# pre-existing conditions for new health insurance

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-existing-conditions-for-new-health-insurance/395526>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 11, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-existing-conditions-for-new-health-insurance/395526 "2007-03-11T22:47:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aluminumdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@aluminumdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aluminumdisc)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-existing-conditions-for-new-health-insurance/395526/1 "2007-03-11T22:47:35Z")

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My wife and I have been paying on an expensive cobera plan. I am going to have a job that provides insurance in July. If we drop the cobera plan will a future insurace plan cover things that we have been covered for in the past? I live in Florida. Thanks

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-existing-conditions-for-new-health-insurance/395526/2 "2007-03-11T23:14:52Z")

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You need to check the pre-existing conditions clause with the HR department of your new employer. Generally a group plan is stuck with your pre-existing conditions, but there may be variants (such as switching from general coverage to an HMO) that may influence this. In addition, any gap might impose a delay in coverage for pre-existing conditions. Without knowing the specifics, I think you’d be taking a risk to drop your COBRA.

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-existing-conditions-for-new-health-insurance/395526/3 "2007-03-11T23:57:49Z")

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I work for a very large HR consulting company. There is no way to know for sure but the chances are excellent that your new group policy will cover pre-existing conditions. That is the beauty of company health insurance policies and they generally can’t just exclude employees or dependents for whatever reason after you are hired.

Again, that is a guess but a reasonable one. However, don’t drop your COBRA policy until you have new insurance in hand.

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**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-existing-conditions-for-new-health-insurance/395526/4 "2007-03-12T00:55:52Z")

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Medical Billing Specialist chiming in here:

Most policies these days have pre-existing clauses built into them - although it is up to each employer when they establish their health plan. However, the standard set by HIPAA in 1996 is that you receive credit for prior continuous coverage which existed without a lapse of 62 days or less. Therefore, if you’ve begun a new job, and you will receive coverage in 45 days, then you can drop the COBRA if you intend to sign up as soon as you are eligible. However, if your new employer doesn’t extend coverage until you’ve been employed for 90 days, you’ll want to maintain your COBRA premiums - bearing in mind, of course, that anything which occurs during the time you have a lapse will cause you to have to pay for any medical care out of pocket.

Here is a link to the Department of Labor website FAQ about pre-existing & HIPAA:

[Frequently Asked Questions about Portability of Health Coverage and HIPAA](http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_consumer_hipaa.html).

Hope this helps!

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**Author:** ![aluminumdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@aluminumdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aluminumdisc)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-existing-conditions-for-new-health-insurance/395526/5 "2007-03-12T01:01:32Z")

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[QUOTE=Indyellen]

Hope this helps!  
[/QUOTE]

Yes it is great, thanks!