How to Qualify for Group Health Insurance

Many large and small employers have group health insurance plans for their employees. These plans offer health insurance at a reduced rate. This is accomplished by working with insurers who have a large pool of clients. The more people who are in a group health care plan, the lower the premiums should be. Many employers require an employee to work with the company for a certain length of time before allowing access to group health care coverage. Self-employed individuals can access group health insurance through plans provided by different associations and organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce and the American Association of Retired Persons.

Instructions

• 1

  Contact your employer to locate the person in charge of the group health insurance. Some companies will make an employee work for a certain length of time before allowing him to join the group health insurance plan. When you contact the person in charge of the health care plan, you will either be given an application to fill out or a way to contact the group health insurance facilitator.

• 2

  Fill out the form completely. Even if there is negative information that you do not want to share, you must put it down. If you have a pre-existing condition, that must be stated on the application. While the pre-existing condition will not disqualify you for coverage, there is a chance that you will be given a period of time in which you cannot file claims based upon whatever pre-existing conditions you may have. The maximum period in which you can be kept from being covered is no longer than 12 months, but individual states can shorten that length of time. If anything is left blank, the insurer is allowed under law to automatically assume an answer in the negative.

• 3

  Make copies of all paperwork that is filed. When dealing with any applications that need to be submitted, it's always good practice to make sure that copies are kept. Make a note as to the date that the paperwork was filed.

• 4

  Give the original paperwork to the person in charge of the group health insurance. Make sure that any other documentation is provided. This way, your application will be processed more quickly. Otherwise, the application will be held up while waiting for whatever other information is required.

• 5

  Contact the individual in charge of group health insurance if you have not heard back within a reasonable period of time. This time period can be anywhere from one to four weeks.

• 6

  Read thoroughly the policy when you receive it. If you have any questions, make sure that you get answers. Make a note of the name of any individual whom you speak with when getting information that is not in writing.