• Make sure that you understand the laws in Maine before you purchase health insurance.healthcare concept image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
  
  Health insurance laws in Maine provide special provisions for citizens of the state. These provisions affect the health insurance policies sold in Maine. If you live in Maine and want to purchase health insurance, you should understand the laws specific to that state because they could significantly impact your health insurance.
  
  

Guaranteed Renewability

• Health insurance companies in Maine are not allowed to deny you the option to renew your health insurance. This guaranteed renewability option allows you to renew your health insurance policy regardless of your health. So, for example, if you become ill, you will still be able to purchase health insurance every year.
  
  

Exclusion Period

• Health insurance companies in Maine are allowed to exclude pre-existing conditions if you have been diagnosed within 12 months of applying for your new health insurance policy. This means that your health insurance company does not need to provide coverage for any condition that you have prior to your new policy. The exception to this is if you are switching health insurance policies. If there is no lapse in coverage when switching policies, then your old policy's exclusion period will credit towards your new policy's exclusion period. This means that if your new policy has an exclusion period of 5 months, and your old policy has an exclusion period of 5 months, then as long as there is no lapse in coverage, no health condition will be excluded under your new policy.
  
  

Premiums Surcharges

• Your premiums can be raised on your policy due to family size, age, and demographics. However, health insurance companies cannot raise your premiums due to age or health conditions. Additionally, you cannot be denied coverage for health insurance due to your health, age, or risk to the insurance company.
  
  

Standardized Health Insurance

• By law, all health insurance companies in Maine must offer you a choice of at least one of the two state standardized health insurance policies in addition to their own policies. The intent of this regulation is to make sure that there is a health insurance policy that is both affordable and covers a wide range of conditions for the insured individual.