does not guarantee rates. On average HIPAA is much more expensive than COBRA. You must file for HIPAA within 63 days of the termination of the COBRA coverage.
Guaranteed Acceptance
Some states make sure that all of their citizens can be covered by independent insurance companies. These states make it so that the different insurance companies cannot deny an individual based upon previous health conditions. However, these states do not ensure that the insurance policy is affordable for people living in those states. Individuals with no or few health concerns may not be able to afford health insurance because of the cost of covering individuals with many health concerns.
Pre-existing Medical Conditions
Most insurance companies can and will decline coverage for those who have a pre-existing medical condition. This is even true if the medical condition is easily treated, such as slightly high blood pressure or cholestrol levels. This does not mean that all insurance companies will decline coverage though, so check first.
Finding Independent Insurance
You have several options to find an independent insurance company. The most effective manner is to go to a comparison website that offers quotes from various insurance companies. These websites take a medical history and then pass this onto the various insurance companies. From there the insurance companies contact you with their quote and insurance coverage. Another method is to contact the insurance companies individually to see what medical conditions are covered and the cost of coverage.
Tags: insurance companies, health insurance, About Buying, About Buying Health, Before Medicare, Buying Health
