How Pre-Existing Conditions Affect Your Ohio Health Insurance

As many people will tell you, it can be quite a challenge to acquire health insurance when pre-existing conditions are present. Often the premiums are more costly and the coverage less. Many times an elimination rider is used which will not include coverage for more serious pre-existing conditions for twenty-four months if not longer. Ohio health insurance companies first conduct a candidate interview and then based on the candidate's health decide what kind of coverage they can provide, often making sure that they themselves will not end up with costly bills.

Upon submission of an individual Ohio health insurance claim, the insurance provider can look at medical records to ascertain whether the candidate has been treated for his illness within the last five years. A company can also choose to nullify coverage if the applicant has withheld any information or declared something of an untrue nature. Failure to state any condition would certainly lead to a claim becoming void. In the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which was passed in 1996, Ohio health insurance candidates are given more protection from discontinuing insurance coverage. Under this act, the individual is less likely to lose his insurance when there is a pre-existing condition or when he has lost his job.

HIPAA makes it so that only conditions that are in an individual's recent past or present health are to be considered as pre-existing. This keeps insurance companies from withholding maternity benefits and using genetic records to determine possible future conditions. Only the information that is physically present on the application can become grounds for declining an applicant, so long as all information is truthful. Further good news for those with group coverage is that if they have had coverage for eighteen months and have no gaps that exceed sixty-three days, they will not have pre-existing conditions apply against them.

It is important to know that Ohio health insurance policies cannot be canceled provided the policy holder continues to pay his premium and follow all guidelines. For short-term policies the same benefits do not apply. These policies are not guaranteed renewable. Those who are looking for alternate ways of getting coverage may look into applying through a Chamber of Commerce or a different church or union organization. These options generally are more costly than individual plans because the government has more mandates and provisions for group plans.

If you do have serious health issues, the most cost-effective option is to seek insurance through an employer. Group policies are a possibility because they require guaranteed issuance, however the costs are usually more expensive than individual policies. If you are fortunate enough to not suffer from any major medical conditions, then individual Ohio health insurance is for you as it usually has much lower rates.