Posted by noa on April 5, 2003, at 23:32:22
In reply to Re: Medical Insurance - UK Members, posted by cybercafe on April 5, 2003, at 23:22:08
The key is that you have to not have a gap in insurance. Here, insurance is purchased through employers. So, let's say I change employers and my new employer doesn't have the same insurance as the old. I transfer to the new plan. It used to be that the new insurance could exclude anything related to a pre-existing condition. With this relatively new rule, they can't do that, they have to cover it.
If, however, I had let my insurance lapse, then it might be different. The way we can keep our insurance going between jobs is through a law, also from the Clinton era, which allows us to continue buying the group insurance through our old employer up to 18 months. Only it can be expensive, because rather than just paying a portion of the cost (most employers cover the larger portion), we have to pay the entire cost. But it keeps you covered continuously, which is important.
Someone who is uninsured would have a harder time. Individual plans are very expensive, and I am not sure but it might be that the rules about covering everything might not apply for individual applicants, only for people getting insurance in a group plan.
The other caviat is that a lot of companies use HMO's, or managed care, where what services and procedures are covered can be restricted. So, while they wouldn't be able to say they won't cover anything related to say, one's diabetes or depression, they would have limitations on what types of treatment or how treatment is delivered.
poster:noa
thread:211823
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030401/msgs/216565.html