Obtaining Health Insurance Coverage with Preexisting Conditions
Frequently health insurance companies will require new insureds to undergo a waiting period before having their preexisting conditions covered under the health insurance policy. Many insurance companies which offer individual health insurance policies require a waiting period of 12-18 months before they will pay medical bills related to preexisting conditions. The good news is that there are certain protections allotted to those with preexisting medical conditions. Under HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. you are entitled to have your preexisting medical condition treatments paid for by the new company. Under this act, those who have previously been insured under a group health insurance plan and are obtaining a new type of health insurance may be able to have their preexisting conditions covered so long as they meet certain criteria.
It is important to note that HIPAA relates to individuals who have been previously insured under a group health plan and not an individual health insurance policy. With that said, should you fall into this category, take advantage of HIPAA when switching from a group policy to another group policy. This will prevent you from having to pay for costly insurance due to a preexisting condition or having a hard time obtaining health insurance altogether.
http://www.medhealthinsurance.com/preexisting-conditions.htm