Mississippi Health Insurance

If you’re planning to buy a new health insurance policy in the state of Mississippi, it’s a good idea to first learn about the regulations and conditions imposed on health insurance providers by the state.  Knowing what is and isn’t guaranteed by law can save you a lot of time and effort, and that means more time you can set aside for finding the best-priced policy that meets your needs.  Below you will find a list outlining the most important facts and regulations you should know about when shopping for health insurance in Mississippi.

• Every health insurance policy sold in Mississippi is required by law to include a clause guaranteeing your ability to renew your coverage.  In other words, so long as you are paying your premiums, your insurer must allow you to renew your policy as many times as you like.  You are also protected against having your coverage cancelled by your insurer after your health takes a turn for the worse.
• Several regulations are in place that grant special advantages to growing families.  For example, any new child born to (or adopted by) anyone in Mississippi whose coverage extends to dependents can expect that child to automatically be covered for up to 31 days.  In addition, a handicapped dependent can remain under his parents’ individual insurance even if he would normally be too old to qualify.
• Mississippi permits insurers to declare certain pre-existing conditions to be exempt from coverage for up to 12 months after your policy begins; under some circumstances, a pre-existing condition can even be made permanently exempt from your health coverage.  Under state law, pre-existing conditions are those that have been treated or diagnosed up to one year before the policy went into effect.
• Health insurance companies are not required to sell individual policies to those they consider a bad risk, meaning that your health, age, and other risk factors may be used as grounds to reject your application for health insurance.  If you are already a policy-holder, you may see your premiums increase sharply due to changes in your risk factors.
• All eligible small businesses in Mississippi are guaranteed access to any kind of group health insurance policy that is currently being offered to other small businesses here.  Small businesses, in this case, are those that have anywhere between 2 and 50 employees.
• Maintaining group coverage for any small business may require meeting certain basic qualifications, such as ensuring that at least a certain percentage of your employees buy into the company’s health plan.  The employer may also be required to contribute a certain portion of each employee’s premiums.  Failing to meet the requirements of a health plan may lead to its cancellation.
• Pricing of a small business’s health insurance can vary widely, within certain limits, and is generally calculated from metrics like the health, age, and demographic background of the company’s employees.  Failing health of the insured can never be used as a justification for cancelling a company’s coverage, however.
• Self-employed workers in Mississippi are not automatically granted access to group health insurance normally available to small businesses, particularly if there are no other employees involved.  Individual health insurance is the usual resort in this case, and (fortunately) you may be able to deduct a portion of the premiums for this coverage from your tax liability.

While it may seem confusing at first, a little study can make the process of buying health insurance go much more smoothly than you might expect.  By taking the time to compare the quotes you get to offers from competing insurers you can greatly improve your chances of finding health coverage that fits your needs, and at an affordable price.

From Our Customers