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I’m sure there are web sites that you can search which give you a full overview.

It is my understanding that group policies through an employer do not exclude pre-existing conditions, and individual policies only exclude pre-existing conditions for a set period of time.

I was diagnosed with a curable cancer in 2008 and am presently receiving follow-up care and scans. If I lose my job, I have COBRA coverage available and any future job with a group health insurance plan will cover my medical care. It appears that the one difficult thing would be starting my own one-man company or small business. Other than that, I should be able to have care if I or my wife have a job with a company that offers a health plan.

You are correct. I was recently laid off and we were unable to pay the COBRA premiums. However, we were elgible for a high risk pool. The pool still covered any pre-existing conditions (I have asthma and allergies) because the conditions have been treated throughout the years via medication and regular allergist visits.

The thinking is.. if these conditions are being treated regularly, the regular treatment outweighs the risk of a catastrophic medical event occurring from these conditions. It makes sense to not cover the conditions if they have not been treated for a truly significant amount of time (i.e. >1 year) because it is probably statistically significant that a major claim will be made to the company for the condition that has not been treated satisfactorily. However, upon reading the fine print of my policy, pre-existing conditions are only not covered for a period of 6 months, after 6 months they are covered.