Louisiana Individual Health Insurance Plans
No matter how careful you are, you just cant stay away from accidents. It's a good thing there are health insurance companies. Like in most states in America, Louisiana has its own health insurance companies. If you are not part of a group health plan, then your options are COBRA coverage, Louisiana Health Plan and Louisiana individual health insurance plans. But before being covered by Louisiana Individual health insurance plans, there are some things to be considered first.
A persons health status is an important determining factor in the approval of Louisiana health insurance plans application. During application, the applicant will be asked about his health conditions before and at present time. The insurer will decide if the person is qualified for a Louisiana individual health insurance plan or not. Or the insurer may decide to offer the person a less comprehensive coverage instead. The choice is upon the applicant if he will accept the offered limited coverage of Louisiana health insurance or he if prefers to apply for a Louisiana Health Plan instead.
It is during the interview that the representative of Louisiana individual health insurance company determines if there are conditions that can be classified as pre-existing conditions. Pre-existing conditions are conditions for which the individual sought or received medical care, advice or treatment in a certain period (12 months for Louisiana) prior to the purchase date of the Louisiana health insurance. Pregnancy is considered a pre-existing condition, while genetic information are not.
Louisiana health insurance companies can impose pre-existing condition beyond 12 months. They are also allowed to have elimination riders with a maximum of two medical conditions. Elimination rider is an amendment in an individuals health insurance contract which states that a particular health condition or body part is permanently not covered by Louisiana health plans.
If a person files a claim within three years since the start of the Louisiana health plans, the insurer can check for pre-existing conditions which can be present twelve months before the application (commonly 24 months in other states). Once confirmed that the condition is considered a pre-existing one, for which the claim is filed, then the insurer can deny any payment for incurred expenses.
Louisiana law does not require standardized health insurance policies, but mandates certain services to be included in Louisiana health plans. Some of these services are diabetes training program and mammograms.
Parents Louisiana health insurance plans may include newborns and adopted children under the coverage, but only for a limited time. Insurers may require parents to pay additional premiums to keep the children's coverage ongoing before or during birth or adoption.
It is impossible for any Louisiana individual health insurance company to cancel a persons coverage due to sickness or injury which is called guaranteed renewability. But the policy can be cancelled if the insurance company retracts from the individual market or the company discontinues the policy. However, temporary insurance policies sold by some Louisiana health insurance companies are not guaranteed renewable. If such policies expire, the person may apply again but they will not get any assurance that they will get the same policy.