I'm still absolutely shocked.

I've been shopping around for some new health insurance(major medical policy) to save myself some money because my other policy keeps going up every year and it's time to pay again. Now you people don't know me, but I am 32 years old and probably well within the top 90th percentile for being physically fit and healthy. No high blood pressure or cholesterol, I'm not on any medication, I run, bike and lift weights, and I have now been denied coverage for a health insurance policy.

I do get the occasional cold every once in a while and sometimes go see the doc for some drugs to help the cold, and once I went to the emergency room for chest pain. And that is where my problem lies. The emergency room said I was fine and sent me home. For all I know it was a pulled muscle or something, but after my grandpa died of a heart attack and my other grandpa just about had a heart attack not so long before my incident, I thought I better go get checked out. They were both about 80. I also had a nagging mother that wouldn't leave me alone (kept calling to make sure I was still alive) until I did something about it. I'm currently awaiting a more detailed explanation for their denial of coverage and am half wondering if there is something in the medical report that I don't know about or wasn't told. But for as much exercise I get in a day, if there was a problem, I should probably be dead by now. This incident happened two and a half years ago, and hasn't happened since.

I've been with the same health insurance company for about 10 years now, so I haven't shopped around for insurance in a while, actually about 10 years. This just amazes me. Is this what the insurance industry is like? How does anyone get insurance these days? I would consider myself easy money for the insurance company, especially just wanting a major medical policy with a high deductible. If I was a billionaire, I would buy an insurance company, fire everyone, and burn the sucker to the ground. This is absolutely ridiculous. I feel very sorry for anyone with major medical problems that can't get insurance and, now, would not blame them a bit if they were for government health care for that reason alone.

Now before you jump down my throat about the government health care thing, I am not in support of Obamacare, and think no one should be for any reason except increased taxes. If it were structured very different.... maybe. I was merely expressing my sympathy toward people with pre-existing conditions and serious illnesses that cannot get coverage without paying a small fortune for it. In my opinion, that part does need some fixing.

I'll put my two cents in...

I think the insurance companies want Obamacare and the more people that they can deny, the more supporters of Obamacare they will create.

I also recently shopped for a healthcare policy for my wife and children to take them off of my group policy at work and save some money in premium. My agent apparently did not like the idea and told me how hard it was to get coverage and tried to discourage me. So I called a new agent. Not only did my wife and 4 kids get approved, but so did my business partner and his 4 kids. All in less than a month during the Christmas holidays. We are not unusually healthy, but have certainly had our share of incidents. I guess no red flag items though.

I have two wart looking things on my leg that I would like to have looked at and probably removed. I suppose that they could be a skin cancer but I have a hard time believing that they could kill me. My wife would very much like for me to have them looked at. But in this world, my biggest reservation is that I have them looked at and some doctor decides that they may be bad for me and documents that and lo and behold, I am blackballed from health care, life insurance, and who knows what else for who knows how long. What I would really like to do is find someone who would simply cut the things off of me and I could pay the bill without any further questions or documentations. What would be wrong with that? Any volunteers?

Back to my health insurance options...My business partner and I were (and still are) very close to going with either medishare or samaratin ministries health sharing plans for Christians. I originally heard about these from a poster here. Maybe prahudka, I am not sure. We are probably one big premium jump or one bad experience away from taking the plunge and dumping traditional health care. The hardest part was getting the wives on board and that was easy. I even talked to my in laws to see if they would have any strong objection to the health sharing plan. I didnt want them to think I was not caring for my family the way I should. They gave their approval.

I hear your pain Carp. Not sure I can help, but I feel for ya.

You gotta remember too, that now a days these insurance companies don't look so much for individual customers. Which I think is a big part of the problem. They're looking for the big groups. The monster companies. Who gives a rat ass about you as an individual. You have no weight as a "customer" anymore, because there's no where else to go. There's no competition.

As a diabetic with a bad history of broken bones and broken vertebrae. I cannot get insurance through the normal routes. I have been without insurance for twelve years and counting, with no hope of qualifying unless someone has some mercy and lets me get in their group.

The problem arises when government stops folks from forming groups ad hoc in demographic areas. For instance the National Federation of Independent Businesses has been lobbying for years to permit small businesses to form alliances for purposes of getting group rates, but they have been shot down by the Insurance Lobby every time.

Time to outlaw paid lobbying folks.

I wish I could feel young again.

Maybe there is a pill for that.

I have not posted in awhile as I have spent most of my time at the hospital. On December 18, my son had a catastophic medical evant. He spent 7 weeks at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center. He has been home less than a week and is doing well. The cost for his stay in the hospital will be over $500,000.00 . His home health care will be over $1000.00 a week and his medication will be $400.00 - $500.00 a month. I now have enough medical equipment at home to start my own business. When he was discharged he wasn't sent home with a few items but with cases of supplies. My son now wears a backpack that contains 2 pumps, 1 for an IV and 1 enteral pump. Hopefully in a few years his body will adapt and he can get off the pumps, but it is possible that he may have them in some form for life. He is now returning to being a normal teenager though with a few restrictions. He will be lucky to return to school this year.

