Hi, I am currently insured by Blue Cross/Blue Shield under my company plan for the last 14 years. My wife is covered under the same plan but had some heart problems last year and was admmitted to the hospital and treated for cardiomyopathy for 3 days. Since April 09 she has returned back to work and is doing quite well since she is only 43 yrs old but is required to take meds and get checked with cardiologist every 6 months. If I change jobs will different insurance cover her condition?

This should not pose a problem. It is true that an insurance company can impose a exclusionary period for pre-existing medical conditions for new members. However, under federal HIPAA regulations, any length of prior coverage must be credited to this exclusionary period. For example, if the new insurance company has a 12 month exclusionary period on pre-existing conditions, and your wife only has 6 months of prior creditable coverage, the exclusionary period will be reduced to 6 months. If she has had 1 or more years of prior coverage, which it appears she has, then the exclusionary period will be removed.

The more immediate concern is making sure that the coverage through the new employer is sufficient enough to cover her current health care needs. Not all insurance policies offer the same level of coverage. If you leave your current job and lose your coverage with Blue Cross Blue Shield as a result, you will have the option under COBRA to keep your wife on the BCBS plan if the coverage under the new group health insurance policy is insufficient. You will have 60 days to make this determination.

Answer by Moderator - Monday, October 19, 2009 @ 3:53pm

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