What are Health Insurance in Illinois Waiting Periods?

You'll find that some health insurance in Illinois plans will have a waiting period on them. This means that you will need to wait a specific period of time before the health coverage starts. It may sound simple, but it sometimes isn't since there are three major types of waiting periods. These are pre-existing condition exclusion periods, employer waiting periods, and affiliation periods.

• The one you'll probably come across the most is the employer-sponsored waiting period. This is common in employer-sponsored group health policies when new employees have to wait a certain amount of time before they're eligible for benefits. The usual waiting period in this instance is 90 days or three months. It's basically used to prevent new employees from starting a job and then filing large benefit claims and quitting their jobs after they've been paid.
• A waiting period for a pre-existing condition may come into effect for patients who have suffered from some type of medical condition in the six months before being accepted for health coverage. The waiting period basically means you won't be covered or you will receive limited coverage for your pre-existing condition. This waiting period could last for up to approximately 18 months. However, if you are able to prove you had uninterrupted health coverage before this new policy, the coverage could be added up and credited toward the pre-existing condition exclusions.
• An affiliation waiting period can be found in some HMO (health maintenance organization) plans. It generally has a maximum of three months, but you don't pay any premiums during the waiting period. If a group HMO implements an affiliation period then they're not allowed to place an exclusion waiting period on you for any pre-existing conditions.

When shopping for health insurance in Illinois, be sure to ask about any possible waiting periods. It can sometimes get confusing, especially when pre-existing conditions come into effect because some of the new health laws deal with pre-existing conditions. It's a good idea to get some help from a licensed insurance agency such as Brenman Insurance Services Inc. One of their agents will be able to answer all of your concerns regarding waiting periods and anything ales related to health insurance in Illinois.

You may also visit http://www.brenmaninsuranceservices.com/ at any time of the day or night if you'd like to check out some free, instant insurance quotes on the site's no-obligation, online quote engine.