I had life insurance prior to diagnosis... should I be concerned?

[Teres]

I recall some discussion about a 5-year time frame to contact your insurance company to tell them that you are "cured" so that you can go back to normal person status. ;-)

Question: Does this involve ALL relevant insurance companies (i.e. life and medical)? If so, how can one find out without tipping them off that there might have been a prior problem?

Although I already have life insurance (pre-diagnosis), I wouldn't want to jeopardize my coverage. I suppose I can dig out the original written policy, but don't have the patience to read the fine print (especially during Tx and weekly sides).

I've got only a few months left before my year-long program ends, and it seems a bit silly to create an issue with my life insurance company now. Is there a need to be concerned, or am I just over-reacting to a problem that does not exist for me?

Of course, my medical insurance should know what doctors I've seen and what prescriptions I've filled, so I don't expect any problem at this point with them. However, should I need to change medical policies, how does a successful treatment regimen affect any "pre-existing condition" clauses?

Thanks.

[Ambush]

As far as life insurance goes, if the policy was written prior to diagnosis, you should be at "normal" person status as is.  There's NO reason to tell them otherwise.  Just be diligent about not letting the policy lapse because in order to reinstate, you would have to sign forms and answer medical questions that you could not pass.  I think the 5 year time frame you mention is that companies are willing to write a new life policy on you again once you are undetectable for 5 years depending on each company's underwriting guidelines.  There is no way they can take your current policy away due to your HCV status as long as the premiums are paid.  Hope this helps.
ambush :)

[Ambush]

Sorry, forgot the medical insurance part ~ as long as you maintain continuous coverage with health insurance, you cannot be denied, even when switching companies. I had to switch twice during the first few months of tx and while it was stressful and alot of phone calls to check on things (med approvals, etc, etc) everything worked out OK.
ambush :)

[Teres]

Thanks, I can rest easier now.

[ringading]

okay all....well....hummmm...UPDATE.!!! first, thank you to my 2 sweet friends for trying to 'deflect' my madness from late thur. night... but the sad truth is YES i did drink....ALOT!!! ( i hear the gasps across the planet)....well, first of all....as is apparent, i made a mistake in posting what was supose to be an e-mail to vicki....not a POST for the world to see...it was a dear friends birthday and he was also annocing his engagement etc etc and well, one thing to another and i got all caught up in the festivities and got carried away and 'talked' myself into having ONE beer...(interesting i spend so much time joking about it..). well, it went down just FINE and then so did many many more after that, everyone just kept buying me more and sending them to me at the bar excited to see me out and having a 'beer' etc and before i knew it....i was hammered!!!!..(and hooked up with an ex...) when i realised how hammered i had gotten it was too late...i can say this though....that everything that went in....sure came OUT...i do NOT reccommend this type of research to anyone.  so i had great difficulty getting my humiliated,embarressed, sorry, stupid hungover butt to the computer yesterday, at first i thought i'd make up a big story about WHY i posted that ....etc, then i just decided that truth is far easier to bare, never could lie anyway, i just have NO FRIKKEN MEMORY to keep any lies straight anyway...so....i truly want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart, for not adding to my emmbarressment by posting anything nasty back, and for having the good taste to ignore, a truly 'tasteless' posting. with the exception of the few dear friends who really knew and tried so gallenatly to cover me as they were deeply emmbarressed for me also i am sure.  well...now that that is over with...i will have that nagging thought always in the back of my head somewhere as to wether or not this has impacted my treatment and supose i will not really know for sure for a long time....but ...it is, my weight and burden to carry....and i will.  thank you everyone
a humiliated kimmy

[Honey15637]

hahahaha Wild woman returned from drinking spree and other misgivings...only to find Indian/Englishman tracking her.  She comes up hill horseback with no pj's...uhh ohh  Wow...you did have a wild one huh?  ROFL  Will ring ever drink again on tx...hmmmm I'm saying a big fat NO.

