Healthcare plans, though meant to protect us from the cost of unexpected illness or serious medical situations, frequently prohibit people with certain conditions or diagnoses from enrollment.
If you have health insurance coverage at the time of diagnosis, keep that plan as long as possible. Should you leave that job, you will be eligible for COBRA. Although COBRA can be quite costly, it eliminates any lapse in coverage which could disqualify you from securing insurance in the future.
If you do experience a lapse in coverage, or do not have health insurance, finding it post-diagnosis can be challenging. As part of the new Affordable Care Act signed into law in March, 2010 a new healthcare option will soon become available called the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP).