Healthcare Insurance Rights

Every citizen needs healthcare, its vital in all our lives. Knowing this, there are plenty of laws and acts out there to make sure we get the best protections we can when it comes to our insurance. Plenty of things can happen in someone’s life, and knowing this won’t affect your access, and that your rights are protected, can make any situation a lot less stressful. Let’s get into it.

1. Right to medical privacy:

   1. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), is a law that covers essentially every base to your privacy. It prevents any and all sharing of your information without your permission, unless you or someone else is at risk of harm.

2. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

   1. This act’s main focus is that all businesses with over 50 employees are required to include healthcare in your coverage or pay a penalty. It also requires states to have online markets for small businesses/individuals to more easily get health insurance.

3. COBRA

   1. If one gets fired, you do not automatically lose your health insurance. Depending on your situation (this insurance coverage includes immediate family like spouses and children), you can get anywhere from 18 to 36 more months of coverage, you have 60 days after being notified of your COBRA rights to sign up. The basic 18-month coverage only applies if you were not fired for gross misconduct. Coverage does not need be provided if there is: failure to make payments on time, you enroll in Medicare after signing up for COBRA, or the employer cancels any group health plan.

4. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA)

   1. DISCLAMER: This does not apply to health benefit plans provided by state, local government, or a church. It basically means that all covered employees must be provided a Summary Plan Description, clearly explaining how benefits are paid, as well as employee rights and responsibilities. You are also owed to be notified if there is a significant change to the plan.