Regulations re: pre-existing conditions

It depends on your state and type of coverage.  Here is the main website for the Arizona Dept of Insurance covering health insurance issues:

http://www.id.state.az.us/consumerlifehealth.html

This is the hyperlink to the Group Health Care handbook:  http://www.id.state.az.us/publications/Health_Group.pdf

A portion of the handbook discusses pre-existing conditions and this is what it says:

"

III.

These provisions limit or exclude the insurance company’s

Policies have a list of exclusions

and limitations.

Policies with fewer exclusions may be more

expensive than policies with more exclusions. Make sure you

understand what will and will not be covered.

Waiting Periods

A waiting period is the amount of time that must pass after

the policy takes effect and before coverage begins. If a policy

has a waiting period, benefits will not be paid or they might

be limited for expenses that arise during a specific number of

days after the policy is in effect. Waiting periods are not

applicable in some cases if an individual had certain types of

prior coverage. Waiting periods may apply only to certain

conditions or services.

Preexisting Conditions

Individual policies usually will not pay benefits until a certain

time period has elapsed for a health condition you had when

you bought the policy. This type of health condition is known

as a “preexisting” condition. Exclusions for preexisting

conditions are intended to preclude individuals with an illness

or injury from waiting to buy a policy until they need treatment

that would otherwise be paid for under the policy.

Other Exclusions

In addition to preexisting conditions, health insurance policies

usually exclude illness or injury resulting from war or military

service or those covered under workers’ compensation."