Advice For Switching Jobs During treatment

    • MarvinHawkins
      December 4, 2017 at 9:27 pm

      Hello All,

      I have been undergoing a six month trial (started in October 2017) of IVIG. I have been thinking about making a career move. I had to fight for this current round of treatment with my current insurance provider which is Cigna. I live in Illinois and my plan is self funded, through my employer. They are switching to Aetna next year. My concern is that if I accept a new job offer, I may be locked out due to having a pre-existing condition. I have done some research and I see that as long as I have continual coverage, I couldn’t be denied. I also see that even if I did not have continual coverage, I could be locked out for 12 months. Are there any other things that I need to consider? Is there anything I can do to ensure that my treatments won’t be interrupted? I fought for over a year to get this round of IVIG. I don’t want to lose it by switching jobs, but I don’t wan to be stuck in a job either. Thanks in advance for any insight

    • Jim-LA
      December 5, 2017 at 2:56 pm

      The good news is that the Affordable Care Act is still in affect! It mandates that pre-existing conditions cannot be cause for denial of coverage. Since this is a Federal law, State laws to the contrary would be considered illegal.

      A summary of the law is here:
      https://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/about-the-aca/pre-existing-conditions/index.html

      Details of the regulation can be read here:
      https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=HHS-OS-2010-0014-0001

    • MarvinHawkins
      December 7, 2017 at 1:42 pm

      Thanks Jim LA!

      I am looking over the info now. I guess my concern is that sine I’m currently undergoing treatment, if the new employer’s insurance could deny it since i already have a diagnosis

    • cer100
      December 7, 2017 at 8:53 pm

      Might also want to check their medical policies which are usually available on their web sites. I’d probably be less concerned with denial of pre existing conditions (didnt think they could do that any more as Jim wrote) than with coverage for using IG approved under different circumstances.

      BTW, in case you missed it CVS Health announced a $69 billion deal to buy Aetna

    • MarvinHawkins
      December 9, 2017 at 5:07 pm

      Yea I saw that. They said so far there would be no changes but I am a bit nervous.

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