Knowing Your Utah Health Insurance Rights

Utah health insurance companies must adhere to basic rules established by the state insurance commissioner. These Utah health insurance laws are put in place to ensure that Utah health insurance create policies according to regulations. Utah health insurance regulations help keep the Utah health insurance business in the state fair and somewhat honest. For instance, Utah health insurance companies can increase their premium rates based on a Utah health insurance policyholder’s health status and age, but there are limits to how much premiums can increase every term. However, Utah health insurance premiums can still dramatically increase if your health rapidly declines during a term.

The first basic Utah health insurance law is that every Utah health insurance policyholder is entitled to renewal of his or her policy at the end of its term. Utah health insurance companies cannot drop insured individuals because of health conditions that develop. Guaranteed renewal means that Utah health insurance companies can only remove Utah health insurance policyholders from their plans if they fail to pay their insurance premiums. Utah health insurance companies can base their acceptance or rejection of Utah health insurance applications on an individual’s health status, age or occupation in most cases. However, if an individual cannot obtain Utah health insurance through a job, COBRA, Medicare or Medicaid, Utah health insurance companies are not allowed to deny policy coverage. This ensures that all Utah citizens have access to some sort of Utah health insurance if they can afford to pay the premiums.

Utah health insurance companies are required to offer standardized policies in addition to their own personalized policies. Every Utah health insurance company must offer the options of the standard indemnity, preferred provider organization and HMO plans. These standardized Utah health insurance policies have varying deductibles, and they all cover hospital stays and doctor services. However, Utah health insurance standardized policies do not cover prenatal pregnancy care. These standardized Utah health insurance plans are also provide coverage for some mental health needs and also for chemical dependency treatment after a twelve-month waiting period.

Utah health insurance companies have to follow strict rules regarding pre-existing conditions. Utah health insurance companies define pre-existing conditions as those that were diagnosed or treated during the six months prior to an individual’s obtaining a new Utah health insurance policy. Utah health insurance companies can impose exclusion periods during which they will not pay for pre-existing condition treatment claims. However, these exclusion periods are limited to twelve-month periods after which the Utah health insurance must begin covering new pre-existing condition claims. Utah health insurance companies can write elimination riders into their Utah health insurance policies that eliminate their obligations to pay for the treatment of one or all of an individual’s pre-existing conditions.

When searching for a new Utah health insurance policy, it is important to investigate several different Utah health insurance companies’ plans. Utah health insurance companies are required to offer standardized plans, but individual Utah health insurance companies can offer additional plans. By knowing your options, you can better decide which Utah health insurance company works best for you.

Knowing Your Utah Health Insurance Rights

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