North Dakota Individual Health Insurance
Health insurance is an indispensable precaution that every person and every family should consider. Although it may be a little more costly than group coverage, North Dakota individual health insurance is a perfect solution for those who lack any other coverage. Since you are considering private health insurance, you may want to know more about the North Dakota laws regulating individual health insurance policies.
Eligibility: How Am I Evaluated?
Generally, health insurance applicants in North Dakota are evaluated based on factors defined by the insurance companies from whom they are seeking coverage. These factors are not regulated by the state and applicants can be turned down because of them. Some of these factors include age, number of applicants, and the health status of applicants.
In compliance with HIPPA Group-to-Individual Portability coverage, North Dakota guarantees acceptance under the Comprehensive Health Association of North Dakota (CHAND), the state's high-risk health insurance pool, for those who are HIPPA eligible and have been turned down by private health insurance providers.
North Dakota Guaranteed Benefits & Pre-Existing Conditions
The state of North Dakota does require insurers to carry at least two standardized plans: a basic plan and a standard plan. Although you will likely be offered many additional non-standardized plans by the company as well, these regulated plans are required in order to give individual consumers access to benefits identical to those that they would normally enjoy under a group health plan through their employer.
The insurance laws in North Dakota allow an insurer to look back over the past 6 months prior to your application, to determine if there are any pre-existing conditions. Any condition that you sought medical treatment or advice for can be determined as pre-existing. The insurer can then impose a 12 month exclusionary period on these conditions, after which the conditions will then be covered under your plan. Additionally, an insurer may choose to add the condition to the elimination rider attached to your policy, which will exclude the condition from coverage for the length of the policy.
North Dakota Individual Health Insurance Premiums
Your North Dakota indvidual health insurance premiums are solely based on the discretion of the provider. North Dakota law does not regulate how much you can be charged or the reasons why you can be charged a higher rate. The insurer has the ability to choose what factors will influence your rates, without limitation.
Lastly, insurance policies in North Dakota are guaranteed renewable. This means that you have the guaranteed right to renew your policy at the end of its term, even if your health status has declined or you have incurred expensive medical bills. Keep in mind though, that your insurer may also be able to raise your premium in order to offset these risks and costs.