POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Insurance, Benefits Programs & HIV => Topic started by: hayyou on April 23, 2014, 07:48:46 pm
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I am curious about the effect ObamaCare has on HIV+ people getting on Smaller Employer Health Plans. I know that previously, the cost increase to the Smaller Employer was a red flag and then HR would be "Notified" by the insurance company (or glance at the application as they were the person entering the info), and the HIV+ person would be terminated for some obscure reason. I know, I know, I know, this is "Against the Law" and "Not how it Happens" and "Any decent company, would Never do that" but this is the real world. It happens all the time.
I am curious if ObamaCare has changed that at all. I am looking currently, and luckily I have my own insurance, but I am curious about the effects may be. I guess we may not know the real answer until the Employer Mandate is in effect.
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I'm not with a small business buti have insurance through a large retail chain. United Healthcare to be specific. I can only afford the basic plan due to my income. The company funds 200 into a spending account to help with copays but I'll be interested to see how far that goes with one appointment of lab work and follow up. Luckily I think Ryan White will cover anything I can't pay, but they are a payer of last resort. I'm sure one appointment will eat up my whole 200. This means that I'm basically paying 80 bucks a month and still not able to afford to see a doctor for any other reason outside of my HIV treatment.
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You cannot be denied for a pre-existing. Not for health insurance. If it were me and I was denied, I would pursue filing a claim.
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You cannot be denied for a pre-existing. Not for health insurance. If it were me and I was denied, I would pursue filing a claim.
Betty -- I think the OP was saying he was denied insurance -- rather he is concerned that if an employer finds out he/she is a "high cost" insured, they will find a reason to terminate him from his job.
I'm not sure how an employer would find this info. I would guess that it might be easy with a very small employer to guess a new employee is behind a large increase in costs, but I still think it is a little far-fetched and not something that I would personally spend a lot of time worrying about.
Mike
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Betty -- I think the OP was saying he was denied insurance -- rather he is concerned that if an employer finds out he/she is a "high cost" insured, they will find a reason to terminate him from his job.
I'm not sure how an employer would find this info. I would guess that it might be easy with a very small employer to guess a new employee is behind a large increase in costs, but I still think it is a little far-fetched and not something that I would personally spend a lot of time worrying about.
Mike
Mike, I think you meant that the OP wasn't denied insurance.
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Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers are no longer allowed to raise rates for private group plans based on the medical conditions of individual employees.
Here is a link from HealthCare.gov that addresses that question from an employer's perspective (look at the question/answer box at the bottom of the page):
https://www.healthcare.gov/how-do-i-choose-insurance-thats-right-for-my-business/#question=will-i-have-to-pay-more-if-i-have-employees-with-health-problems
This was not the case prior to ObamaCare, and rate increases were a real problem for small group plans when one or more employees had major medical expenses.