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How
To Get Health Insurance If You
Think Or Know That You Are
“Uninsurable” If
you have been told that you do not qualify for health insurance due to pre-existing
health problems, do not think that means you can’t get any
health insurance. If you carry no health insurance at all, you risk paying
higher prices for your medical care, not getting the quality of care that you
need, and losing everything you’ve got in order to pay medical bills.
There are several options you may have that are a better decision than going without
any health insurance at all. - Cover
the conditions and family members that you can cover. As crazy as it
sounds, people will tell me that if an insurance company won’t cover one
member of the family, then the whole family will just go without coverage.
Or they won’t accept a policy unless it will cover their pre-existing gastritis,
and after all that’s the only thing they ever go to the doctor for.
Don’t be foolish. Get the coverage now for the things that you can
cover, before something happens and you can’t get that person or condition
covered either.
- See if you
can qualify for group coverage from an employer or your spouse’s employer.
While individual plans consider the applicant's health before accepting them,
group plans in Colorado are “guaranteed issue”. So if you have
a job with a company that offers group coverage, that will be your best option.
You may also be added to your spouse’s group plan, though the cost could
be anywhere from zero to quite a bit, depending on how the company offering the
coverage structures the plan.
- Set up your
own group plan. In Colorado, group coverage starts with two employees.
If you own your own business, this could be you and your spouse as long as both
of you are legitimate employees of your business. There is also “group-of-one”
coverage available to self-employed individuals. To qualify for group of
one coverage you must be profitably self-employed for at least one year, and you
may only enroll during an open enrollment period when your COBRA plan ends, or
within 30 days of your birthday. ColoHealth
does not currently offer group coverage.
- Sign up
for CoverColorado. This is a state-sponsored high-risk pool offering
coverage to people who can’t get coverage in the private market. These
plans are much more expensive than private coverage for healthy individuals, but
can be a bargain for those with serious health problems. They are available
only to citizens of Colorado who have been denied coverage because of a medical
condition, and have lived in the state at least six months. You can view
rates and coverage, and apply online at the CoverColorado
website.
- Apply for
a limited benefit plan. The Assurant
KeyMed plan is not a PPO plan, but members can receive discounts when
using doctors and hospitals in the PHCS Healthy Directions network. This
can mean substantial discounts in what you pay for your health care services.
Another option for people with pre-existing health concerns is the
Value Plan, offered by American General.
Rates are very reasonable, ranging from $25 to $100 per month for a 49 year-old.
Though this plan will not cover everyone, it only has 3 health questions and most
people can obtain coverage through them. Unfortunately, it will NOT cover
anyone that has in past 24 months had chest pains, disease or disorder
of the heart, liver, kidneys, or lungs, uncontrolled high blood pressure, albumin
or sugar in urine, uncontrolled diabetes, cancer, tumors, or ulcers.
It is important
to understand that this plan is very limited in what it will pay, and will fall
short if you have a large medical bill. However, having this plan can buffer
your exposure quite a bit compared to carrying no coverage at all. It will
cover up to $1,000 per day for hospitalization, and $4,000 per day for intensive
care. Surgical benefits go up to $20,000. See our Value
Plan page for rates, coverage information, and an application. | |
