Question:  What is (are) Financial Help for Diabetes Care ?
Answer: Insurance companies sell private health insurance plans. Two types of private health insurance are
                
- Group health insurance. People may be eligible to purchase group health insurance through their employer or union or through a family members employer or union. Other organizations, such as professional or alumni organizations, may also offer group health insurance.  - Individual health insurance. People may purchase individual health insurance for themselves and their families. The website HealthCare.gov provides information about individual insurance plans. The website also provides a search function, called the Health Insurance Marketplace, to find health insurance options by state. Depending on their income and family size, some people may qualify for lower-cost premiums through the Health Insurance Marketplace. People can select or change individual health insurance plans during the open enrollment period each year. HealthCare.gov lists open enrollment period dates. The website also provides information about life events that may allow people to enroll outside the open enrollment period.
                
Employers may have a waiting period before an employee and his or her family members can enroll in the company health plan. Under the ACA, the waiting period can be no longer than 90 days. Certain health plans called health maintenance organizations (HMOs) may have an affiliation perioda time that must pass before health insurance coverage becomes effective. An affiliation period can be no longer than 3 months.
                
The ACA expanded coverage of preventive services. For example, adults with sustained high blood pressure may have access to diabetes screening at no cost. Adults and children may have access to obesity screening and counseling at no cost.
                
Each states insurance regulatory office, sometimes called the state insurance department or commission, provides more information about health insurance laws. This office can also help identify an insurance company that offers individual coverage. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners website, www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm , provides a membership list with contact information and a link to the website for each states insurance regulatory office.
                
The ADA also provides information about health insurance options at www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/health-insurance .
                
Keeping Group Health Insurance after Leaving a Job
                
When leaving a job, a person may be able to continue the group health insurance provided by his or her employer for up to 18 months under a federal law called the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA. Although people pay more for group health insurance through COBRA than they did as employees, group coverage may be cheaper than individual coverage. People who have a disability before becoming eligible for COBRA or who are determined by the Social Security Administration to be disabled within the first 60 days of COBRA coverage may be able to extend COBRA coverage an additional 11 months, for up to 29 months of coverage. COBRA may also cover young adults who were insured under a parents policy after they have reached the age limit and are trying to obtain their own insurance.
                
Read more at www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/cobra.htm or call the U.S. Department of Labor at 18664USADOL (18664872365).
                
If a person doesnt qualify for coverage or if COBRA coverage has expired, other options may be available:
                
- Some states require employers to offer conversion policies, in which people stay with their insurance company and buy individual coverage.  - Some professional and alumni organizations offer group coverage for members.  - Some insurance companies offer short-term stopgap policies designed for people who are between jobs. However, these policies may not meet ACA requirements. For example, they may not cover preexisting conditions.  - People can purchase individual health insurance policies.
                
Each states insurance regulatory office can provide more information about these and other options. Information about consumer health plans is also available at the U.S. Department of Labors website at www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/consumerinfhealth.htm.