Health Insurance

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

I have Celiac disease and am moving to France for a year, which means i have

to get private health insurance :-) I'm not exactly doing well right now, so i

fore see medical expenses...which means i cant hide a pre-existing condition.

Anyone know of great medical plans? Even if its for the US, I'm wondering how

people do it! It makes everything so much more depressing to think about not

only having this disease, but being excluded from getting health insurance!

[Guest guest]

Hello,

Can you clarify your situation? You're moving to France, but you can't

participate in their national health insurance plan (which I'm assuming they

have)?

I can only speak to the system in the US. The golden rule of having a

pre-existing condition is to not ever let coverage lapse, if possible. If you

are consistently covered by insurance, your subsequent insurance plan (when you

switch jobs) will exempt you from the pre-existing condition exclusion if you

provide them with proof that you've been covered up to that time. I think some

plans will make you wait a year for coverage if you haven't been covered

consistently (probably meaning in recent years), but I'm sure there are also

plans that would exclude you entirely--period--if you have not had coverage all

along. My understanding is that exemptions from the pre-existing conditions

clauses are written into law to protect us to a certain extent.

In my personal experience, this has meant paying astronomical COBRA fees to

maintain insurance between jobs. But it's worth it to avoid being without care

for any period of time.

I'm sorry if I'm overwhelming you with information. Please let me know more

about your situation and I'll try to help if I can. I am no expert, but have

personal experience protecting myself as well as some experience researching

managed care policy.

Best,

CD 11 years

SCD 2 years