Your Protections When Buying Individual Nevada Health Insurance

Chapter 3: Your Protections When Buying Individual Health Insurance

If you do not have access to employer-sponsored group insurance, you may want to buy individual health insurance from a private health insurance company. However, in Nevada -- as in most other states -- you have limited guaranteed access to individual health insurance. Whether you can buy individual health insurance may depend on your health status, the kind of coverage you want to buy, and other circumstances. Also, there are some alternatives to individual health insurance coverage such as COBRA, state continuation coverage, or conversion policies. This chapter summarizes your protections under different kinds of health plan coverage.

Individual Health Insurance Sold By Private Insurers

When Do Individual Health Insurers Have To Sell Me Coverage?

In Nevada, your ability to buy individual health insurance may depend on your health status. There are certain circumstances, however, when you must be allowed to buy individual health insurance.

• In general, insurers that sell individual health insurance in Nevada are free to turn you down because of your health status and other factors. When applying for individual health insurance, you may be asked questions about health conditions you have now or had in the past. Depending on your health status, insurers might refuse to sell you coverage or offer to sell you a policy that has special limitations on what it covers.
• If you are HIPAA eligible, insurers must offer to sell you two standardized policies. You may select from either a basic or standard health benefit plan. You can choose the policy you want and cannot be turned down because of health status. You can be offered other non-standardized coverage as well, but you may be charged more for that coverage.