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Another Insurance Coverage Concern

by DownThisRoad, Feb 04, 2004 12:00AM
My husband and I was given a considerable amount of money from my husband's aunt around the first of the year (no I'm not going on a shopping spree, putting all of this aside for our son and grandchildren).  We are now in the process of updating our will and specifics. Our financial planner wants us to switch our life insurance policies to another company that will give us more insurance for approximately the amount of money that we pay now. We told our planner that I have and had hepatitis C and explained to him about my treatment meds, duration of treatment, how far along I am in treatment, when I cleared and how long I have left to take the treatment meds. That was a couple of weeks ago. His assistant is now calling my husband for my specific information regarding the dates I was diagnosed, date that I started the medication, date that I cleared and a copy of my PCR test showing undetectable.  She said that she was submitting this information to a couple of companies on an 'anonymous basis' in order to see if I could get into a new plan. Should I submit this information to their office?  Can the insurance companies share this information with others and pass around this information not only to insurance companies for life policies but for health insurance? I can't find the strength right now to research all of this and I am just worried of how my condition may effect coverage for my husband and I now, and in the future. Anyone know how this can NOT work in my favor when it comes time to submit my information on a 'not so anoymous basis'?
Member Comments (10)

by ringading, Feb 04, 2004 12:00AM
To: DTR
while i can't really respond terribly well, as i am not in the US but canada, what i DO know and experienced with private and additional insurance , even for MORGAGE insurance...here was, that one of the question for coverage, asks if you have any of the following conditions...blah blah blah and hepatitis was one of them...AUTOMATICALLY i was unable to be covered as a result!!..i did not even want to risk it, because it is so easy for the insurance companies to go back and find out dates of diagnoses that i would have been committing fraud since i already had known about the hep since 96 and if you have prior knowledge of a disease they will NOT cover you here .... what about just leaving things the way they are til you are finished treatment? and then maybe doing the old 'financial shuffle'?
just a thought, but there will be others that know how the insur. comp. work down there, cause i only know how it works here....could be very different there i imagine.
cheers!

by slarso, Feb 04, 2004 12:00AM
To: insurance
for most new life insurance policies they will ask for a med history and some blood. If they see HVC, it is unlikly that they will give you a policy. I am keeping my old insurance even though it is a bit high. These slugs only want to make money, not take risk. Issueing policies to Hep C folks are like betting on the bengals, bad bet! ( no offence to Cinci fans!)

by DH Bill, Feb 04, 2004 12:00AM
To: DTR
BE VERY CAREFUL!!!!!! DO NOT SCREW UP WHAT YOU HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!. FOR THE MOST PART THESE ARE MAD DOGS YOU ARE DEALING WITH THAT ONLY LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE FOR THEMSELVES. Profitability for them not us. When my company was looking at new carriers they asked me to be on the committee to select new carrier. I have known the broker involved for a long time and trusted her. She stood behind the CEO of the new carrier we went with and he guaranteed me in our meetings that I would not have any problems with my tx. Let's see..... That was the end of Nov it is now Feb 4 and still not resolved. If I would have known more and been more carefull in 1998 I may still have life insurance now. This angers me now as my spouse will be 58 this year and I'm SOL as far as life insurance.  
Bill

by ringading, Feb 04, 2004 12:00AM
oh SOOOO FRUSTRATING!!!!! i'd definately TAKE BILLS ADVICE..DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING....
..i am more upset also that i can't have a life insurance policy to leave for my daughter....it has taught me that i advise younger people to take out life insur. etc early on...before there are medical problems that could prevent them from getting covered....damn....EVEN morgage coverage is denied!!!!

by ringading, Feb 04, 2004 12:00AM
To: P.S. DTR
i'd also be VERY SUSPISIOUS of the motivation of a financial planner even SUGGESTING that you consider changing insurance companies in mid treatment or at all, with medical issues!!!!!....

I SEE CONSPIRACY AND ALTERIOR MOTIVES!!!!...is that the meds thinking...?  or just suspicious ol me????

by DebbieDo, Feb 04, 2004 12:00AM
To: insurance
Please don't give them any information.  They are definitely up to something, probably thinking only of theirselves......keep what you have......If you choose to change later......you can do your own research!

by nurse12hr, Feb 04, 2004 12:00AM
Insurance companies do not give a rats a$$ about your PCR or anything else for that matter.  Once they see "history of HepC" you are SOL.

You may be able to get some small, perhaps 5K policies, but you will pay dearly for them.  Stick with what you have.  Never let them lapse.

by tbradnc, Feb 04, 2004 12:00AM
To: downthisroad
I echo what everyone else says - it's probably best to stay with what you have.  "Submitting the information anonymously" doesn't mean beans.  What matters is what happens when it goes across the underwriters desk with *your* name on it.  

I cannot imagine that the risk of losing everything is worth a few dollars saved on the difference in the premiums between 2 polices.

Thomas



by Honey15637, Feb 04, 2004 12:00AM
To: Thomas
You put that in a very good prospective and I totally agree!

by DownThisRoad, Feb 04, 2004 12:00AM
I agree with everyone here who posted on this subject and my dilema. My husband and I are talking about this further this evening, but I'm staying with what we have for now and once out of this treatment stage and further down the line when I have this behind me for some length of time, then we can think about changing over to a better policy.

It isn't worth the extra pay-off to my spouse and son if something were to happen to me and the life insurance would pay as it could definately jeopordize loosing my rights to ever be insured with a decent plan and then I would really be screwed.  I'll just sit tight.

Thanks all!!
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