[ringading]

whewwww......well thank GOD i  have long hair to at least give me SOME coverage....since now i seem to have 'lost' my p.j.s too, while on horseback....damn that frost bite gets yah where you REALLY notice it...hahahahaha....hahah 'its canada, i'm closing in'....hahahaha good one thanks guys....now seriously kids DO NOT TRY THIS AT ALL.....i mean the drinking thing, (truely, i will have that nagging at me for a LONG TIME )........ as well as the riding without p.j.s.....seriously now!!!

[yucatanchic]

Here we go again ! There is a time to be quiet on a Liver medical forum for all of us , who dont care about your personal garbage, which has no answers to our questions, except how NOT to act. I hope no newbies with addiction problems had the misfortune to read this garbage, and think it might be ok to go on a bender and show up here to give out advice. Sickening!

[jg2001]

You seem to be very critical of Ringading whenever you post anything.  I'm sorry you don't see eye to eye with her and there seems to be some sort of resentment toward her on your part. She is quite knowledgable of this disease and is still able to maintain a sense of humor.  She is not condoning her actions and did not tell anybody to go out and get drunk.  I am a "newbie".  I am also a recovering addict/alcoholic.  As I am sure I am not going to run out and get drunk, I would also bet that other "newbies" who have been coming are not going to do the same.  It is people like Ringading that attract me to this site.  The criticalness of your post is what is disturbing to me, not the camaraderie that is brought to this forum by Ringading.

[Honey15637]

I don't think anyone here is drinking and then telling people what or how to act on tx.  We are all just human here and everyone of us have made past mistakes.  You are absolutely right..this is a medical forum and that is what we all come here for.  The past couple of days have been very slow and so at times alot of people do get on just to keep in touch. I'm sorry that offends you.  If you notice by all the posts...whenever someone does or has a problem pertaining to hep c...well if you are a regular..you can't help but see the instant jumping in there and helping one another.  Some days on tx..I can be somewhat down or tired of not feeling great and the humor here does keep me going plus all the wonderful people.  As far as Ring's post...She was just being totally honest and I guess she does know she screwed up.  Is that going to encourage me to go have a drink....I don't think so as I am very focused here on what I need to do to get through this.

[Nann]

There are 21 ramblings on this post--that have nothing to do with hepatitis c and treatment.   If someone is having mood swings let him or her e-mail eachother and vent that way.  It seems you refer to e-mailing eachother--so do it.  Why would you think others would want to read it.  I am a recovering alcoholic as well and the posts two days ago and today made me sick.There is no justification.   It is clear some people are out of control. I have a good friend who is very manic depressive and she thinks in her mania that she is so clever and funny. She can push the limits.  Time to grow up. This is life and death for a lot of us and this claptrap is unacceptable.  I have visited this forum for four years and never, never has anyone spewed such relentless "aren't we just the cutest" foolishness and yes, there were plenty of jokes and laughs. No one ever responded repeatedly 4,5, 6 etc.  times to a thread.  Everyone has something valuable to say and should say it.  To continue incessantly violates the terms and agreements. Example, one person was concerned about having the wrong dosage of ribavirin.  It became so out of hand that the doctor was referred to as a "dickhead" by a another member and in another post she wanted her gun. Yuca has a right to say her point of view.  So do I.  E-mail eachother.

[Honey15637]

Actually...22 posts with yours.  Ok...Lets talk hep C.  I'm ready to get started. In fact..I have been checking in today for some no nonsense posts.  Whats your question?

[jg2001]

It has everything to do with this disease.  This is a support forum.  We are ALL aware of its purpose.  For me, and I can speak for myself only, I need the humor.  I need to know that the people on this site are willing to be "Human" and "honest", above all, with each other.  I would rather see ramblings and dedication to fighting this disease, no matter if it includes calling a doctor a "dickhead" or not, than not being comfortable enough to post a question here for fear of not knowing who the person is that is responding or whether they are talking out the side of their neck.  The ramblings give each other a glimpse of who eah other are.  It makes each of us an individual and gives us personality.  It makes us more than just a nickname.  This site is availble to us to vent, regardless of what we are venting about. The truth of the matter is there is trust between the people on this site.  I do not believe that anybody here would intentionally give wrong advice, information nor jeopardize one's treatment.  They are not making light of this disease.  Here, we are not shunned for being sick.  We are the same here.  We have a common purpose...getting well.  Some people deal with their disease with humor and some lose their sense of humor altogether.  I am afraid of losing my sense of humor.  I NEED the ramblings and smiles that I find here to keep my sanity, to keep me human and in touch with others who don't look upon me as "different" because I'm sick.

