There are many different individual health insurance policies that are offered in the state of Iowa and it is the consumer’s responsibility to carefully review and compare different policies to determine which best fits their needs. Medical underwriting is allowed in Iowa. Medical underwriting is the process that allows health insurance companies to review the medical records of prospective members. There is a 12 month look back and exclusionary period limit for preexisting conditions for standardized guarantee-issue policies for those without prior health coverage. There is a 60 month look back and 12 month exclusionary period for other policies for those without prior health coverage.
There is a high risk pool in Iowa for the medically uninsurable called the Iowa Comprehensive Health Association. To be eligible for this pool, you must be a resident of Iowa, have been denied health coverage, have had a reduction in health benefits, or have received a notice of a premium increase that is higher than the pool rate. You may also be covered under the rights in HIPAA, if you have one of the conditions listed on the application, or are eligible under the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance Act of 2002.
Coverage under this high risk pool includes the following:
Iowa Department of Insurance
Iowa Department of Health Services
Iowa Risk Pool Information
Iowa Consumer Health Guide