Florida's
Low Cost Plans for the uninsured
Effective March 1, 2009, thru a cooperative effort between the State of Florida and several insurance carriers, medical insurance coverage is being made available on a guaranteed issue basis for uninsured individuals who meet certain eligibility guidelines. Each carrier offers 2 plans. One for Preventative Care only and one for Catastrophic Care. It should be noted that all of these plans have significant limitations on coverage and care must be taken to understand these limitations; e.g. coverage for doctor visits may be limited to only $450/year, or hospital coverage may be limited to only $2,000/day. It is very possible that persons insured under any of these plans could face significant expenses that are not covered by the insurance. These plans should be considered a last resort option for only those people who are uninsurable thru other available options. Also, these plans are guaranteed issue regardless of your medical history, BUT coverage for pre-existing conditions may still be denied for up to 12 months. Feel free to contact us for a review of your specific situation.
There are also some rather onerous eligibility guidelines, as follows:
- A person must normally have been totally uninsured
for at least 6 months. However, coverage may be available
in lieu of this 6 month exclusion in the following circumstances:
- Loss of a job that provided an employer sponsored health benefit plan,
- Death of, or divorce from a spouse who was provided an employer sponsored health benefit plan,
- Exhaustion of coverage that was continued under COBRA, or continuation-of-coverage requirements under s.627.6692, Florida Statutes.
- Be between the ages of 19 and 64,
- and be ineligible for any other type of public insurance program; e.g. Medicaid.
For a comparison of plans available in your area, please select the appropriate Button in the left margin.
For more information about these plans, including eligibility guidelines and benefit limitations, please contact one of our advisors at AIFSI.