[yucatanchic]

Stop it Vicki, I had something to say I said it..DOES NOT make me a stalker or wanting a fight. I read this forum everyday for a year for my husband. You know that! I had something to say I said it. If my opinion is not the same as yours doesnt make me a stalker or a beetle. I want to read about hepC not BS personal ****.

[yucatanchic]

I did Im you but I still feel Ringading posting drunken **** on this forum is not right. I agree with Nann about this forum and I know you know I feel that way about this forum! This is for a common board of questions about this dreadful disease. Personal drunkalogues and BS is for another place. I dont want to sort through personal **** to get an answer to a thread.I also know from having a alcoholic husband all he needs is a "go" to get drunk. I dont want a "go" on this forum. I love you too and everyone here.

[Nann]

This would all be amazing if it didn't occur also in December and early  January.  Does anyone remember the newbie Catglo?  She had an issue of her own, but was run off.  Was she the one who was called a "*****"?
There also have been several old timers that have given up.  Why?
Yes, honey, I have a question.  Is anyone on Gamma Interferon?  From my research, it is called Actimmune.  It is made by a biotech company called Intermune. I start next week on that and continue also on pegasys. It is a total of four shots a week.  I would really like to know what the side effects are.  I work in magazine publishing and since I started all this treatment in April, 2002, I am hoping I can continue the pace. "Travelmom" said in November that her young daughter was going to start gamma because the pegs had failed.  But she  has not posted. I will post about it when I get a clear picture.      

[Honey15637]

I have never heard of this and from what I gather...you did treatment a couple of year ago.  Did you relapse shortly after or were you able to finish treatment.  Yes I do remember seeing travelmom here but haven't seen her in awhile. Since this is at end of thread and if alot don't see...Maybe you should definitely make this a topic and question for GIPA on Monday morning.  I am having a hard time some weeks with only 1 shot so can't imagine 4 a week. Maybe we can get some more answers to this from some others!  Best of Luck and I would definitely like to hear about this after you start this treatment.  I'm looking for many back-ups in case first round does not work.

[Nann]

Thanks so much for the kind thoughts.  To answer your question on my treatment--I started on peginterferon in April, 2002 and continued with once a week shots until October, 2003 when the viral load(which was 1,000) started to climb.  Then I was switched to Pegasys immediately and the viral load still is climbing.  Last week, the doctor said he is going to try to get insurance coverage for gamma interferon. I start next week.  He said it will be delivered from Priority Pharmacy. I see him in a month.  So, come April I will have been on hep c treatment continuously for 2 years. I have cirrhosis, hep c from blood transfusion in childbirth. I was on ribavirin for the first year but he stopped it because of anemia.  He is a hep c "expert" and says ribavirin only helps in the first part of treatment.  It also stays in your body for at least six months. I have wanted to post a question on this but I leave in a flurry of last minute family duties every morning and haven't had a chance to post. Thanks

[Honey15637]

Oh wow...my heart goes out to you for having to be on treatment now for 2 years straight.  Do you still have sides after this long?  I guess I would hope that those would go away or I don't think I could do this for 2 years.  Now the ribavarin...I always have heard that this is what kicks in towards the end and its the shot that does the miracle work in the beginning. So that was new interesting point that maybe someone else will post on also.  Well then yes..I can see why this is your number 1 priority at this point and again...a posting on monday would be great for everyone that is not addressing the end of this thread.  I'm sorry that you have cirrosis and am hoping this treatment will do the trick for you!