What is a waiting period for a pre-existing condition?

Asked by: Prof. Gardner Corkery MD  |  Last update: February 11, 2022
Score: 4.3/5 (48 votes)

A pre-existing condition exclusion waiting period is the length of time after the start date of an insurance policy that a person must wait before any pre-existing conditions are covered. The waiting period is often longer for individually purchased policies.

What is the usual minimum waiting period for a pre-existing condition?

The time period during which a health plan won't pay for care relating to a pre-existing condition. Under a job-based plan, this cannot exceed 12 months for a regular enrollee or 18 months for a late-enrollee.

Is there a waiting period for pre-existing conditions under Obamacare?

Before the Affordable Care Act reformed health insurance in the US, pre-existing conditions often played a significant role in the health insurance coverage that people were able to obtain. Now that the ACA has been implemented, most people are no longer subject to pre-existing condition exclusion periods.

Can I be denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition?

Yes. Under the Affordable Care Act, health insurance companies can't refuse to cover you or charge you more just because you have a “pre-existing condition” — that is, a health problem you had before the date that new health coverage starts. ... They don't have to cover pre-existing conditions.

How long does pre-existing last?

A health condition could be considered pre-existing if you received treatment or medical advice for that issue from six months to five years before the insurance coverage took effect. The time varied by state.

Pre-existing Condition Waiting Period

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Is pregnancy a pre-existing condition 2021?

Pregnancy cannot be considered a pre-existing condition and newborns, newly adopted children and children placed for adoption who are enrolled within 30 days cannot be subject to pre-existing condition exclusions.

What determines a pre-existing condition?

How are pre-existing conditions determined? A pre-existing condition is typically one for which you have received treatment or diagnosis before you enrolled in a new health plan. ... The ACA made it illegal for health insurance companies to deny you medical coverage or raise rates due to a pre-existing condition.

Which pre-existing conditions are not covered?

Health insurers can no longer charge more or deny coverage to you or your child because of a pre-existing health condition like asthma, diabetes, or cancer. They cannot limit benefits for that condition either. Once you have insurance, they can't refuse to cover treatment for your pre-existing condition.

How do insurance companies know if you have a pre-existing condition?

How do insurance companies know if you have a pre-existing condition? Life insurance applications ask questions about your health, and the process typically requires you to give the insurer permission to access any medical records needed to validate your information.

Is high blood pressure considered a pre-existing condition?

Other Types of Pre-existing Conditions

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is an example of one such common pre-existing condition affecting more than 33 million adults under 65.

Is HPV considered a pre-existing condition?

HPV, which in some strains can be cancer-causing if left untreated, could also be classified by insurance companies as a pre-existing condition.

Why do companies make you wait 90 days for insurance?

What is it? In essence, the 90-day employer waiting period is a block of time your employees have to wait before health coverage kicks in. It streamlines access to benefits by preventing your team from having to wait forever before receiving insurance.

What is meant by waiting period?

What Is a Waiting Period? A waiting period is the amount of time an insured must wait before some or all of their coverage comes into effect. ... Waiting periods may also be known as elimination periods and qualifying periods.

What is waiting period in medical insurance?

​​Waiting period is the time span during which you cannot claim some or all benefits of the health insurance from your insurance provider i.e. you must wait for a specified amount of time before you make a claim.

Is back pain considered a pre-existing condition?

In essence, they're medical conditions that existed before your policy started. Some of the commonly understandable pre-existing conditions can be chronic illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma etc. The pre-existing conditions can include chronic injuries like back pain too.

What is pre-existing diseases in insurance?

A pre-existing illness means any health issue that the proposer has been facing prior to purchasing a health insurance policy. The pre-existing conditions include all the health issues ranging from high blood pressure, thyroid, the usual suspects like diabetes, asthma, etc.

What is the difference between existing and pre-existing?

You can use pre- in ways that are redundant, but it's a valid prefix, and preexisting has its own meaning. For instance, if you want to describe dinosaurs in relation to humans, existing doesn't work, but preexisting does.

What does pre-existing mean?

Definition of preexisting

: existing at an earlier time a preexisting medical condition.

Can I add my girlfriend to my health insurance if she is pregnant?

Unfortunately, the answer is likely “no.” Most insurance plans require that you're married in order to include a partner under your coverage, with some states providing exceptions for common law marriages.

Is pregnancy a pre-existing medical condition?

You'll also need to disclose if you have any pre-existing medical conditions – but remember, pregnancy is not a medical condition so it doesn't make a difference to the price or to the availability of the insurance. You won't be asked to 'declare' whether or not you are pregnant.

What do I do if my insurance doesn't cover my pregnancy?

Options If You're Pregnant With No Maternity Insurance
  1. Health Department.
  2. Community Health.
  3. Medicaid.
  4. Children's Insurance.
  5. Hill-Burton Facility.
  6. Charity Care.
  7. Young Adults.
  8. Planned Parenthood.

What does waiting period mean for short term disability?

The waiting period, also known as the elimination period, is the number of calendar days since your disability began that must pass before benefits become payable. The probationary period determines when you're able to file a claim.

What is the meaning of tentative waiting period?

noun. 1. a specified delay, required by law, between officially stating an intention and acting on it, as between securing a marriage license and getting married.

Do life insurance policies have a waiting period?

The standard waiting period for a life insurance policy is two years. ... These longer waiting periods are typically for policies that have a very high death benefit. When applying for any life insurance policy, be sure to ask the insurance agent how long the waiting period is, and if there are any exceptions.

Can an employer fire you after 90 days?

A probationary period of 30 or 90 or even 180 days provides time to give a new hire extra feedback while they become oriented to the position. ... Generally, once the probationary period has ended, an employee can only be fired for cause.