Question
Does Obama Care apply to pre-existing conditions in disability insurance policies?
The contract company I work for advised me you can apply for short term disability benefits at any time, not just during the medical enrollment. I wa up front and honest and told them I just found out I needed to have surgery. They told me my benefits would be available on January 1st. I thought great my surgery was a week later. The day after my surgery New York Life calls and tells me it is denied since it was pre existing condition. I don’t understand how it can be pre existing when i just found out I needed surgery the middle of November 2015 and surgery was scheduled for Jan 5th. Even if I would have put off my surgery I would not be covered. I thought Obama Care had ruled there is no pre existing conditions anymore. Could someone reach out to me with some advice.
Answer
Mary, “Obama Care” does not apply to pre-existing conditions in disability insurance policies. You will need to review the language for pre-existing condition contained in the policy. If you became eligible for benefits as of January 1 and had surgery less than a week later, then there does stand a likely chance you would fall into the pre-existing condition period in the policy for having received treatment for the condition you went on disability for prior to effective coverage
