District of Columbia Individual Health Insurance

Health insurance can be a perfect solution for the financial worries ensuing from unexpected medical bills accompanied with illness or injury. For the residents of Washington D.C., there are several private individual health insurance alternatives to choose from. Finding out more about the rules and regulations regarding these individual health insurance plans in Washington D.C.is your first step to deciding if this option is right for you.

Eligibility: How Am I Evaluated?

The District of Columbia does not have any regulations regarding how individuals are evaluated and therefore, permits private health insurers to deny or accept coverage depending on those factors. Applicants for individual health insurance are assessed based on individual factors, including age, gender, past medical history, geographical location and lifestyle status. An applicant can be turned down for any of the above reasons.
If you're turned down for health coverage, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield offers one plan where all applicants are accepted regardless of health status or pre-existing health conditions. 

District of Columbia Guaranteed Benefits Pre-Existing Conditions

In Washington D.C., health insurance providers are not required to carry any standardized health insurance plans. The law does require every plan to cover certain benefits, including screening for breast, colorectal, prostate and cervical cancer, care for pregnant women, newborn health hearing screenings, vaccinations. As in other states, Washington D.C. mandates health insurers to give equal coverage to mental health conditions as with physical health conditions. In the case of pre-existing conditions, the state permits health insurers to look back into the history of the applicant for any period of time to determine what, if any, conditions should be considered pre-existing. If pre-existing conditions are found, they can place specific exclusionary period on them, which means that the conditions will not be covered for the first year of your policy. In addition, the pre-existing condition can be added on to the policy's elimination rider, which will exclude the condition from your health insurance plan for the life of the policy.

District of Columbia Individual Health Insurance Premiums

Your initial premium will be based on your individual factors, such as gender, age, past medical history, health status, residential location, healthcare costs in that region and lifestyle status. In addition, there is also no limit to how much you can be charged for an initial premium or any renewal premium. The health insurer has the right to increase your premiums at any point of time. Also, your policy can not be cancelled just because your health status has changed, even when it is time to renew your policy. However, you may be charged a higher premium for the changed health status.
It is pertinent to purchase health insurance that acts as a financial shield against high medical expenses and ensures the well-being of your family. Consult with a qualified broker/agent near you to avail the benefits of health insurance alternatives.