What is a pre-existing medical condition?

There is no medical insurance for people with pre-existing conditions, in most cases. What is a pre-existing condition? If you have an illness or condition that has been treated in the last six months prior to applying for any type of insurance, you will not be covered for an agreed upon time, such as 6 months to 18 months. There are however exceptions to this rule.

What is a pre-existing coverage?

A pre-existing condition is a medical condition that you have, even a minor one, where you have sought medical care in the last six months. So, maybe you have a prior condition, such as an old knee injury. If you are not taking any medications and have not seen a doctor in the last six months, then you would be covered. If you do have an illness, such as diabetes or high blood pressure and this is classified as a
pre-existing condition, you will not be covered for the specified time agreed on by the insurance company. In many cases, this could be from 6 to18 months. If during a medical screening you were found to have cancer, but you were never aware of this disease, you may be covered as you have never sought direct medical help in the past.

Patient protection and health reform act

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act states that children who have a pre-existing condition under the age of 19 cannot be denied insurance under their parent's policy. This act went into effect in September of 2010. In 2014, this hallmark protection will cover also adults.

HIPPA and transfer of coverage

If you have a disease, but find you need to change insurance carriers, the HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) effective in 1996 by Congress will protect you. It states that if you had insurance for at least one year at a previous employer and sought to have new insurance at a new company and there was not a break in coverage for more than 63 days, your new insurance company cannot deny you insurance for a pre-existing condition. Reasons for the pre-existing conditions in policies If you had hopes of obtaining easy insurance and preparing for travel in the near future, you may be dismayed with these conditions. The reason that insurance companies have placed these contingencies has to do with the bottom line. It is very expensive for insurance companies to cover a sick individual siffering from cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Studies have shown that a cancer patient can cost up to $250,000 and more. Many insurance companies are covering gastric by-pass surgeries now to avoid further complications of the obese down the road. The surgery and follow-up visits may be covered.