Ebola And Enterovirus: How Will Your Health Insurance Be Affected?

If you have had a cough or the sniffles for a few days, you are not alone! We are currently in the middle of cold and flu season! The incidence of Ebola seems to be increasing every day. With all of these illnesses floating around, it is important to understand how your insurance would be affected if you became ill. Here are a few answers to your Ebola and Enterovirus questions:

  • If you became ill with Ebola or Enterovirus, your health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act would cover you.
  • Your health insurance carrier cannot deny you coverage for Ebola or Enterovirus unless they do not comply under the Affordable Care Act standards.
  • In order to determine whether your current health plan will comply with the Affordable Care Act standards, you should examine the date your policy was purchased. If it was purchased after January 1st, 2014, then it is compliant. If your employer bought it, it is also compliant. Plans that are not compliant are grandfathered health insurance plans that were purchased before January 1st, 2014.
  • If you find that your health care plan is not ACA compliant, then you should speak to your insurance carrier to learn of any limits to your plan. This is when you will find out whether you would be covered if you came down with Ebola or Enterovirus.
  • Even if you are covered under an ACA compliant plan, you should expect to pay a few out-of-pocket costs. Thankfully, your out-of-pocket costs should not be too expensive.
  • Some of the medications being used to treat Ebola have yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These treatments are unlikely to be covered by your health insurance carrier, even if your plan is ACA compliant.

If you would like to chat with a certified insurance agent regarding your coverage and specific conditions, please call the professionals at Pacific Group, serving all of California!