When applying for coverage, health insurance companies typically make 1 of these 5 basic decisions:

1.  Approve
2.  Approve, but charge more
3.  Approve, but exclude coverage for a certain condition
4.  Approve, but exclude coverage for a certain condition AND charge more
5.  Deny coverage

You are entering a financial contract with a company to pay for unexpected and routine medical expenses.  Sometimes, a company may offer you coverage, but only if services for a certain condition are not included as covered expenses under the contract.  This allows you to still be able to purchase health insurance, while at the same time protecting the insurance company from the extra risk associated with the medical condition.

Unlike pre-existing waiting periods, the exclusion or waiver period is usually several years and often is for the life of the contract of the policy.  Think of a pre-existing waiting period simply as a short-term feature.  Think of an exclusion or waiver as a long-term feature.

Pre-existing is a feature on EVERY policy, unless you have coverage from a previous carrier with a lapse in coverage less than 63 days.  You'll get credit for your previous coverage, and may have your entire pre-existing waiting period waived.

The exclusion and waiver features are a way for health insurance companies to offer coverage to individuals who they otherwise would not have been able to offer coverage to if they had to cover the specific medical condition in which they would like to exclude coverage.

www.MyHealthInsuranceGuy.com