Health Insurance In Idaho

Signing up for health insurance in Idaho is no different in theory or practice, of course, than anywhere else in the country. What's important is having a policy in place. The last thing you need is to be hurtling down an ice-slicked Bogus Basin slope without health coverage. The bright side of a ski-accident scenario is embarrassment at falling, the darker is a week in the hospital with a few bone fractures and a monumental bill to pay.

The Basics of Health Insurance in Idaho

Health insurance coverage will be one of two basic types. Traditional indemnity policies cost more but offer much more flexibility in your choice of physicians, medical procedures, and care facilities. Managed care plans--whether HMO or PPO or POS--are considerably more affordable but limit both coverage on procedures and your choice of health care providers. A third option is not actually an insurance policy but instead a tax-protected medical savings plan.

Boise legislators have signed more health insurance related regulations than most states. Some of these laws, as you might expect, work to the consumer's benefit and others to the insurer's. For example, it's reassuring to know that any company offering medical insurance must be licensed to do so. All licensed companies providing health insurance in Idaho are required to offer every policy holder a choice of basic, standard, and catastrophic policies. Standard health plan coverage and costs are legislated by Idaho law.

There are two sides to any story, however. Companies offering health insurance in Idaho are not legally required to renew a policy if a provision to that effect isn't explicitly written into the contract. Medical insurance providers are permitted to exclude coverage to new policy holders for up to 12 months on the basis of certain qualifying pre-existing medical conditions. Examples might include diabetes, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.