Iowa Health Insurance

Iowa has moderate health insurance regulations. It is important to familiarize yourself with them, so you're more confident in your health insurance purchase and so you know your Iowa health insurance rights.

This guide:

  • Describes important Iowa health insurance policy regulations.

  • Lists rules Iowa health insurance companies must follow.

Health insurance policies are regulated by each state's own health insurance laws. Iowa health insurance companies and policyholders alike must abide by established insurance laws.

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Iowa health insurance policy provisions

Some of the most important Iowa health insurance laws are the ones that influence the health insurance policy specifically.

Iowa has only a few regulations, but they are more strict than most states. Since they are so few in number, it should be an easy task to keep track of them all.

For one, all policies must contain a guaranteed renewability provision. This provision ensures that any Iowa health insurance policyholder can renew her health insurance policy as long as all the terms in the contract have been met.

Also Iowa health insurance policies can include a pre-existing exclusion period, but within limitations. Iowa health insurance companies can exclude pre-existing conditions from coverage, but not for more than 12 months.

Medical conditions that you have been diagnosed with 6 months before the effective date of your Iowa health insurance policy are considered ?pre-existing conditions?.

However, pre-existing condition exclusion periods cannot be instituted if you are switching Iowa health insurance companies and you have had continuous coverage. In these instances, your health insurance policy's exclusion period credits your new Iowa health insurance policy's required exclusion period.

Regulating Iowa health insurance companies

Iowa health insurance companies are either licensed in the state of Iowa or not. If they are licensed, you know, as a consumer that the company has passed Iowa health insurance regulations.

Although being licensed is a good quality indicator of Iowa health insurance companies, you should still be aware of the few basic Iowa health insurance regulations.

For instance, unless you have violated a policy regulation, no insurance company can refuse to renew your health insurance policy. However, insurance companies can day your initial application for Iowa health insurance.

This means even though your Iowa health insurance policy can be canceled for certain reasons, Iowa health insurance laws prohibit any Iowa health insurance company from terminating your policy on the grounds of illness.

Secondly, different factors affect the cost and availability of your Iowa health insurance. In Iowa, health and age can be used to decide whether or not the health insurance company wants to offer you a policy and what it will cost. Premiums for Iowa health insurance can vary significantly due to health status, age, and other factors, but there are limits to how much.

Finally, you cannot be denied a basic or standard individual Iowa health insurance plan if you have had prior continuous health insurance coverage for more than 12 months. In these cases, there can be no new pre-existing condition period imposed, either. If you do not have previous health insurance coverage lasting 12 months, then these regulations do not apply in your situation.

Temporary Iowa health insurance

Temporary Iowa health insurance is a necessity in certain situations that result in a break in your health insurance coverage. The best option in Iowa for temporary health insurance is a conversion policy.

If you have recently left a fully insured group policy and have exhausted your COBRA continuation coverage, you are eligible for a conversion policy. Your former Iowa health insurance company is required to offer you three standard policies with varying degrees of coverage as a conversion policy.

The premiums for these health insurance plans will likely be much more than you were originally paying and the coverage may not be the same, but they provide adequate coverage for a short amount of time when you need it most.

You have 31 days after the end of your previous Iowa health insurance policy to complete and submit your application for a conversion policy.

More IA health insurance help

If you want more help getting the a good health insurance policy, read our guide to health insurance.
Also see the guide to Iowa small business health insurance.

To find out more about IA health insurance laws and regulations, visit the official website of the Iowa Insurance Division.