What distinguishes guaranteed issue from medical underwriting?

Guaranteed issue is a provision where insurance companies are required to offer coverage to all applicants, regardless of their health status, medical history, or pre-existing conditions. This means that an individual cannot be denied coverage or charged higher premiums based on health-related factors, ensuring equitable access to health insurance for everyone.

In contrast, medical underwriting involves evaluating an individual's health history and other risk factors to determine eligibility for coverage, as well as to set premiums based on perceived risks. Therefore, under medical underwriting, an applicant’s health status can significantly impact their ability to obtain insurance and the cost of that insurance.

The other options suggest that guaranteed issue includes elements of medical underwriting or that its scope is limited to specific populations, both of which do not accurately capture the essence of what guaranteed issue entails. In summary, the key distinguishing feature of guaranteed issue is its commitment to ensure that all individuals can obtain coverage without regard to their health status.