Can You Buy Affordable Individual Health Insurance If You're Sick or Pregnant?

"I'm trying to get an individual policy. I've put off buying a policy because they cost so much. But now I'm pregnant (or I've been diagnosed with an expensive illness) and I need health insurance. I've applied to several insurance companies, but they turn me down. What can I do now?"

This is one of the biggest problems with America's present system for financing health care. - it's hard to get insurance if you really need it.

If you aren't eligible for insurance through your employer, you will need to purchase an individual policy. Applications for privately purchased health insurance policies are carefully checked to see if you will be profitable for the health insurance company. They'll contact your doctors and get medical records, and look them over with a fine toothed comb. It is very possible that your pregnancy (or diabetes, heart problems, or even prior automobile accidents) will flag the underwriters to turn you down.

Some insurance companies will even turn down the father of an expected baby, if the couple is married - this makes sure the child will not be automatically eligible for coverage when it's born. A baby born with health issues could pile up thousands of dollars in medical bills, and this makes insurance companies nervous.

Even if you're offered an individual plan, there may be a one-year waiting period before any pregnancy-related costs or pre-existing conditions would be covered. Be sure to read the fine-print of your contract, if you are offered one. A pre-existing condition is usually considered to be any illness or condition for which you have been treated in the past six to 12 months, or any condition for which a prudent person would seek treatment. If you think you're sick but you haven't yet seen the doctor, you may still find your claims denied if the insurance company feels that you should have known about your illness before you applied for coverage.