I currently have health insurance through my employer but I am getting ready to go part time in order to finish school. I’m type 1 on a pump. My question is, if I buy private insurance will they cover me? And/or if I elected the schools group insurance plan, will it cover my ore existing condition?
And finally, I have researched the AHCA extensively, but there’s very little non opinionated info out there. Where are the minimum requirements for health insurance? Where do I find info on high risk pools. Would I be considered high risk?
I have to tell you, the first thing you need to do is figure out what plan your school offers. You may be pleasantly surprised. For instance, my daughter is a senior at a private school which get's their health insurance from AetnaStudentHealth. The Aetna plus provides even better coverage I have through my employer, a three tier drugs with $20/$40/$90 co pay for a 90 day supply (i.e. Humalog is $40 for a 90 day supply) and for DME you only pay 20%, comparable to most plans.
So try to look into your school health insurance. Since students are younger and are generally a healthier population, you may be pleasantly surprised at the attractive rates.
It would be Aetna Student Health Insurance... But I am still not sure if they cover pre-exsisting conditions like other group policies would have to? The website say it does then it doesn't then it depends, so I have no idea!
Also, I am not sure how great this particular one my school has is since it stresses going to the clinic on campus for everything. The clinic is clearly NOT going to be able to handle the level of care my diabetes management is going to require, and I would not expect them to either. But I need to know I can get the care I need SOMEWHERE.
I will probably go with the Aetna student plan if I can find no other affordable option, but I wanted to know what others do of have done in case I'm not seeing the whole picture.
Congratulations on going back to finish school! I wish I had better news for you about insurance. I haven't found a company who is willing to take a Type 1 diabetic on for private comprehensive insurance covering pumps and supplies; they'll either deny you outright or the cost is so prohibitive that you won't sign on (and even if they offer it to you, it's catastrophic insurance with no benefits for your diabetes).
All this will change soon (by the end of the year) under the new federal health care program. Here's more info: http://www.healthcare.gov/index.html Depending upon your state, you'll be able to choose through the federal or state "insurance marketplace" with open enrollment beginning in October of 2013. One of the most amazing ideas about this will be the prohibition of exclusion for existing medical conditions. Diabetics will be offered the same health insurance as other people their age and can't be denied.
That doesn't help right now, though, does it?
Depending on your state, you may be eligible for a high risk pool or other insurance through the state's system (or even federal assistance), but you may also want to investigate COBRA or call the school to see the specific's of their insurance plan.
Thank you for the link, Christel. I am encouraged to see "Health insurance companies can't refuse to cover you or charge you more just because you have a chronic or pre-existing condition." I guess the plans can vary greatly according to state of residence but it is great to know that very soon PWD's will have other options.
I’m a grad student, we have Aetna. It absolutely covered all diabetes supplies and care, including my pump that I got a year ago. The on campus clinic is great, but I got a referral to a doctor at a nearby clinic that specializes in diabetes management. It’s all covered for me, no copay. It may be different at other schools, but I’d be really surprised if the student insurance didn’t cover things.
