This is not, AND I MEAN NOT, a debate topic. It might be a good idea to say that first… no matter what, I am NOT going to get into any of my opinions here!! I just desperately need an answer to a question.
For the past… well, ever since I was 19, I’ve had terrible health insurance that covers almost nothing. But I’ve held onto it because pre-existing conditions meant that I could never get any other health insurance. The high-risk pool here (as in all states, I think) requires a six-month period without health insurance. I just simply can’t do that. As bad as my current insurance is, and as expensive as it is, I absolutely cannot drop it unless and until I could replace it with something else more or less immediately.
So what happens on Jan 1, 2014, when health insurance companies won’t be permitted to discriminate against people like me anymore? Will there still be a “waiting period” where pre-existing conditions won’t be covered? Will I ever be able to afford to get rid of the incredibly bad, incredibly expensive insurance I have now? I KNOW that I’m far from the only one in this situation or the only one asking these questions. I can’t find the answer to this exact question anywhere, and nobody else seems to know either. Does anyone actually know?
How “incredibly bad” is this plan? Don’t all plans have to meet a minimum standard by then? Any word on whether this qualifies? (If not, you may end up switched anyway).
You need to check with an insurance broker because the rules on preexisting conditions are changing even before 2014. As I understand it, if you’ve been covered continuously, preexisting conditions can no longer be excluded.
That doesn’t mean, however, that the new insurance company can’t charge out the ass for a policy, but there are options. I have an individual policy with a $1500 deductible that costs ~$400/month. That seems steep, but it also means my expense will be capped at $6,300 this year.
I have no idea about what will happen in 2014 under the ACA – but could you, even now, enroll in the High-risk pool while maintaining your current insurance, and only drop the current one once the high-risk coverage kicks in fully?
I suspect that if you could do this it would pay for itself in the medium and long run – but the questions are: “can you do that at all?” and “can you afford paying 6 months of double premiums?”
No. After hours… AND HOURS… ungodly amounts of time on the phone with the OMIP people… I know that I can’t. 6 months of double premiums would be absolutely nothing compared to going without for 6 months. So trust me, I would do it if I could.
Are you kidding??? I cannot imagine having anything that good and cheap. That’s how bad my current policy is. I really don’t even want to put into writing just how bad it is.
I have found that the Kaiser Family Foundation is a good source for accurate information on health reform. Perhaps you can find an answer there, but don’t neglect your state government sites.
I just emailed them in order to try to find out about the “waiting period” question. I don’t really see how it can be the same as it is with OMIP… otherwise, it would be totally meaningless for people with pre-existing conditions and exactly the same situation as before. But you NEVER know!!
From what I have read, there should be no waiting period as long as you enroll during the ‘Open Enrollment’ period. The law you are reading has a section that includes an option for open enrollment periods - I expect that will happen just as it does with Medicare.
In other words, buy insurance during open enrollment or wait a full year. If it is not done that way, people will be purchasing insurance on their smartphone while the ambulance is taking them to the hospital.
What a CONCEPT!! I’ll be waiting by my laptop for hours ahead of time when the enrollment period starts. And that’s all I’m going to say, or this will devolve into incoherent rants and raves.
It’ll be vacation reading!