Florida Health Insurance

If an individual wishes to secure insurance services in the State of Florida, he must be aware of the available facilities and the eligibility criteria for them. There are a variety of Florida health insurance facilities that cater to various fractions of society. In addition, certain regulations apply to individuals and families.

Purchasing individual policies in the state of Florida

A general rule in Florida permits insurers to reject applications of individuals depending on their health status. If the applicant suffers from a pre-existing health condition, his application will be denied. This applies to instances in which the individual directly approaches a health insurance company by submitting an application. Yet, many exceptions exist to this general rule.

If the interested individual applies for health insurance as a member of a group plan and receives at least three months of coverage, he then becomes eligible for purchasing a conversion policy. If the applicant was previously under the coverage of an HMO or an individual policy that had been terminated because of the insurer being insolvent, thus dropping all individual coverage in the state of Florida, he is then eligible to buy an individual health insurance policy. This also holds true when the applicant had moved away from the policy’s service zone.

If the applicant is HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act of 1996)– eligible yet fails to qualify for a conversion policy, he is guaranteed the right to purchase an individual health policy. This instance is rare because HIPAA–eligible individuals are people who have not only been covered with a group plan, but also have exhausted all COBRA continuation coverage that was available to them. The cost of a conversion policy cannot exceed 200% of the standard rate for an individual policy.

Florida KidCare – A health insurance program for children

This program provides health insurance in Florida coverage for children who are below 19 years of age and have a family that meets the income guidelines that have been specified earlier.

SHINE – Health insurance coverage for elders

For elderly Medicare beneficiaries, the SHINE program offers free counseling and also Medigap coverage.

Florida Medicaid – Help for the helpless

The Medicaid program is a government initiative which is designed to deliver health care services to the poor and indigent. Eligible individuals who come under the umbrella of this program include pregnant women and children under the age of 19 years who satisfy certain income requirements criteria.