How To Get Health Insurance

Alternatives to obtain health insurance include:

Private Health Insurance

Because of the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") you can get health insurance in spite of your health condition. Insurance companies can no longer deny coverage or raise premiums because of a health condition. You may have to wait for an open enrollment period which comes at least once a year.

Group health insurance is generally less expensive than individual coverage and you may be able to obtain it quickly if you are able to work. 

It may mean changing jobs or joining a fraternal or professional association, or other measures. The best benefits packages are usually from large companies or governmental agencies. You can't be discriminated against during the hiring process because of your health history.

If you work, you may be able to get health insurance during an "open enrollment" period - a period during which health insurance is available with no health questions asked even though you may not have obtained the insurance through the same employer when you previously had a chance to.

There is no job that isn't performed in a large employer or a governmental agency. Even jobs we think of as independent, such as waiters and gardeners, exist in large companies and governments.

On the other hand, individual health insurance is available in each state, even with a pre-existing condition. If the state doesn't guarantee your right to purchase a policy ("guaranteed issue"), there are "high risk pools" for insureds private insurers consider to be too risky. To learn about the situation in your state, see:www.healthinsuranceinfo.net .

If individual premiums are too high for you, consider:

• Reducing cost by raising the deductible. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium. Even if you are just trading dollars with the insurance company because you use so many health services due to your health condition, you are protected on the upside. If your expenses become unbearable, insurance will pay. (Plus you may be able to pay over time the medical costs which make up the deductible. Premiums have to be paid out-of-pocket when due.
• Purchasing a managed care policy such as an HMO. Managed care policies are less expensive than Fee-For-Service (Indemnity) type policies. (see Types Of Health Insurance).
• Contacting a financial planner or reputable credit counselor to help plan a budget.

• Medicare
• Medicaid
• Veterans Benefits (See Veterans Benefits)

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