How Do Pre-Existing Conditions Affect Your Insurance Plan?
California Group Health Insurance

Preexisting conditions are a problem when choosing California Group Health Insurance. Some of the worst battles in insurance history is caused by preexisting conditions. There are laws to protect employees who have a preexisting condition. So what does that mean for you and your California Group Health Insurance?

First we must define what counts as a preexisting condition. California Group Health Insurance defines a preexisting condition as a health problem that was diagnosed within the previous six months before coverage began. Some California Group Health Insurance plans will wait past the six months to be sure the existing was not preexisting.

Some states and some insurance plans are using genetic information and other factors to decide if new policyholders are at risk for developing a specific disease. In California, this “genetic” information means the company cannot deny an employee’s coverage using genetic information. California Group Health Insurance companies may limit coverage for a certain time if an employee has a preexisting condition. Once the time period has passed, the California Group Health Insurance company must provide coverage after the first exclusion time.

In a California Group Health Insurance policy the exclusion period may be longer if the employee does not sign up for insurance within a timely manner. It is important to sign up as soon as you are eligible to avoid the risk of a longer exclusion period.

When enrolling in a California Group Health Insurance plan, most policies have a six-month exclusion period for a preexisting condition. This applies to those employees who have a condition that need medications if it contains a prescription medication benefit as part of the plan.

This exclusion period may also be applied to a preexisting mental health problem as well. If a new employee has been diagnosed with depression, the California Group Health Insurance plan may exclude this condition from six months to one year. This will mean that any medication needed for this mental health condition will not be paid for under their prescription medication plan.

An exclusion period for group health insurance will save the employee from paying more for their California Group Health Insurance than other employees. Any time there is an exclusion period for a preexisting condition; the insurance plan must begin to pay for coverage after this exclusion period has ended. Keep good records, which will help decide if you will qualify with a preexisting condition and when your exclusion period will end.