TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2022
If you are not eligible for COBRA, HIPAA, insurance policy conversion, state continuation, Medicaid, Medicare, or any type of state-sponsored health care program, but are in need of affordable health insurance in New York, you may have to purchase an individual health insurance plan.
Most people groan at the thought of purchasing an individual health insurance plan – and for good reason. Individual health insurance plans are usually more expensive than the ideal health care coverage – employer-sponsored group health insurance plans. However, in New York, you can purchase an affordable individual health insurance plan for a couple of reasons.
First, when you set out to purchase an individual health insurance plan in New York, you can not be turned down due to your particular health conditions. This is great news because many people with pre-existing health conditions tend to have a difficult time finding health insurance companies that will sell health insurance to them. Health insurance companies view people with pre-existing or serious health conditions as higher risks to insure. They view them as potentially lost money. Yet, in New York, there are health insurance companies that will not turn you down regardless of any pre-existing health conditions you may have, or the severity of the health condition.
Second, you will not be charged a higher health insurance rate due to your pre-existing health condition, regardless of the severity of your pre-existing health condition. This is more great news, since people with pre-existing health conditions who do manage to purchase individual health insurance policies do so for a high price. They need health insurance, especially because they need care for their pre-existing health conditions; however, because of their pre-existing health conditions, they pay high prices. It’s a vicious cycle that New York is working toward ending.
For more information about the health insurance companies that provide these individual health insurance policies and their contact information, contact the New York Insurance Department.