puffster,
sorry to see no one answered any of your questions so far. I don't have insurance so you're in better hands than I am! And I've been without insurance for several years now... I don't recommend it but I have at least done pretty well so far..knock on wood. My dad ran out of insurance-he has Parkinson's and luckily his medicare kicked in a couple of months later. I was really worried! I did however, find sites for him to get the drugs he was taking without a prescription if all else failed, just to get him by until he got insurance again.

I don't think an insurance can deny you if you get hired from an employer who gives benefits. I can't be sure, but I've never heard of any problems.

hope others chime in!
-Sarah

Hi Puffster

I worked in the insurance industry for quite awhile. There are no hard set answers for your questions. Each policy can be written with varied language that there is no comparison even within one company. My suggestion is contact an independent agent that you are comfortable with and discuss all of your options. They can then find a policy that fits your needs.

As for employer offered insurance, it varies as to the type of policy and their requirements. To bad they don't include this info on their website when one is seeking employment!

Good luck with your search! HUGS!

Many employer-offered insurance plans do have a pre-exisiting conditions clause, but it's not usually permanent. More often, it states that there's a waiting period of 3 or 6 months before you can be covered for treatment for that condition. Also, that clause is often waived if you have had "similar" insurance continuously, with no breaks. So, if you have decent coverage now, and you got a new job and didn't have any break from one insurance to the other, the pre-existing condition wouldn't apply to you. That said, every plan is different, and you always need to read the fine print.

I work for a pretty bg hospital that offers decent insurance, and I do have long-term care insurance. Luckily, I picked it up before I was diagnosed with RA. I tried to raise my coverage level last year and was denied (well, not outright denied, but they asked me to have a doctor state that I was in good health, and that's not going to happen now). I do think it's worth paying for if you are able to get it, even if you have to wait for it. RA isn't the only thing that could cause a need for long-term care. I feel better that if I ever need it, the full burden of paying for my care won't be on my partner.

Hi Caren,
It is a great information. Thank you for the reply!

Caren's remarks were pretty much on the money. I work in MA, where they can't deny you insurance based on pre-existing conditions. Whenever I've gone from one employer to another (and that included 2 layoffs) I always made sure the coverage never lapsed, including paying COBRA if I had to!

I bought short term disability and long term disability through my employer. I had thought about long term care insurance but didn't take it when hired. I suppose now, I'd have to provide a doctor's note, and I've got just too much going on medically right now that I'd ever get qualified. Good luck

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf

Obama's health care plan, see:

(1) GUARANTEED ELIGIBILITY. Obama and Biden will require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions so all Americans, regardless of their health status or history, can get comprehensive benefits at fair and stable premiums.

I think it depends on WHEN you started with your new job...The new Obama health plan did eliminate the Pre-existing clause and I think that took effect in September or it might have been November of this year. (that is in there with keeping kids covered until age 26 and no lifetime caps on coverage, etc)
Some of those changes were almost immediate and others like requiring coverage for everyone are being phased in....

You should check on this one....and IF the company tries to tell you differently or make you buy a "rider" for it and you were supposed to be covered...you need to file a complaint.
Good luck...With Big Insurance ...it's all about profits....