Pre-existing Condition Protections Under The Affordable Care Act

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Beginning 2014, All U.S. citizens and legal residents will have guaranteed health insurance coverage, meaning all discrimination against pre-existing conditions will be illegal, and insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing to sell health insurance or renew policies because of a pre-existing medical condition. Shopping for affordable health insurance? Here are 10 questions to answer before you pick an individual health insurance plan.

What is a Pre-existing Condition and what it means to you?
A pre-existing condition is a medical condition an individual has prior to enrolling for health insurance. Pre-existing conditions can be serious conditions such as: heart disease, diabetes, and asthma, as well as short-term medical conditions like sports’ injuries and/or pregnancy.

According to a January 2011 Department of Health and Human Services report 50-129 million Americans, one out of every other non-elderly person, have some kind of pre-existing health condition.
Prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance companies could decide what could be a pre-existing condition and/or: deny you ...
... coverage, charge higher premiums, and limit your benefits.

Starting in 2014, all U.S. citizens and legal residents will have guaranteed coverage, meaning all discrimination against pre-existing conditions will be illegal, and insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing to sell coverage or renew policies because of a pre-existing medical condition. In addition, the law will eliminate insurance companies’ ability to charge higher rates due to gender or health status in an individual and small group market. These protections will ensure those with a pre-existing condition will be able to fulfill the individual mandate requirement.