Even with BC/BS PPO, I am scrambling for
cash and paying lots.

I have insomnia tonight/this morning, so came to check out Lymenet...and saw your post.

I don't have personal experience with Unicare, but I know my company (when I worked), every few years changed insurance providers, so the pre-exisiting condition thing came up rather frequently over the years...

Now this can possibly vary depending on state laws, but I "think" they have to cover you now under the newest laws...but they possibly may make you wait 90 days or something to get (full)coverage...but in the past 4+ years since Lyme, this has not been an issue for me anymore like it was in the past...which is why I think things have changed in our favor...I am prettu sure things have changed as I know they can't prevent or delay a diabetic at least from getting care/insulin that they must have...so not sure if this is for certain conditions, or all pre-exisiting conditions now...or what...I know, I am not much help here, am I...?

I just got switched from United Healthcare to BCBS last year and had no issues with pre-exisiting...

Even if this pre-existing thing is still an issue, you may be able to get around it since with Lyme our symptoms and conditions are so varied...If you have been mostly using Lyme diagnosis codes, docs can use more varied symptom related diagnosis codes...I mean, heck...even the docs can't all agree on what's what, right??

Hope all works out for your husband and his job, and that you are hanging in there ok...

Kira

I am hanging in and got through the spinal
OK. Took a good week to be up and about because I think I had headache pressure from
the procedure. Now I just have the regular
24/7 kind of headache.

I think you are going to be fine if your husband changes jobs/insurance. Here is the link to our state's laws:
http://www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid=1145

I've copied and highlighted the part that is most relevant to your situation:

People with health insurance. Pre-existing condition exclusions and waiting periods cannot be imposed if you are simply changing coverage. Health coverage is "portable" as long as you enroll in a new plan within 63 days after your prior coverage ends. But, your new coverage may impose pre-existing condition exclusions or waiting periods on any benefits not covered by your prior coverage, and is not required to offer the same benefits as your prior plan.

Basically, anything that was covered by your old insurance will be covered by the new. If the new insurance offers additional benefits that your old did not, a waiting period for pre-existing conditions may apply for those new benefits ONLY.

Hope this helps allay your concerns. The law that passed a few years ago regarding pre-existing conditions has made a big difference!