I have some friends who currently have Kaiser insurance, they are on an individual plan, not through an employer. The husband is self-employed but is getting close to retirement. They are planning to move in the next few years to Texas so will have to change to another payer since Kaiser is not in Texas. They have some questions regarding pre-existing conditions (their son and the husband have both had health issues), and everything that I have read in the past few days is very confusing. Can you please give me a recommendation on who they can talk to in the DC area that would be able to help them? I’m not sure if an attorney would be best or someone in another profession? Thanks for your help.
Also, you mention that they are close to retirement. Once they turn 65 years of age, they will eligible for Medicare. Clearly, they will be able to remain on their Kaiser plan while they continue to reside in Virginia. Since this proposed relocation is a few years off, it is impossible to determine what options will be available to them at that time. Pending health care reform could change everything by then. Answer by moderator — July 23, 2009 @ 2:34 pm
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We are not quite clear on what you needed to talk to a professional about? An attorney would not be of much help. Are you trying to determine what legal rights they have in maintaining their Kaiser individual health insurance when they move to Texas? The laws are pretty clear on this. Health insurance is state regulated for individual and family health insurance. What applies in Virginia, may or may not apply in Texas. This depends on which of the many aspects of health insurance you are comparing. In the state of Texas, all insurance companies that offer individual health insurance have the legal right to be selective about whom they accept to insure. Not all pre-existing medical conditions are a sure or immediate cause for declination. The best thing you can do is determine their insurability prior to them relocating to this state. In order to do that, you need to speak with an insurance company or insurance agent in Texas, not Virginia. Texas has a high risk pool that provides health insurance options to the uninsurable, but it can be expensive and the plan options are limited.
Back in may after eightteen years at the dealership, my husband has no job. and our group coverage is gone. so all we have is unemployment now. we have had kaiser over 30 years. we wanted to get a cheap plan,but i am diabetic and have asthma (which i was born with) and so they denied me.in order to keep kaiser in the meantime for me and my husband we had to do a ROLLOVER.so we put out 2300.00 for june and july,and they never told us we had coverage.then time to pay for august 1,161.00 so i appealed there decion,they said i would need a letter from my doc and i need to write one,so i did and the same crapthey denied me for the same reasons.we cant keep paying this every month it is not easy, i feel they discrimanated againest me.i have seen what you would call FAT that is amember,but they can and i was denied.i plan on writing them a letter telling them can anyone please tell me what to do i cant lose my kaiser. PLEASE HELP US.
Comment by Lisa — September 20, 2009 @ 8:55 am