Many people with disabilities or other health conditions worry that if they change jobs, they will lose their health coverage because they have pre-existing conditions. To lessen this worry, the U.S. Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in 1996.

HIPAA provides protections for you and your dependents if you’re trying to get into an employer-sponsored health plan, and it provides some protections if you’re seeking coverage under an individual plan.

For example, under HIPAA, a health plan you receive through your employer cannot deny you because you (or your dependents) have pre-existing conditions. However, the health plan may not have to pay for costs and treatments connected to the pre-existing condition.

HIPAA limits the maximum amount of time the health plan can exclude your pre-existing condition from coverage. For people seeking coverage under an individual health plan, HIPAA guarantees your right to purchase individual health coverage if you meet certain criteria.

It is important to note that HIPAA also has rules about the privacy and protection of individuals’ personal health information. Those rules are not discussed in depth in this article. For more information on HIPAA’s privacy protections, click here.

Note: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 will lead to significant changes in our nation’s health care system. The law will take effect over several years, and many of the details are still unknown.

DB101 will continue to keep track of health care changes and update our website as needed. To learn more about the details of health care reform, you can visit healthcare.gov.