[Jbert]

Very soon my wife will be off cobra and will have to apply for private insurance. If that process turns up only rejections then she will have to apply for the state pool insurance. Before we start the process of filing for private insurance I would like to ask one question.


Does height and weight ( especially in obese people ) automatically cause a rejection or will the underwriters look at the health history also.


Thanks


Jim

[twinkiedooter]

I know that if you are too tall and weigh either too much or too little for your height you cannot get a good rate for life insurance. Also if you are overweight you can't get good rates for life insurance. I would imagine that the health insurance industry follows the same guidelines. Also prior health history plays a factor. Prior chronic back pain, for instance, can totally put you out of the ballpark for health insurance. I have chronic back pain from prior injuries and can't get decent health insurance coverage due to it. I have been turned down even if I sign a waiver stating that I'll cover my own back problems.

The only way to get around this problem is to wait and apply under the window of "Open Enrollment" that health insurance companies sometimes have once a year. Then you can apply and the insurer has to take you. That's what I did at a job I had years ago and got coverage that way.

[Fr_Chuck]

Yes, there are weight limits, first there is a limit for normal rates, and then the rates will go up and up and up the more you weigh in accordance to your height. There will be a point you can not get insurance with most.

Next various companies have different rules, for example a Person that United American may take at standard may not even be accepted by American National for example **** just using them for example not exact ratings**

And there are some companies that have special programs for varoious health issues.

** some of the things you will find with any and every Private Insurance company. Normally it will not cover pre-existing conditions for a period. And private insurance is going to cost a lot more than you may b used to paying.

In many states, if you have Cobra one of the very few optoins not mentioned is the right to transfer your Cobra policy into a private policy, it will not cover near as much, and often be a hospital only policy but most states have some requirements that if you are on Cobra and it is about to expire, the insurance company ( a few in each state) will have to transfer that Cobra policy to a private policy ( can not be turned down but can be rated for costs)