Obtaining and Renewing Individual Health Insurance

If you are not federally eligible and you do not have a conversion policy, you may be rejected on health status or given an exclusion period. Even if you are not given an exclusion period, you may be given an elimination rider which is a refusal to give coverage for the treatment of a pre-existing condition, while the plan will agree to pay for any other healthcare.

The provider can also refuse coverage for a diagnosis or treatment for a condition which they believe you should or could have sought treatment earlier but neglected to for whatever reason. Individual plans can put an exclusion period on pregnancy, but complications after coverage begins do not count as pre-existing conditions. Genetic information can also not be considered pre-existing conditions.

You can use creditable coverage for individual health insurance if you have credit from a prior plan and are in between plans for 63 days or less. This is useful to cancel out or reduce a pre-existing condition exclusion period.

In Nevada, there are limits on the price of premiums in regards to health status, age or gender. This means that the price of a premium cannot be over a certain amount in difference from another person just because you have a health problem or are a different sex or age. If you have a serious health condition this rule may not apply. When you renew individual coverage, the premiums may increase since you are getting older.

Nevada residents are protected by the Guaranteed Renewability Law. This means that your individual health insurance policy cannot be cancelled by the provider if you get sick while under coverage. This is assuming that you are honest and correct in information you give the provider, you are still in the provider area and you have continued to pay the premium amount. You may not be able to renew coverage if it is cutting out individual health plans.

Some insurance companies will offer short-term individual health policies, but these may not be renewable. These may cover you for up to six months. You will have to reapply if you want insurance coverage beyond the termination of the short-term coverage. There is no guarantee you will be accepted and/or charged the same rate even after having short-term insurance with that provider.