With the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2014, pre-existing conditions were addressed on a federal level. Since Illinois is a guaranteed issue state, health insurance claimants in Illinois enjoy thorough protections with regard to their pre-existing conditions and the way in which their health insurers handle their claims.
Pre-Existing Conditions Cannot Justify Claim Denial
In Illinois, an insurer cannot deny coverage on the basis of a pre-existing condition. For example, if you are suffering from a persistent immune system disorder (i.e., Lupus) for several years prior to signing onto a new insurance plan, your insurer cannot thereafter deny coverage on the basis of that condition. In the past, when pre-existing condition regulation was more piecemeal, insurers attempted to avoid these protections through various means, such as establishing an exclusion period for pre-existing conditions.
Previously, exclusion periods led to some challenging situations for those with serious pre-existing conditions. Take the above example involving Lupus. An insurer might institute a pre-existing condition exclusion period of 12 months where you would not be entitled to make a health insurance claim relating to Lupus. Only after waiting out the exclusion period could you make a claim.
Fortunately, changes in the law have led to much greater protections for those suffering from pre-existing conditions. In Illinois, if your insurer denies your claim on the basis of a pre-existing condition, you would likely be entitled to appeal the denial. If that appeal fails, a skilled Chicago insurance attorney at Bryant Legal Group is prepared to pursue trial litigation for damages and you might even be entitled to sue for bad faith, which could result in an award of punitive damages.
- Related Article: 5 FAQs About Private Disability Insurance Claims
Failure to Report May Lead to Penalties
Given how recently the laws have changed with regard to pre-existing conditions, many policyholders are unaware of their rights and the protections granted to them pursuant to both state and federal law. As such, some may engage in conduct such as including false information to avoid being identified with a pre-existing condition. It’s important to note that a policyholder’s failure to report their pre-existing conditions may lead to potential liability for fraud. Further, if you fail to report your pre-existing condition and thereby provide false information to your insurer, they are not required to renew your insurance contract. This could lead to a gap in coverage that puts you in a vulnerable position.
Pre-Existing Provisions Permissible in Disability Insurance Policies
The laws, however, that provides these policyholder protections in the case of health insurance do not apply to disability insurance. Pre-existing conditions can be considered in the sale of disability insurance policies and provisions can be included in disability insurance policies that may preclude collection of benefits for disability due to a pre-existing condition. If you have had a long standing health issue and are considering the purchase of a disability insurance policy or making a claim under a policy you already have, do not hesitate to contact us.
Call Today to Connect to an Experienced Chicago Insurance Attorney
If you are currently in a dispute with your health insurer over a denied, delayed, or undervalued claim, then it’s important that you get in touch with an experienced Chicago insurance attorney in a timely manner, so that your claims can be properly evaluated and the appeal (and potentially, litigation) process can begin. Here at Bryant Legal Group, P.C., our team of health insurance attorneys have decades of experience successfully representing policyholder-clients in a range of disputes with their insurers, from ERISA appeals to bad faith litigation brought under Illinois state law. We are committed to our clients from the very beginning of the engagement process, and believe that effective dispute resolution requires open lines of communications with the client to keep them apprised of developments in their case.
Call (312) 561-3010 to speak with one of our qualified insurance attorneys today. We look forward to assisting you.