A "pre-existing condition" refers to any medical condition, illness, or injury that a person had before their health insurance coverage started. This includes conditions that were diagnosed, treated, or showed symptoms prior to enrolling in a new health insurance plan. The definition can vary, with some insurers considering a condition pre-existing if the person has received medical advice or treatment for it, while others include any symptoms a prudent person would have sought treatment for. Examples include chronic diseases like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or cancer, as well as any other health issues present before the insurance coverage began. Importantly, under the Affordable Care Act in the United States, insurance companies cannot deny coverage or charge higher premiums based on pre-existing conditions, nor can they exclude treatment for these conditions once coverage starts. However, before this law, insurers often excluded such conditions from coverage or used them to justify higher costs. Thus, a pre-existing condition is essentially any health issue that existed before a health plan took effect, often impacting how insurance coverage and benefits apply to that condition.
