Pre-existing condition? Does anybody really know?

[HelloItsMe]

Hello! I was diagnosed with testicular cancer back in late 2008. Had an orchiectomy and chemo, and have been clear since (~9 years, so hooray for that). Between that experience and my dad dying at 70 due to liver cancer, I've really decided that I'd like to stop working and focus on enjoying life since we don't know how much time we have left.

Stopping working means foregoing employer-provided insurance. So I'm very keen to know if I'll be able to get insurance through the private market (if ACA goes away, etc.) or if my cancer history will preclude me on getting coverage for future cancer. I've done considerable google searches and reading through forums (such as this one), and information is either stale, ambiguous, or untrustworthy.

As somebody on this forum said, I would much rather think of me as having a medical history of cancer and not a pre-existing condition. So, I would like to think of any future cancer as a new development and not the re-emergence of a prior condition.

Does anybody have any thoughts or have experience with this? Surely somebody who is a TC survivor (or warrior!) has attempted to sign up for a new non-ACA healthcare plan after putting cancer in the rear-view mirror.

Thanks

[digdoug]

AFAIK it currently matters not where you get your insurance from because all insurers are disallowed denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions.


It should be noted that the current administration, justice department, just filed papers that will decline to uphold that requirement in a suit that is challenging it. Things may be changing....

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/pre-existing-conditions-coverage-at-risk-more-than-thought-obamacare/

[Davepet]

I would think that with 10 years clear, you would be able to get coverage, even if ACA goes away, I was able to get coverage in my 30's after TYC1 at 20. That said, the coverage will likely be expensive & not as good a coverage as most employer plans. Individual coverage is pricey, & you will likely have a high deductable in order to keep the cost down.

I'd advise getting some quoptes before making that move.

Dave