Louisiana Health Insurance Plans and Insurance Companies covering Louisiana

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Health Insurance for the Well Informed

In the state of Louisiana, the cost of health insurance has risen 85.4% in the past six years and the number of uninsured has reached approximately 614,040 which is 24% of the Louisiana population according to statehealthfacts.org. Statistics like these make it essential for people to research and find the best fitting and most affordable health insurance plan for them.

Whether you can buy an individual health insurance policy may depend on your health status, the type of coverage you want to buy, and other circumstances such as pre-existing conditions. In Louisiana, medical underwriting is allowed without restriction which is the process a health insurance company goes through to assess the health status of individuals and use such information to determine if the insurance company wants to accept an application. Regarding pre-existing conditions, Louisiana health insurance companies can review your medical history for the last 12 months before coverage begins. If a pre-existing condition does exist, the health insurance coverage can be excluded for up to 12 months.

There is a high risk pool in Louisiana called LHIA. To be eligible for coverage, you must be a Louisiana resident for six consecutive months and not be covered by, or eligible for, other health insurance coverage, which includes group or COBRA coverage. Medicare or Medicaid recipients are not eligible for coverage by LHIA. Applicants must have a minimum of two written denials of health insurance coverage within one year of the date of application in order to be eligible for the pool.

If you are looking for group or small business health insurance in Louisiana you should be aware that like individual health insurance, medical underwriting is allowed within group and small business insurance as well. Medical underwriting is allowed with a variance of plus or minus 35% of the indexed rate based on the health status of the group. Companies can review your medical history for the past 6 months prior to coverage and health insurance coverage can be excluded up to 12 months based on any pre-existing conditions.

The average monthly premium for small business health insurance in Louisiana in 2006 was $373 for single coverage and $978 for family coverage. (www.ahip.org)

Louisiana health insurance companies must sell small business health insurance to any small business. Qualifying Louisiana small businesses must be offered the same health insurance sold to other Louisiana small business. To be eligible a small business must have employees totaling between 2 and 50. Federal HIPAA law applies. Employees must meet a minimum level of participation in order to qualify for Louisiana small business health insurance. Depending upon the health insurance company, a percentage of employees (generally 75% not covered elsewhere) must purchase the policy or the Louisiana small business health insurance policy and remain on it, or maintain that percentage or the policy will be terminated. Employers generally are required to contribute a certain amount toward employee's premiums before the Louisiana health insurance company agrees to sell the group a policy. If both requirements are met, Louisiana health insurance companies must sell health insurance to any small business that applies.

Taken from "grouphealthplans.com/louisianahealthinsurance.htm"

Louisiana does offer COBRA, the Consolidate Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985. To qualify for COBRA, you must meet the following three criteria:

You must be covered under the employer’s group health plan as an employee or as the spouse or dependent child of an employee.

You must have a qualifying event that would cause you to lose your group coverage.

Medicaid is a program that provides health coverage to some low-income Louisiana residents. Medicaid covers families with children and pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities if the following state and federal guidelines are met.

Income requirements:

Ages 1-5: 200% of the Federal Poverty Level

Ages 6-19: 200% of the Federal Poverty Level

Pregnant Women and Infants

Pregnant Women: 200% of the Federal Poverty Level

Infants - Ages 0-1: 200% of the Federal Poverty Level

Non-Working:13% of the Federal Poverty Level

Working: 20% of the Federal Poverty Level

Other populations

Medically Needy Individual: 14% of the Federal Poverty Level

Medically Needy Couple: 20% of the Federal Poverty Level

Supplemental Security Income Recipients: 74% of the Federal Poverty Level

Covered Services

Outpatient, rural health clinic, Federally Qualified Health Centers, laboratory and x-ray, nursing home, physician services, early periodic screening diagnosis and treatment, family planning, clinic services, prescription drugs, case management, medical transportation, nurse-midwife services, extended services to pregnant women, and ambulatory prenatal care.

There are no co-payments.

Louisiana offers LaCHIP to children under the age of 19 who are Louisiana residents, are not covered by any other insurance, and whose family incomes are up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Please visit the LaCHIP website for more detailed information at "www.dhh.state.la.us/offices/?ID=119"

Louisiana Health Insurance Quotes

Louisiana Health Insurance Companies

Louisiana Health Insurance

Louisiana Group & Small Business (3-35 employees) Health Insurance

Louisiana COBRA Health Coverage

Medicaid in Louisiana

Other Louisiana Health Insurance Programs