In the state of Texas, there are a small percentage of residents that are physically or mentally challenged. Because of that, they have a hard time getting health insurance. Plus, there are additional issues that they face with getting health insurance in Texas. Some of the issues include costly insurance premiums, numerous policy cancellations, and numerous claims that don’t get paid and refusing to have their policies renewed.
Though the disabled are a protected class under the law and there is considerable legislative support of them, insurance companies still win when it comes to their healthcare (or lack thereof). While it is true that everyone has the right to health insurance in Texas, the disabled get shut out because of the cost of their care, which can be considerable. This does not negate the fact both the obligation and responsibility of insurance companies to treat the disabled as they are entitled and no less. When they are treated as second-class citizens the disabled must fight back and take action when they feel they are being treated unfairly by their insurance companies.
In the state of Texas, a disability is considered to be some type of handicap, whether it’s full blown or not. It’s in regard to their limitations to be able to function normally. The disabled includes a person’s ability to walk, talk, see, hear, understand mentally and other conditions that are deemed as limiting one’s ability to do things normally and fully. If a disabled person needs health insurance in Texas, the insurance company takes certain things into consideration prior to whether or not they will issue a health insurance policy.
Sometimes a person with a disability will be labeled by the insurance company as having a “pre-existing medical condition” and may have to pay a higher premium for health insurance in Texas. Some people, however, feel that this is unjust and some have been successful in fighting this in court. Other insurance companies put limitations on what they will and will not cover for the disabled person and they may need to fight for their rights.
Some disabilities don’t seem to pose any kind of problem when it comes to getting health insurance in Texas. Vision or hearing loss issues don’t always raise the same red flags with the insurance companies that certain other disabilities do.
In regard to health insurance in Texas, it is against state law to deny, limit or blatantly refuse to renew a health insurance policy due to the person’s limited abilities. The exception to this is if the insurance company feels that the risk of underwriting the person may cause them to lose money. The disabled can also ask the company why you were turned down for an insurance policy.
To help combat the discrimination against people with disabilities, the federal government enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA regulations provide specific safeguards to prevent people with disabilities from experiencing discrimination in the areas of employment, health insurance and accessibility. Even with these guidelines and other progress made in the past ten years, the disabled are still not getting the equal treatment they deserve. Disabled people, like many other minority groups, must continue to fight for their rights regarding health insurance in Texas even as the laws change to help them further.
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