coverage for pre-existing conditions

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Pre-existing condition? No longer a problem.

Friday, July 9th, 2010

After all the hoopla, once healthcare reform was signed into law earlier this year, it didn’t immediately seem like much had changed. Most of the provisions of the new healthcare bill aren’t slated to take effect for a few years yet.

But there’s one provision, an all-important one for people who have been denied health insurance in the past, that could be a lifesaver.

And it takes effect this summer.

You can now get health insurance – good comprehensive coverage – if you’ve previously been turned down due to a pre-existing condition. Your new insurance will cover that pre-existing condition along with your other medical needs. Perhaps best of all, according to law, the premiums for this insurance must be affordable. You should pay about what anyone else your age pays, regardless of health.

Depending on the state where you live, the insurance plan will either be run by the state or federal government. Go here to find out about how to apply in your state.

So, if you have been denied insurance, or denied insurance for your pre-existing condition, and have been without any health insurance for six months or more, this is for you.

Take advantage. And here’s to your good health.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, MD, MPH