Diabetes Health Insurance Alabama AL
Reader’s Question:
I was recently diagnosed with diabetes and I am worried about my health insurance card which will expire soon. If I will renew, will I still be covered by my health insurance despite my pre-existing condition in Alabama?
Chris
Birmingham, AL
Do not be so worried, Chris.
There is always something you can do. Luckily, you may be able to avoid gap in you health insurance coverage in Alabama.
Most health insurance policies impose a pre-existing condition exclusion period on new members. For health insurance coverage you got from you job, the exclusion period can be no longer than 12 months. The rules limiting the length of pre-existing conditions vary by state for individual health insurance policy. Some states limit the exclusion to 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, and some can even be longer. Though I know that in other states, individual health insurance policies may also include riders permanently excluding coverage for pre-existing condition.
However, there is definitely hope for you if you have a job based health insurance coverage, which must credit you for each month of prior continuous creditable coverage. The corresponding credit offsets the pre-existing condition exclusion period. Now, if you were covered under a job based health insurance policy for 9 months before changing jobs and immediately enrolling in a new plan, then you must therefore be credited for the 9 months of prior continuous creditable coverage. The pre-existing condition exclusion period in you new plan can be no longer than three months. Though you won’t have to worry about a pre existing condition exclusion period in your job based plan if you have more than a year of prior continuous creditable coverage.
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