Just got turned down for insurance for the second time. Luckily I just started a full-time job with health insurance, or I’d be stuck with having to stay with my current insurer and rates over $700/mo.
Some of the reasons I was declined:
Migraines, which I now almost never get, and were not related to any other illness.
Eczema: I had dry skin 10 years ago and the doctor prescribed steroid cream for a couple of months.
Colon polyps: a routine colonoscopy the doctor recommended when I turned 50 revealed benign polyps that the doctor said were no problem. They show up in 30% of men over 50.
High blood pressure: I have borderline high blood pressure that my doctor recommended I treat with inexpensive prescription medicine “just to be on the safe side”.
So the lesson is, if you want to be insurable make sure not to get a colonoscopy screening, don’t see your doctor about minor conditions, or let him take your blood pressure.
We have the greatest health system in the world until you actually use it.
Pretty much. A doctor wrote down some weird condition on my chart, and I asked him about it. He said that it was because I had asthma, and that was his code for it, and he didn’t write down “asthma” because I might need to get some other kind of insurance someday, and it’s a pre-existing condition.
On the one hand, he was looking out for my financial health, but on the other hand, it seems that this sort of thing contradicts the whole point of keeping medical records.
There is also an appeal process if you are dumped or denied.
There is a push by 123 congressmen to get a public option. But righties just don’t believe in competition and free enterprise.
This is evidence you don’t know what you’re talking about. There is no way that the 'Pubbies will have the votes to overcome a presidential veto. As I recall, Bricker doesn’t see a reason to have the law declared illegal, and he knows way more about law than you do.
So what reason do you have to think the law will be repealed, aside from you being a silly stupid fuck?
One of the most frustrating parts about being aware of how fucked up, expensive and destructive our system is is knowing it isn’t going to change because too many people are too dogmatic clueless and arrogant to realize how messed up our system is. So nothing major changes.
What can you do? I’ve seen doctors and eventually regretted it because I obtained ‘pre-existing conditions’ by being proactive about my health.
I’m no legal expert, so I can’t say anything about the viability of the anti-healthcare bill lawsuits, other than that it seems legal experts do not see them as legitimate.
It is true, however, that the health insurance companies sell one of the crappiest products around, and it is heinous for the government to compel people to buy it. I’m not naive; I understand perfectly well the reasons for the mandate. But by not even allowing single payer to be debated (and dangling the public option then eliminating it) the Dems and WH did the American people a grave disservice. 60% of Americans support a Medicare for All system funded by payroll taxes; 52-55% supported the public option.
It also seems obvious that discrimination based on pre-existing conditions results in perverse incentives. Much like people without health insurance getting treatment that is ultimately more expensive in ERs, those who delay diagnosis and treatment of potential diseases because of fears of coverage loss and subsequent enrollment denial will create higher healthcare expenditures down the road.
I’m 24 years old and have never had any major medical problems in my whole life- excellent blood pressure, blood sugar, no surgeries, no diseases, blah blah blah. I broke my finger once playing basketball in second grade, but there were no long term complications from that :). The only thing I’ve got against me: I’m fat. It’s true. I’m working on it.
But that’s not why I was declined when I applied for health insurance.
Nope, I was declined because I had gone to the doctor once in the last year. Why did I go to the doctor, you ask? To get my annual papsmear- my cancer screening. I- a healthy 24 year old- was turned down for health insurance because I was responsible and proactive in my health by getting a cancer screening. Nothing came up weird during the screening- everything was a-ok, but I was declined.
Whereas, if some dumb 45 year old woman applies who has gone 10 years without a mammogram or cancer screening, she wont get rejected. But hey, I’m more of a health risk than that lady, what with my cancer screenings and health checks.
Hahaha! Oh man. I feel for you, DiosaBellissima, and hope you are able to get coverage in the future. But this irony really is hysterical. Tragic, but funny in a very dark and perverse way.
We have a family business, but we were just going to pay for an individual plan for me. Once I was turned down, though, we just decided to do a corporate plan. Weirdly, they had no issue insuring me under a corporate policy :rolleyes:.
One month from today I’ll be on Medicare, and will be able to get the knee and eye surgeries that I can’t afford. I haven’t had any health insurance for several years, so have been paying for everything out-of-pocket, including 10 medications I’m on. I was really looking forward to having prescription insurance with Medicare, until I started doing the math: Under my new plan, when I add up the premiums and copays, 8 of my medications will actually cost me more than they do now. So I’ll only be getting the other 2 through insurance, and continue paying for the rest myself. How fucked up is that?
panache45–you’ll be on Medicare for age-related reasons, yes? There is a multitude of prescription drug plans to choose from. You should assess which brand name prescriptions can be replaced with generics (most are equivalent, despite the claims of pharmaceutical companies – see here for more info on dosage equivalence) and search the Medicare Part D formulary for the most cost-effective plan. I had to do this for my grandmother when she was switching plans and it’s a pretty well-organized web site.
They are not done yet, but the donut hole has been dealt with. They have given a 250 dollar rebate to help with costs too.
Medicare is not free. You pay 100 a month. Then you are responsible for 20 percent of costs, which is why they sell insurance to augment it. But the health companies have jacked the cost up hugely making it tough to pay for.
There are clinics you can go to that accept Medicare for 100 percent of billing. They will also give you some medicines for free.
Thanks . . . but I’ve done all that. I’ll be saving money on the only two medications that are expensive, but I can’t get from Canada. I’m already getting generics wherever possible, and the cheaper ones cost me less than the copays would be. It would be even cheaper overall if I didn’t get prescription coverage at all . . . except that it can be hard to get later on if you don’t get it at 65. Plus, I don’t know what meds I’ll need in the future, and it’s better to have the insurance proactively.
Also, with the Medicare Part D Formulary . . . When I input all of my meds the plans are very expensive. So I eliminated the ones I’ll continue to pay for on my own, and only input the two I’d be covered for. I got very less expensive results. Why should they have to know about the meds they’re not paying for?
Really? I was under the impression that Medicare pays for 80% and your copay is 20%. Some doctors may wave that 20% fee, but they are actually legally obligated to request it. So I think these clinics could only be doing this unofficially…
If you have something to add, go to that thread and do it there, so as not to threadjack. Else, shush, adults talking here.
PS Or go do another epic fail pit thread about me, where pretty much every one from your side of the aisle ridiculed you and begged you to just go away from these boards, forever if possible.
PPS a veto has nothing to do with this, we were talking about the constitutionality of it…you might want to proofread your posts before you click ‘submit’, else people will get the wrong idea about you and think you’re an idiot.