Affordable Health Insurance With Cancer
Finding low cost health insurance coverage these days can be difficult but finding affordable health insurance with cancer is thought by most people to be all but impossible. However, if you know where to look then it is not quite as hard as you might think.
The main problem facing people with cancer when looking for health insurance benefits is the fact that almost all plans carry exclusions for pre-existing conditions which will either exclude cover altogether for a particular condition, provide cover at an additional cost or provide cover at normal rates but impose a 'waiting period' before cover comes into effect. A number of people are frightened off simply by the phrase 'pre-existing condition exclusions' but it is often not nearly as frightening as it sounds.
Most people fall into two categories when it comes to looking for health insurance – those who are looking for a private individual health insurance plan (or a family health insurance plan including both partners and the children) and those who are looking for medical care and treatment cover through a group health insurance policy.
For those people who are looking for an individual or family plan then you will need to start by deciding on the type of policy that you require and then shop around for one which provides you with the cover you need at a cost which you can afford. Your choice is essentially between a traditional Fee-for-Service (or indemnity) plan, a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plan, a Point-of-Service Plan (POS) or a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these plans but, within each category, you will usually find that you can find plans which will meet your requirements.
If you are looking at a group scheme then you will probably either be looking at a scheme provided by an employer or considering one of the many plans available in our modern diverse society and provided by groups such as clubs, motoring organizations or senior citizen groups.
An employer's group scheme is often the best option for an individual with cancer who is trying to get around the issue of pre-existing exclusion clauses because such plans are very tightly controlled by federal and state laws which restrict insurance companies when it comes to exclusions. For example, an insurance company cannot deny you cover simply because of a pre-existing condition and, if you are transferring from one scheme to another and have a break in cover of less than 63 days, no exclusion period will be imposed providing a condition was covered and any waiting period was completed under your previous plan. In addition, where you are required to wait until cover kicks in, an employer's scheme cannot require you to wait more than 12 months.
Group plans, other than those provided by an employer, will also often treat pre-existing conditions more favorably than individual or family plans, but here you will need to look carefully at the information provided by the administrator of each plan and at the conditions of each particular program.
Finally, you should be aware that there are several pieces of legislation which also provide protection for cancer sufferers when it comes to health insurance. For example, The Consolidated Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA) makes provision for insurance cover when you lose your employment coverage. In addition, protection is provided by such acts as The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) and The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
If you are sitting back and doing nothing because you think that you cannot get health insurance because you have cancer then think again. You might be pleasantly surprised to find that you can not only get cover, but can get it at a price which you can afford to pay. Whatever your income or financial resources, shop around and get yourself an online discount health insurance quote.
Carve-out: Specialty health service that an MCO obtains for members by contracting with a company that specializes in that service.
Dental health maintenance organization (DHMO): An organization that provides dental services through a network of providers to its members in exchange for some form of prepayment.
Medicare supplement: A private medical expense insurance plan that supplements Medicare coverage. Also known as a Medigap policy.
Stop-loss insurance: A type of insurance coverage that enables provider organizations or self-funded groups to place a dollar limit on their liability for paying claims and requires the insurer issuing the insurance to reimburse the insured organization for claims paid in excess of a specified yearly maximum.
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