Louisiana Health Insurance Coverage...
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If you are searching for ways to lower your health insurance costs and you live in the State of Louisiana...We, here at HealthInsureCoverage.com, work hard to supply you with the information you need to make an informed decision regarding your health insurance needs and requirements.

• What are your protections as a small-employer or self-employed individual in the State of Louisiana?
     Federal law extends certain protections to employers seeking to buy health insurance for themselves and their workers. Louisiana has enacted reforms to expand some of these protections. Generally, small employers are those that employ 2-50 employees. Please note that the definitions of small employer and employee are somewhat different under federal and state law. Check with the Louisiana Department of Insurance to be sure that you know which protections apply to your group.
• With few exceptions, small employers cannot be turned down.
     This is called guaranteed issue. If you employ at least 2 but not more than 50 people, health insurance companies must sell you any small group health plan they sell to other small employers. However, they can require that a minimum percentage of your workers participate in your group health plan as long as this percentage does not exceed 75%. They can also require you to contribute a minimum percentage of your workers' premiums. If you are buying a large group health plan for 51 or more employees, your group can be turned down.
• Your insurance cannot be canceled because someone in your group becomes sick.
     This is called guaranteed renewability and it applies to group plans of all sizes. Insurers can impose other conditions, however. They can require you to meet minimum participation and contribution rates in order to renew your coverage. Additionally, they can refuse to renew your coverage for nonpayment of premiums or if you commit fraud. In the latter case, they must give you a chance to buy other plans they sell to groups of your size.
• Can you be charged more because of your group's health status?
     Within limits, you can be charged higher premiums based on the health, risk, and demographic characteristics of your group. For small employers with between 3 and 35 employees, Louisiana limits the difference in premiums and the annual increase that can be charged. For groups with more than 35 or fewer than 3 workers, Louisiana does not limit premium variation or increases except that a group's rate, no matter what its size, may not be based upon genetic information, in the absence of a diagnosis. If you have questions about your group health insurance premiums, contact the Louisiana Insurance Department.
• What health insurance plan choices do you have in Louisiana?
     Louisiana does not require health insurers in the small group market to offer standardized products. Insurers must offer you any small group health plan it offers to other small employers.
• If you are self-employed with no other workers, you are not eligible to buy a group health plan on your own (though you may be able to join another group health plan through a family member).
     Therefore, the laws that protect employers' access to group health plans do not apply to you. Your access to health insurance is protected by the laws that apply to individuals.
• If you are self-employed and buy your own health insurance, you are eligible to deduct an increasing percentage of the cost of your premium from your federal income tax.
  This deduction is 60% for 2000 and 2001, 70% for 2002, and 100% in 2003 and thereafter.
• Some small employers, self-employed people, and other individuals buy health insurance through professional or trade associations.
     The laws applying to association health coverage can be different than those for other health plans. Check with the Louisiana Department of Insurance about your protections in association health plans.

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