ACA Pre-Existing conditions waiting period??

[cbdo2007]

In 2014, people will no longer be able to be rejected for health insurance coverage if they have a pre-existing condition, but will there be a waiting period before they can get treatment for that pre-existing condition?? In the wording of the law it says specifically that there cannot be an "extended waiting period" for treatment of the pre-existing condition, so I was wondering if anyone had insider information for what the actual waiting period will be. I assume it will be 30-90 days to keep people from waiting til they break their leg to sign up for insurance. Anybody know?

thanks!

[enlightenment]

1. Presumably, there will be no waiting period.

Read this:
http://www.kff.org/healthreform/upload/8356.pdf

[cbdo2007]

3. Thank you - that was very helpful!

And it appears correct that there will be no waiting period. That is great news for all of the people out there who can't get help for their pre-existing conditions because of their pre-existing conditions.

[mopinko]

2. not sure about the law exactly, but

we just covered our daughter who was aging off our policy. she has an extensive medical record, including a recent hospitalization for an ongoing problem. she is a smoker to boot.
we were ask only about diabetes, cancer, and one other thing (don't remember), they covered her for the same premium as her brother, who has a medical history of a sprained ankle 5 years ago.

insurance companies are just already using the aca rules on some things.

[cbdo2007]

4. Yeah, our local insurance company that we were working with

would only acknowledge that things are going to change 1/1/2014 but would completely avoidant about specifics. The document provided in the prior post was very helpful in answering this topic.

Thanks for your response! Finally trying to get coverage for my Dad after many years without insurance and heart problems.

[quadrature]

5. what happens when nobody offers to sell insurance?

it seems to me that the best strategy for
insurance companies is leave town,
and come back when the dust settles.

hospitals will be surrounded by millions
of the ill in Jan 2014.
If you owned stock in an insurance company, would
you want to be part of that?

edit, let me add...

nobody wants to have an auto accident.
even if you're insured, a wreck is not free.
you can't say that about health insurance.
people will be knocking down the doors
of hospitals, trying to get in.
how can you predicts costs?

[goldent]

6. Insurance companies will continue to make money

They have already estimated the cost of the new rules and will be adjusting rates. If everyone has to play by the same rules, they should be fine - the ones who can best predict what the new rules will cost will do best. What's more, the government has limited admin overhead and profit to be 20% of premiums, which effectively means all insurance companies will set 20% as their target. And they will have new customers coming in.