If you  do not have a health plan with an employer and if you are looking at higher premiums because of a pre-existing medical condition, you may qualify for the North Carolina Health Insurance Risk Pool (NCHIRP), commonly called Inclusive Health.  This individual health plan also helps people whose jobs have been lost due to overseas competition and people who have used all of their COBRA benefits.

Established by the State Legislature which underwrites the plan that began offering coverage in January, Inclusive Health participants may pay premiums that average $300 to $500 a month. This plan is only available to residents of NC who have no access to group coverage and who do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid.  This is not a family plan.  Each family member who qualfies will receive his/her own separate rate which applies to his/her own circumstances.

Learn more about the program and to access enrollment details and forms by clicking on their website here.  You will also see a list of medical conditions that automatically qualify a person for Inclusive Health Coverage.

Obtaining some type of medical treatment is crucial for those individuals applying for Social Security Disability.  The Judges who hear your case want to know what the doctors are saying about your condition.  No treatment often leads to a denial.  Claimants applying for Social Security Disability need to be resourceful and determined to get treatment.  Programs like this offer people who cannot otherwise afford private health insurance another option.