Health Insurance With Bipolar Disorder

Many individuals with Bipolar Disorder have expressed concerns about the difficulty of obtaining health insurance after being diagnosed with such a high profile disease. There are several options available to people facing this dilemma.

Insurance Gaps

• The biggest problem involving preexisting conditions happens when there is a gap of more than two months between insurance policies. Once this time is passed, insurance companies no longer have the obligation to cover preexisting conditions.

COBRA

• Depending on the circumstances that cause someone to lose their insurance coverage, they may be eligible to continue to receive coverage at the cost of group rates through COBRA, for a limited time of eighteen months.

Preexisting Condition Clauses

• However, if you find you have already missed your opportunity to receive COBRA benefits, all is not lost. Although policies vary from one company to the next, many are willing to add a clause that allows them to cover everything but the preexisting condition.

Example

• For example, an insurance company that would not normally provide coverage for a client with Bipolar Disorder may offer to cover everything except for outpatient mental health treatment. This would still cover a hospital stay related to mental illness, but would require the patient to pay out of pocket for things like psychiatrist appointments.

Prescriptions

• Coverage for prescription medications that treat bipolar disorders are not generally a concern, because the more common medications are available at a minimal cost.