Answers For Alabama Health Insurance Questions

This is the place to begin to get answers for your Alabama health insurance questions. If you have a question to which you can't find a clear answer, go to our Contact Us Page and send us an email.

If your issue is complicated and might require some research, a preliminary email request would be best. If you need personalized assistance and need to talk to someone, go to our Location Page and call us.

Get a Free, No-Obligation Quote:

Get an Alabama Individual Health Insurance Quote.

Get an Alabama Family Health Insurance Quote.

Get an Alabama Short Term (COBRA Alternative) Health Insurance Quote.

Get an Alabama Limited Benefit Health Insurance Quote.

Get an Alabama Fitness Culture Proposal.

Get an Alabama Group Health Insurance Quote.

Alabama Department of Insurance - Commissioner: Jim L. Riding

Location: 201 Monroe Street (at North Perry Street); Suite 1700; Montgomery, AL 36104

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 303351 - Montgomery, AL 36130

Telephone: 334-269-3350; Fax Number: 334-241-4192

Email: Insdept@insurance.alabama.gov

Alabama State Children's Health Insurance Program:

Children's Health Insurance Program; Alabama Department of Public Health; 201 Monroe Street - Suite 250; Montgomery, AL 36130

334-206-5568; Toll Free 1-877-774-9521

Summary: ALL Kids provides affordable comprehensive health care to children through the age of 19 who do not qualify for Medicaid and who live in households that cannot afford private health insurance.

Medicaid Health Insurance Program:

Alabama Medicaid Agency; 501 Dexter Avenue; Montgomery, AL 36104; Tel 334-242-5000

Summary of Medicaid Program and Benefits: Medicaid is a state/federal program that pays for medical and long-term care services for low-income pregnant women, children, certain people on Medicare, disabled individuals and nursing home residents. These individuals must meet certain income and other requirements.

The objectives of the Medicaid program are to:

(a) Provide broad health care coverage to certain lower income populations;

(b) Offer special community-based coverage for certain disabled and elder populations;

(c) Extend supplemental coverage to lower income Medicare beneficiaries: and,

(d) Offset the high costs of institutional care for lower and moderate income Alabama residents.

Alabama Medicare Health Insurance Program

Medicare health insurance program is a federal program designed for individuals over the age of 65 and those under 65 with specific disabilities. The health insurance also caters for people of any age who are suffering from renal diseases that have caused irreversible damage on the kidneys.

Alabama Medicare insurance plans are offered by private companies that have been approved by Medicare such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. If you are eligible for Medicare and register with any one of the many health insurance companies, you will get coverage from Medicare which may also include coverage for prescription drugs. When you sign up for a plan under Medicare, Medicare will send a specific amount of money to your insurer every month. This money will be sent under your name even if you do not make use of your plan.

Alabama Medical insurance is offered by a select number of insurance companies. Only a handful of the companies offering health care insurance policies in the Alabama area offer Advantage Medicare Insurance Plans.

Alabama Department of Public Health

Alabama Department of Public Health; 201 Monroe Street - Suite 250: Montgomery, AL 36130

Tel: 334-206-5568; Toll Free 1-877-774-9521

Alabama Health Insurance Plan: AHIP

The Alabama Health Insurance Plan is designed for people who have exhausted coverage through a group plan and are not eligible for other group coverage, Medicare, Medicaid or are not covered under any other health insurance plan. Administered by the State of Alabama, AHIP offers a traditional indemnity policy (Blue Cross) and a managed care policy (United Healthcare) to residents of the state of Alabama who meet certain qualifications.

Created by state law, AHIP is designed to meet the standards of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. HIPAA is a federal law that helps make health insurance available to anyone who has been enrolled in a health insurance plan. However, your last month of prior coverage must have been through a group employer plan or COBRA coverage. If you are eligible for AHIP you will have no waiting periods for pre-existing conditions.

For information on AHIP, call 334-263-8311 or go to the AHIP Webpage

For information on various Alabama state-sponsored insurance programs, call 334-269-3550 or go to the Alabama Low-Cost Insurance Webpage.

Alabama State COBRA Facts

What Is COBRA and How Do I Use It? COBRA is the abbreviation for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986. This federal law requires employers (including self-insured employers) with 20 or more employees to offer continued coverage to a former employee and his or her dependents for up to 18 months after the employee has left the company.

Under COBRA, following an employee's death or divorce, the employee's family has the right to continue coverage for up to 3 years. COBRA requirements do not apply to group health plans established or maintained by the federal government or to church plans that are set up by churches, which are tax exempt under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code.

When can you choose to continue using your former employer's group health insurance?

You have the option to use your former employer's health plan if you have a "qualifying event" that results in the loss of coverage. Examples of qualifying events include the following scenarios.

• You quit work or are laid off, retire, or are fired (not for gross misconduct).

• Your hours are reduced so you no longer qualify for the group plan.

• You are legally separated or divorced.

• Your child no longer qualifies as a dependent under your employer's plan.

• You die (a qualifying event for your family).

• You become eligible for, or enrolled in, Medicare (a qualifying event for your family).

For information on Alabama COBRA, go to the Alabama COBRA Webpage.