The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was signed by President Clinton in 1996. A significant portion of the law is intended to reduce barriers for Eligible Individuals to obtain health insurance coverage through an individual plan.

Health plan carriers serving the individual market must offer coverage to an eligible individual and may not impose any preexisting condition exclusions with respect to such coverage.

An Eligible Individual is a person who:

• has had at least 18 months of aggregate Creditable Coverage;
• has been under a group health plan, a governmental plan, or church plan (or health insurance offered in connection with such plans) during the most recent period of creditable coverage;
• is not eligible for coverage under a group health plan, Medicare, or Medicaid, and does not have other health insurance coverage;
• has not had their most recent coverage canceled for nonpayment of premiums or fraud; and
• has elected and exhausted any option for continuation of coverage ("COBRA" coverage) that was available under the prior plan.

Creditable Coverage means coverage under any of the following:

• A group health plan;
• Health insurance coverage;
• Part A or B of Title XVIII of the Social Security Act (U.S.C. 1395c or 1395);
• Title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), other than coverage consisting solely of benefits under section 1928;
• Chapter 55 of Title 10, United States Code (10 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.);
• A medical care program of the Indian Health Service or of a tribal organization;
• A state health benefits risk pool;
• A health plan offered under Chapter 89 of Title 5, United States Code (5 U.S.C. 8901 et seq.);
• A public health plan (as defined in federal regulations); or
• A health benefit plan under section 5 (e) of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504(e)).

If you are an Eligible Individual and would like to apply for such coverage, please call (301) 816-6700 for an enrollment kit. If you already have an enrollment kit, mail your signed and completed application along with your Certificate of Credible Coverage in the enclosed business reply envelope.