How to Get Medical Insurance With Epilepsy

Obtaining affordable health insurance is considerably more difficult for people with epilepsy than the average patient, but it is possible. It's important to have good insurance that will help you pay the costs of receiving the necessary treatment for your condition and will give you access to the specialists who can best help you manage living with epilepsy. Read on to learn more about how to get medical insurance with epilepsy.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Rely on the medical insurance provided to employees where you work, as this is likely to be your best chance to get affordable prices. If you are unemployed or your employer does not offer medical insurance, you may want to consult with a medical insurance broker to help choose a plan. The broker will be able to compare the packages available to you and their associated costs, but it is likely to be more difficult to obtain affordable insurance.
2. Research insurance policies to identify whether or not preexisting conditions, such as epilepsy, are covered under your plan and if any benefits are limited or restricted completely. Check to see if your current doctor accepts your insurance plan before signing up.
3. Provide insurance companies with a letter from your doctor describing your condition in detail, especially if he can verify that your seizures have been under control for an extended period of time. This may help you get coverage and reduce the amount you are required to pay for said coverage.
4. Identify the names and background information of doctors who are available in your insurance plan, as access to specialists is often limited. Visits with an epileptologist, or a doctor who specializes in epilepsy, are often not covered by insurance companies. This is important to note as specialty doctors often charge even higher rates than primary care doctors, and there is a good possibility you will be required to pay some of these expenses out of your own pocket.
5. Visit the Epilepsy Foundation website to view a list of epileptologists in your area that is categorized by the types of insurance that they accept. See the Resources section below for a link. Some doctors are also listed as offering lower rates in special situations for epilepsy patients. The website also includes a list of clinics that offer free care to epilepsy patients.

Tips & Warnings

• Understand that medical insurance companies will most likely view people with epilepsy as liabilities because they will generally need frequent and expensive medical care that will cost the company money. Insurance companies will want details about the type of epilepsy you have and the amount and severity of seizures you have when deciding if they will provide coverage to you.