More West Virginia Health Insurance Policies

Ways to Get and Keep Health Insurance

West Virginia State Continuation Coverage

West Virginia has a state version of COBRA which allows someone who is covered by an employer's group health plan to keep their health insurance when they would otherwise lose it because the employee is involuntarily laid off from work. This continuation coverage is available for up to 18 months. Unlike federal COBRA, state continuation coverage applies to employers with 2-19 employees. The cost of the coverage is to be the "same group rate." The state law does not say whether an administrative fee may also be charged (like the 2% additional fee under federal COBRA).

Health Insurance Premium Payment Program (HIPP)

West Virginia has a program called the Health Insurance Premium Payment Program. If you qualify for Medicaid and have private health insurance coverage (generally COBRA coverage), you may be able to get your premiums paid for through the HIPP program as an alternative to receiving Medicaid insurance.

Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA)

HIPAA prohibits health insurance discrimination against individuals based on their pre-existing conditions, when going from a group health insurance plan to another group health insurance plan or from a group plan to a HIPAA guarantee issue plan.

HIPAA also: 1) provides a federal right to an individual health insurance plan (called a guarantee issue plan); 2) reduces the maximum pre-existing condition exclusion period to 12 months; and 3) gives you credit for the time that you had health insurance coverage in the past to eliminate or reduce a pre-existing condition exclusion period.