Are Critical Illness/Cancer Policies Doomed by ACA?

[Ron Van D]

I just got this email from Cigna Supplemental benefits:

A regulatory update will go into effect on May 1, 2015 and will require all applicants to have “minimum essential coverage” before purchasing a Hospital Indemnity rider, Intensive Care Unit rider, or Hospital/Intensive Care Rider, although a few states have also expanded this regulation beyond the three riders*.

If I'm reading this right, if you don't have health insurance you can't buy a CI policy. Is that correct?

 

[Norwayguy]

I just got this email from Cigna Supplemental benefits:

A regulatory update will go into effect on May 1, 2015 and will require all applicants to have “minimum essential coverage” before purchasing a Hospital Indemnity rider, Intensive Care Unit rider, or Hospital/Intensive Care Rider, although a few states have also expanded this regulation beyond the three riders*.

If I'm reading this right, if you don't have health insurance you can't buy a CI policy. Is that correct?

Sounds like you can't buy a rider does it mention policies.

 

[AllenChicago]

In accordance with Federal Law, all non-ACA exempt U.S. residents must have Minimum Essential Coverage before they can purchase an Indemnity policy, or rider to their MEC policy.

Some states and some companies also carry that restriction over to Critical Illness and Cancer policies. The easiest way to find out is to look at a specific company's application. There is wording on one of the signature pages stating something like, "By signing this application, you're attesting that all applicants have Minimum Essential Coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act."