Health Insurance Question

[30dive]

OK, this may be for nothing, but I am scheduled for my annual physical later in February. Have been in pretty good health, could lose a few pounds, but all in all not bad. My wife will be finishing her PhD this May has interviewed for a couple jobs out of the area over the past year but has trurned down offers because she needed to finish her PhD, will be taking a job out of the area this coming summer. Obviously her/our health insurance will change with her job, so here is the thing, if during my physical the doctor finds something small or large, would we run the risk of having a pre-exisitng condition, thus disqualifying me from "new job" health insurance? Again I am pretty healthy but I don't want to screw up this opportunity for her and force a choice because of insurance. Yes I could put off my physical until later in the summer in our new home, etc.

 

Thanks for entertaining my paranoia.

[plenzmd1]

OK, this may be for nothing, but I am scheduled for my annual physical later in February.  Have been in pretty good health, could lose a few pounds, but all in all not bad.  My wife will be finishing her PhD this May has interviewed for a couple jobs out of the area over the past year but has  trurned down offers because she needed to finish her PhD, will be taking a job out of the area this coming summer.  Obviously her/our health insurance will change with her job, so here is the thing, if during my physical the doctor finds something small or large, would we run the risk of having a pre-exisitng condition, thus disqualifying me from "new job" health insurance?  Again I am pretty healthy but I don't want to screw up this opportunity for her and force a choice because of insurance.  Yes I could put off my physical until later in the summer in our new home, etc.

 

Thanks for entertaining my paranoia.

569697[/snapback]

In short, no worries. Few years back new law went into effect that states a Health insurance carrier cannot turn you down for a pre existing condition as long as you had insurance before you took the new job.

 

Only twist is it would be on your wifes insurance, so double check, but i am pretty sure that is the case.

 

They put that law in cause it was preventing people form looking for new jobs

[30dive]

Cool! I was thinking that I would hear something like that, but you just never know.

 

-30-

[The Poojer]

from what your wife has been saying, the doctor will probably not find anything large!!!!!!

 

OK, this may be for nothing, but I am scheduled for my annual physical later in February.  Have been in pretty good health, could lose a few pounds, but all in all not bad.  My wife will be finishing her PhD this May has interviewed for a couple jobs out of the area over the past year but has  trurned down offers because she needed to finish her PhD, will be taking a job out of the area this coming summer.  Obviously her/our health insurance will change with her job, so here is the thing, if during my physical the doctor finds something small or large, would we run the risk of having a pre-exisitng condition, thus disqualifying me from "new job" health insurance?  Again I am pretty healthy but I don't want to screw up this opportunity for her and force a choice because of insurance.  Yes I could put off my physical until later in the summer in our new home, etc.

 

Thanks for entertaining my paranoia.

569697[/snapback]

[30dive]

I know, I know, she did say I wasn't that much larger than you.

[Buford T. Justice]

OK, this may be for nothing, but I am scheduled for my annual physical later in February.  Have been in pretty good health, could lose a few pounds, but all in all not bad.  My wife will be finishing her PhD this May has interviewed for a couple jobs out of the area over the past year but has  trurned down offers because she needed to finish her PhD, will be taking a job out of the area this coming summer.  Obviously her/our health insurance will change with her job, so here is the thing, if during my physical the doctor finds something small or large, would we run the risk of having a pre-exisitng condition, thus disqualifying me from "new job" health insurance?  Again I am pretty healthy but I don't want to screw up this opportunity for her and force a choice because of insurance.  Yes I could put off my physical until later in the summer in our new home, etc.

 

Thanks for entertaining my paranoia.

569697[/snapback]

 

Yes, no and maybe.

 

You wouldn't be "disqualified" from health insurance if you had a pre-x, that is illegal. You could however not have that pre-x covered for a predetermined period of time if you have any sort of lapse in coverage.

 

All of this depends on whether your new coverage even has a pre-existing clause in it. The majority of employers don't elect the pre-x clause, at least in western NY. If that is the case, any condition would be fully covered regardless of lapse. If the policy does have a pre-x clause and you have a pre-x condition, you need to show you have had 18 months of continuous coverage for that condition to be covered.

 

Even if you were to lose insurance for a month or two, you would be offered COBRA by law as long as the employer has 20 or more employees. You would pay the full price of the premium (the employer would no longer subsidize it) plus up to a 2% administrative fee. Expensive, but a good option for people who need to prevent a pre-x.

 

I wouldn't say you have anything to worry about.

[MadBuffaloDisease]

Unless you need to absolutely take the physical right now, postpone it. Although there probably won't be any problems, why put yourself through potential aggravation just because you couldn't wait a few more months? Again do this ONLY if you feel fine and you don't have a strong family history of anything that you'd need checked at regular intervals.