Finding the Best Maryland Health Insurance

If you find yourself in a situation in which you are vulnerable to lack of medical care and financial hardship due to no insurance coverage, it is important to consider your Maryland health insurance options. Whether you are unemployed, self-employed, a student or simply do not receive coverage through your employer's group medical insurance plan, there are still ways to ensure you and your family members have the health insurance policy you need.

Securing Maryland health insurance from a private insurance provider is likely your best option. It is important to research and educate yourself regarding the Maryland state laws and regulations that impact individual medical insurance plans in Maryland. The information below can help you to get started

How is Eligibility Determined?

Insurers possess the right to determine the process through which applications travel as well as who receives acceptance and denial for health coverage. Factors that go into the decision-making process include heath, age, and lifestyle. An applicant may receive a denial for any reason, as there are no regulations guiding the process.

Only when an eligible consumer has been turned down by private insurers do the HIPPA Group-to-Portability Coverage regulations come into play. These regulations state that the state of Maryland guarantees health insurance coverage through HIPPA.

What are the Guaranteed Benefits and Pre-Existing Conditions in Maryland?

The type of Maryland individual health insurance plan you choose determines the benefits you will receive. Maryland insurance carriers are not required to carry standardized policies and are able to choose which plans they wish to offer customers. The state requires that certain benefits be provided to all people covered by insurance plans, including things like immunizations, diabetes testing and treatment and certain cancer screenings.

Several Maryland regulations involve health insurance policies and the issue of pre-existing conditions, such as:

• Standardized plans like the PPO and indemnity policies give the insurer the right to exclude a pre-existing condition through an elimination rider-either for a brief time or for the lifetime of the policy.
• HMO insurance policies are not subject to elimination riders or exclusionary periods on pre-existing conditions.

• If a consumer submits claims for treatment for a condition within the first two years on the plan, the insurance provider can review the medical history up to 7 years to determine if it something that may have received a previous diagnosis, making it pre-existing. If it is indeed labeled pre-existing, the insurer may deny the claim.
• In Maryland insurers are not required to give credit for previous continuous health insurance coverage.

What to Expect from Maryland Individual Health Insurance Premiums

As in most states, insurers for Maryland individual health insurance policies determine the premiums for their policies. Premiums are typically based on factors ranging from age to lifestyle habits to health history to size of family. Unlike other states that regulate premiums, no Maryland state laws exist to determine or maintain the cost of premiums. Insurers have the freedom to charge what they want, which means senior customers or people with medical issues will likely pay more for insurance coverage. However, all consumers have the option to shop around to find the right plan.

Regardless of the consumer's health status, Maryland constituents purchasing insurance are guaranteed the opportunity to renew a policy at the end of a plan's term. At the same time, the insurance carrier also reviews the premiums regularly and may charge a higher premium if one's claims have increased over time.

Through our website, you can view different medical insurance options depending on your situation. We offer tools to help you find Maryland Individual health insurance coverage, as well as Maryland Small Business Health Insurance plans.

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