Saturday, March 30, 2013

USA High Risk Pools and Pre-existing Conditions

Some states have insurance companies that will insure you even if you have the dreaded 'pre-existing condition' that gets you rejected outright from so many others. Blue Cross and Humana turned me down, as well as a few others.

I like the high risk pools because they are not government programs so they don't preclude you from some discounts that pharmaceutical companies offer for their medicines. As private businesses they are more efficient and work harder to keep your business, governments naturally have little incentive in that regard. Some are pricey but that seems to be part of the game in the US. My premium is over $200 a month.

A tip : if you know your preexisting condition will be long term (years) and expensive and you go with one of these programs, get one of the lower deductibles. I learned this the hard way but wanted to share since others could save thousands of dollars this way. The premium will be higher but you will hit your deductible sooner for benefits to kick in. Companies won't let you lower your deductible in following years so you have to choose a low one right from the start.

Many states have high risk pools, check them out as NASCHIP. I'm broke because of my medical situation but it'd be an absolute nightmare without insurance. Medical bills were a factor in my relocation, check to see if there's a company in your state that can help before you move out.