Scan Medical Insurance

How to get personal health insurance in texas?

I had cancer about a year ago and I am trying to start a private business. Could I be denied an insurance policy because of my preexisting condition? For a group insurance, could it include my spouse?

Public Comments

1. Yes, you can be denied. If Texas has a high risk healthcare pool, you will automatically be offered that plan. It will be expensive. If you have an employee, you can get a group insurance plan (2 employees are needed = you and someone else). you will not be denied but it will be costly. Add'l Info: you should definitely talk to an insurance broker in your area about what a group plan is (2 or 3 employees). I'm in California and it's 2 employees. My bf has a 2 person firm and they have group insurance.
2. You will be declined for at least a few years with an individual policy, maybe longer depending on the type of cancer. TX does have a high risk policy. You must be uninsured for 6 months and have applied to and been declined by an insurance company to qualify for this plan. Here is the website for more information: http://www.pciplan.com/applicants/states/TX.asp Group policies will not include your spouse. Plus, new small group policies are underwritten and the premiums based upon the situation. Most likely even with 2 people you won't be able to find a company that will even offer a group policy.
3. Yes, you can be denied private health insurance. I think you're misunderstanding how small group insurance works - when a NEW group buys health insurance (and you need THREE employees on the payroll, in TX, to qualify for a small group plan), it's individually underwritten. Any insurance company can STILL refuse to write your group - and they will, with your recent cancer. And when they price it, the price for ALL THREE employees, will reflect the health issues of the entire group - aka, your cancer. And the EMPLOYER has to pay the premiums, and it gets audited based on what you pay in, for PAYROLL taxes. So you can't fake to the insurance that your wife is an employee, unless you're REALLY paying salary and payroll taxes on her. Group insurance is usually more expensive than individual insurance. It only "seems" cheaper, because the employer usually pays at least half of the cost for EACH employee. You're going to need plan B - a HIPAA policy, or COBRA, or a policy through the state. Texas has both a Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan, AND a state high risk health pool which is currently open. You can get quotes for coverage (they aren't cheap) at the official government website - www.healthcare.gov
4. Most definitely. My mom had breast cancer and she was told that she would be un-insurable for at least ten years. You will definitely be denied if you apply for an individual policy. If you are not denied, an exclusion rider will be attached to the cancer you had and no treatment related to that condition will be covered. You probably will be approved under a group policy but you will be subject to a period of at least six months that anything related to that cancer will not be covered. Group would probably be the best way to go. If group is not an option, you can apply to the Texas High Risk Pool. I've only helped one client apply here and she was approved. This insurance is provided through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. Good luck! I hope your cancer is in remission. Don't let it get the best of you. Cancer SUCKS.