Asthma, one of many conditions insurance companies can deny coverage over.
A pre-existing condition is a health problem that existed before you apply for a health insurance policy or enroll in a new health plan. It can range from something minor such as hay fever to a serious chronic condition like heart disease.
Insurance companies are concerned about their financial bottom line—it’s more risky to insure someone with a known condition– therefore it’s in their best interest financially, to exclude people with a pre-existing condition.
However, starting in 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law in March 2010, no longer allows insurance companies to deny insurance coverage to adults, because of pre-existing conditions. (Effective September 2010, children below age 19 with pre-existing conditions may not be denied coverage.)
