Tennessee Health Insurance

HMO, PPO, HIPAA, COBRA…Like many others, you may be confused by the alphabet soup of terms used in the health insurance industry. So let Health-Insurance.org help you to wade through the process of searching for the right health plan. To help you find the best coverage possible, we';ve put together the below information about medical coverage in Tennessee.

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Individual Medical Coverage in Tennessee

The type of health plan you choose depends on your needs and your health status. If you don';t want to spend too much money, take out a group policy (this includes HMO, PPO, POS, or HSA networks). If you want a policy that is customized for your needs, purchase an individual health plan.

If you have any preexisting health problems, you will come across some obstacles in your search for medical coverage in Tennessee. Unless you are HIPAA eligible, individual insurers can deny your application. They can also impose exclusion periods on your policy, and do not have to give you creditable coverage.

Tennessee Family Health Insurance Regulations

If you are looking to purchase a health plan for your family, you can choose from the same two types of policies as individuals – a group network or an individual plan. Alternatively, if you have coverage under your employer, your family may be covered under that plan as well.

Either way, here are some important things to know about group health insurance in Tennessee:

• If you are qualified, you cannot be denied health coverage because of a health plan.
• You may receive special opportunities to obtain insurance if you have recently encountered family changes, such as a marriage or childbirth.
• The look-back period in Tennessee is 6 months. This means that carriers can examine the past half year of your family';s medical records for preexisting conditions.
• If a family member has a preexisting condition, you may have to wait through a 12-month maximum waiting period.

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Pre-Existing Conditions and Tennessee Health Insurance

Do you have a preexisting health condition such as diabetes, cancer, or pregnancy? You may have trouble acquiring health insurance, as carriers in Tennessee can refuse coverage to any individual. There is no Tennessee law protecting private insurance companies from charging high-level premiums for preexisting conditions. In fact, that has become something of a norm. The premiums can rise even more when it comes time for renewal, as there is no protection under the law for raising prices due to age, health, gender and other characteristics after the life of a policy.

Tennessee has a new high-risk pool, called AccessTN. The state-sponsored program offers three types of plans. All of them, however, are individual plans, so each one of your family members will have to qualify on their own. Talk to the Tennessee Department of Insurance to learn more.

Finding a New Health Plan in Tennessee (TN)

There are various reasons why you may have you change your health insurance plan, such as changing jobs, getting married or divorced, or moving to a new state. Here's a short list of information about switching health coverage in Tennessee:

• If you';d like to keep the benefits you had under your old employer while you are between jobs, COBRA, or state continuation coverage, can help you do so.
• Have a new job with health benefits? Be aware that your coverage may not start right away due to a waiting period that your employer may impose.
• When you change health plans, even if you have had continuous coverage, you may have to fulfill another exclusion period.
• Just moved to Tennessee? You should know that some non-federal public employers (municipal governments, for example), do not follow the same regulations we have discussed above.

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