In the US, with most insurance companies, there is a one year waiting period before treatment for pre-existing conditions is covered. However, there are most likely legal US residency requirements in order to get coverage. It is no longer legal in the US to deny insurance to people because of genetic disorders. Insurance companies may still be uncooperative at times and may also put lifetime caps on amounts spent on long term care. This is a growing issue as thal patients are living much longer.
http://www.genome.gov/page.cfm?pageID=10002328The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 provided the first federal protections against genetic discrimination in health insurance. The act prohibited health insurers from excluding individuals from group coverage due to past or present medical problems, including genetic predisposition to certain diseases. It limited exclusions from group plans for preexisting conditions to 12 months and prohibited such exclusions for people who had been covered previously for that condition for 12 months or more. And the law specifically stated that genetic information in the absence of a current diagnosis of illness did not constitute a preexisting condition.
On the other hand, HIPAA did not prohibit health insurers from charging a higher rate to individuals based on their genetic makeup, prevent insurers from collecting genetic information or limit the disclosure of genetic information about individuals to insurers. Nor did it prevent insurers from requiring applicants to undergo genetic testing.
US residents can get assistance with insurance issues through the Cooley's Anemia Foundation.
Eva Chin, the Patient Services Coordiantor for the Cooley's Anemia Foundation, is currently on maternity leave. The new contact is Eileen Scott. Her extension at CAF is 207 and
her email is eileen.s@cooleysanemia.org.
Cooley's Anemia Foundation
330 Seventh Avenue, Suite 900
800-522-7222 extension 205
Fax: 212-279-5999