Illinois HIPAA Health Insurance
As a resident of Illinois looking for health insurance it is very important to understand how the Federal HIPAA health insurance laws work to protect you in looking for IL health insurance. In 1996 the Health Insurance and Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA) was instituted. Basically, HIPAA provides insurance for those who have maintained continuous health insurance coverage but through no fault of their own have either lost their insurance or are unable to obtain new insurance.
HIPAA functions much like individual health insurance plans from major health insurance companies like Blue Cross, UniCare, Humana, Aetna, etc. but what makes HIPAA different is that individuals are underwritten on a guaranteed acceptance basis with no pre-existing conditions excluded. What this means is that if an individual has a major health problem like cancer that might prohibit them from signing up for a regular fully underwritten Illinois individual health insurance policy then HIPAA will guarantee acceptance of that individual provided they meet certain criteria.
Benefits of the Illinois HIPAA Health Insurance Laws
Besides providing privacy protection and safekeeping of medical records (this area of the HIPAA laws will not be addressed here) HIPAA also has many other benefits:
• It limits exclusions for preexisting conditions
• It prohibits discrimination against employees and their dependents based upon health.
• It provides a special opportunity, under certain circumstances, to enroll in a new insurance plan.
What are the Criteria for Illinois Residents
Looking to Qualify for HIPAA?
To be eligible for Illinois HIPAA health insurance coverage there are six basic criteria that must be met:
1) You must not have any other health insurance coverage or it will involuntarily be ending soon. For example, you may be covered right now under COBRA, a name for a federal law that provides workers and their families the opportunity to purchase group health through their employer’s health plan after leaving the employer for a limited amount of time. Generally the time periods are for 18, 29, and 36 months. If you have used all your available COBRA time or are nearing the end of it, you may qualify for HIPAA coverage. (However, If you are offered health insurance through a new employer then you cease to be eligible for HIPAA coverage).
2) You have been insured by fully comprehensive major medical coverage for the last 18 months with coverage lapses of no more than 63 days. Supplemental insurance or insurance that just covers bodily injury will not qualify you under HIPAA.
3) Your most recent coverage needs to be under a group plan, church plan, governmental plan or an individual plan that has been terminated due to: the insurer's insolvency, the insurer's discontinuance of all its individual coverage in your particular area; or the fact that you no longer live in the service area of your prior insurance company. If your past insurance coverage does not fall into one of these categories you will not be eligible for HIPAA coverage in Illinois.
4) Your most recent coverage also must not have been terminated due to misrepresentations, fraud or non payment of premiums.
5) You are not eligible under a conversion plan, a group health plan, Medicare, or Medicaid.
6) Group coverage must already be accepted and exhausted (including Illinois COBRA group continuation coverage).
Compare Illinois Health Insurance Plans Now!
Illinois residents looking to qualify for HIPAA should make sure they meet the six basic requirements of HIPAA qualifications. If you do, you have guaranteed acceptance for an individual health insurance plan with no exclusions for pre-existing medical problems.
Almost all health insurance companies offering individual health insurance in Illinois have to have at least one individual health insurance plan that is HIPAA compliant. Once you have established your eligibility as an Illinois HIPAA qualifier getting health insurance is only a small step away.
Use our free IL quote finder to compare health insurance quotes from all of the top insurance companies offering coverage in your zip code. You can compare HIPAA plans, regular plans, and ask questions of agents from multiple insurers offering coverage in Illinois! Get a free Illinois health insurance quote comparison now!