The Future of Health Insurance With all of the political swirling and haze that has surrounded and obscured the approaching governmentally mandated healthcare reform, it can be difficult for many Americans to understand what changes to their healthcare are coming down the line. While there are many changes set to come into motion over the next few years concerning healthcare in the United States, one of the most important changes that will potentially affect many individuals is the change that deals with pre-existing conditions and struggles to get healthcare insurance. Of the many changes in healthcare and in health insurance, this change dealing with pre-existing conditions is perhaps the most exciting for all, seemingly no matter what side of the political argument they fall on. While it may be difficult for normal citizens to completely understand what changes are coming to the healthcare system of the United States, it is important for people everywhere to learn all they can about the approaching changes and what they need to do to be prepared for those changes.
Health Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions One of the first changes to the healthcare system that individuals and families need to be aware of and need to understand what they must do to prepare for the future is getting on to a family health insurance plan that will allow them coverage even with pre-existing conditions. As it stands now, family health insurance plans and their providers can choose which persons to insure based on pre-existing conditions and which individuals with pre-existing conditions to not insure. Along with choosing to not insure some individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions, current policies allow for insurance companies to charge exorbitant rates to those who they do insure who have pre-existing conditions. But soon these laws and conditions will change, and it is this modification to the current healthcare system that many people are excitedly awaiting and that many people should start now to prepare for. The new implementations to the healthcare system that will allow for individuals with pre-existing conditions to gain coverage from insurance providers will begin around the first of the year in 2014. In
fact, the current projection and set date for the implementation of coverage to those with pre-existing conditions is January 1, 2014. Once in effect, those persons with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied insurance coverage from insurance providers based upon their pre-existing conditions. This means that those who are sick or who have a pre-existing medical condition will not be denied health insurance coverage from an insurance provider, even if they have been turned down or their application has been rejected in the past.
Some Plans Will Be Grandfathered In There are exceptions to this rule, however; one exception to be exact. The one exception that could stop a person with a pre-existing condition the specific insurance coverage options they need for their healthcare regarding their pre-existing condition is if they have a personal or individual health insurance plan. These individual health insurance plans, which will often refuse specific coverage due to a person’s pre-existing condition, will be grandfathered into the new system. Meaning that those with this form of coverage will not be eligible for coverage for their pre-existing condition until after they have switched to an employer provided coverage plan or an individual plan within the new healthcare insurance Marketplace. Photo Credit: SEIU, Third Way Think Tank, Tabitha Kaylee Hawk