Help! Health Insurance if you're already sick????

This question comes up at least 3 times a week. I have clients with conditions like rhumatoid arthritis - auto-declines with many health insurance for individual companies. How can they get help?

This info applies to Texas - but I'm sure other states have similar options - you just have to check with your own state insurance commission - so here goes -

If you already have any health insurance, the best bet isprobably to hold on to it. If you don't, the best advice that anagent should give you would be to look at the Texas Risk Pool first.The website link is: http://www.txhealthpool.com/ . However, thereare some people who do not qualify: (Make a phone call to the riskpool to be sure you are interpreting the rules correctly.) 1. The rules for eligability are here, and you can see they arequite numerous:: http://www.txhealthpool.com/eligibil.html 2. Pre-existing conditions may be excluded for 12 months_. Wow. Ihad to read that paragraph twice. To me, it seems like the reasonthat anybody would consider the risk pool, is that they do have apre-existing condition. Read the 'pre-existing' condition paragraphon the web page in section 1. 3. _They cannot afford it. Many middle class Americans make toomuch to qualify for Medicaid or a county health system, but stillcannot afford the risk pool. ...or they do have access to a groupinsurance plan, but because of unemployment of other circumstances,it is unaffordable.
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ANOTHER SITUATION MIGHT ARISE WHERE YOU DO HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL PLAN,BUT YOU HAVE A WAIVER OR RIDER ATTACHED TO IT, AND YOU MUST WAIT OUTA PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE YOU HAVE COVERAGE. YOU MAY HAVE A HIGHDEDUCTIBLE TO KEEP YOUR PREMIUMS IN LINE, AND STILL FIND YOURSELFBURIED UNDER LOTS OF OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES. PERHAPS PRESCRIPTIONSAREN'T COVERED, OR THEY HAVE A VERY HIGH DEDUCTIBLE.A SIMPLE BROKENARM, WITH A TRIP TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM, COULD COST YOU A LOT OFMONEY, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO MEET YOUR DEDUCTIBLE.
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