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Insurance - By: Matt Lockard400 Matt Lockard400, Posted on: 2008-05-20

California health insurance
Are you thinking of taking out California health insurance? Despite its healthy image, California is actually only twenty fifth in a league of healthiest states in the USA, and with rising health care costs, getting heath insurance is a good idea.
But what if you have difficulty securing California health insurance? Health insurance can be expensive –health insurance is regulated by the state in California, but the state only imposes certain controls. California health insurance companies are not required to offer health insurance to every individual.
If you think that you cannot afford California health insurance, you should check whether you are entitled to free or subsidised cover. The California Med-Cal program can offer coverage for certain groups of people, including pregnant women, elderly people, the disabled, and families with children. There are other organizations offering help with California health insurance costs for families with low incomes, including Healthy Families and Access for Infants and Mothers.
Health insurance premiums are generally dependent on your health – insurers want good odds that you are not going to file a claim on your policy. And insurers are under no obligation to insure you – they will check your health status, and if they think you are likely to make a claim, they can either give you a rate increase or turn you down. So if you are already ill in some way it can be difficult to find health insurance. This can include both physical and mental illnesses, or any condition which required medical advice and treatment. More and more Californians are finding it difficult to qualify for individual California health insurance, either because they cannot afford it, or because they cannot find an insurer who will underwrite them. Some people may have pre-existing medical conditions, or a condition which runs in their family, which means that they may have trouble qualifying for insurance cover in California.
One option in a case like this is to utilize a risk pool (MRMIP) – a state sponsored resource which helps people who can afford health insurance but cannot get a policy due to a medical condition or family history. These protections are required by federal law, but California has extended these protections beyond what is required by federal law.
Another option is insurance under an employer health insurance plan. If you are insured under a group plan in California, your health status will make no difference, and you will still be insured. This is a legal requirement under AB-1672.
If you already have insurance, there is no need to worry about how the state of your health affects your coverage – an insurance company cannot cancel your policy because of a change in your health status.
If you were insured under a group plan through your employer and you have lost your job, you may still be able to keep your insurance. Under California health insurance laws if an employee loses their job, they can sometimes stay in the health insurance plan that was offered by their previous employer. This is known as COBRA. COBRA means that employees who are made redundant or retire are entitled to pay for continuation coverage for their health insurance policy.

Article Source: http://www.girlarticles.com

Matt Lockard is author of this article on California Health Insurance Quotes for Individuals and Families. Find more information about California Health Insurance Quotes for Individuals and Families here.