I am fortunate that I have great health insurance though I am now in the position that I can't leave my job because I need this insurance. I have no doubts that if we had Obamacare modeled after Canada my son would be dead. As it was, it was to close for comfort. Since this happened I have had several people tell me that if we had obamacare he would be taken care of for life. I respond that if we had obamacare he would be dead. The government cannot provide the level of care that my son received. The only way they can provide universal care is by rationing care and lowering the standards. In Canada every one has health coverage, just don't get sick. I agree that health care needs to be reformed. I would like to see all government restrictions and mandates on health care be removed. Let the free market dictate the true cost of care. Every time the government gets involved it drives the cost up. If every one had a vested interest in thier own health care, say through a health saving account with a catastrophic rider, the cost of health care would come down. If I had to pay for my own health care I would certainly take better care of myself, right now there is no insentive to do so. People would shop around for thier own care and through competition the cost would come down. Even after what my son has gone through I still believe this. I realize that this is not a popular idea and does not address all of the problems just my 2 cents.

My son will recover from this. He will be able to do most everything that you and I do, he just may have to go about it a little differently. The staff of Connecticut Childrens medical Center was fantastic, first rate.
Mike

Thank you for sharing MyPile. I just went through health care hell in the fourth quarter of '09, and it was a fucking nightmare. If we had Obamacare....my wife would be dead....of that I am certain.

Mypile, I'll keep your son in my prayers, and hope he has a speedy recovery. Sometimes it amazes me how "life" has a tendency of happening when we least expect it, or least need it.

One thing I am thankful for, is that I currently have insurance and don't need to cancel. My premium jumped up 40% this year, and I was really hoping I could tell them to shove it, but its now looking like I might be stuck paying the higher premiums. I'll see, I'm going to do some more checking around. After talking with my parents, I guess my dad got denied health insurance for having heartburn and borderline high blood pressure, but later found a company that would take him. However, he is paying for it. My mom on the other hand has a whole history of serious problems, and can get insurance no questions asked. Something stinks here.

This is almost comical, and I do agree with you ancona that paid lobbyists are much to blame. The rest of the blame is on the politicians for listening to these corporate lobbyists knowing dang well it's not best for the people. It all boils down to corruption and greed.

Mark
I remember your post of you wife's stay in the hospital. At the time I could not imagine what you where going through. Now I can. I also know that Dohickey is fighting prostate cancer. My prayers have gone out to both of you.

Agcarp
I just would like to see the government remove all of the barriers that they have in place that prevent people from getting health insurance and care. Remove the mandates and get out of health care all together. People should be able to shop for there insurance across state lines, to be able to form co-ops for better rates. The more the government gets involved, the more they screw it up.

The past few years I have been stacking PM's, putting food into long term storage, and just being prepared for some tough times ahead. I do not believe that we will have a total melt down, just following the boy scout motto "be prepared". My son lost 95% of his small intestine. He now gets his nutrition from an IV bag which we get weekly deliveries. The doctors are also working hard to stimulate whats left of his intestine to take nutrition. What scares me the most is if the worst case hits the fan, that I will not be able to feed him.

On a brighter note, our family is active in Boy Scout. Before my son entered the hospital he entered an online contest at the Boys life Magazine web site. He was the only national winner for an Xbox 360 elite. he almost missed claiming his prize because he was in the hospital. I believe that the lord was watching out for him and knew that he needed a pick me up. Every day I just praise God that my son is alive. I know that he will see us through the challenges that lie ahead of us.

Mike

darn car ins up 7%


so much for defaltion. how do I negotiate this?

Probably with 7% more money or a different insurance company. You could try complaining to the insurance company, but that usually doesn't work. I would say your best bet would be to shop around. It doesn't hurt to get some more quotes.

I wouldn't be too quick to judge the negative about Obama's healthcare proposal.
Bear in mind a lot of false information about it was put out. Also note $333 million was spent by the insurance industry lobbies last year to fight the program. Much of it to instill fear in the general public and in misleading information. Note that Canada, British and other European nations find that they are more satisfied with their programs than we in the U.S. Another factor, our survival rate at birth is not as good as most nations with a national health care plan. We have health care rationing now, it's rationed to those who can afford it. We need a health plan that separates the profit motive from the medical care decision. In other words, a certain illness gets a certain medical treatment regardless of patient ability to pay.
I have a friend that taught medicine for years, he gave me a detailed dissertation on the pro's and con's and the faults of various health solutions. Some how this issue needs to be re-addressed and a solution found. People should not have to go bankrupt because of a medical problem.

The health care bill is 1017 pages long. Within those pages there are many things I disagree with. I do not want mandatory government healthcare and I do not know of one government entity that operates with the efficiency of a private corporation and fear that this bill will continue to operate within that status quo.

I do not want to pay for illegal aliens healthcare and translators and paperwork in different languages so they can get it.

I do not want bureaucrats dictating which procedures I need and when it's my time to have the plug pulled.

I do not want government run marriage counseling and therapy.

I do not want the bureaucrats having direct access to all my bank accounts for the ability to transfer funds in or out, because I know which way the money will go.

I do not want to pay Acorn to go around signing people up for healthcare.

I do not want the government dictating how much healthcare professionals can make and what they can invest in.

I do not want illegal aliens exempt from individual taxes, they should all be deported.

I do not want the government controlling private healthcare industries, if there are any left if this bill is passed.

I do not want unions and certain states to pay less than I do.

I do not want the government controlling hospital expansion This is huge where I live, and is about the only construction jobs in the area keeping people employed.

I do not want to pay for community organizers healthcare ( not joking, it's in there).

I do not want to pay oodles more for healcare for less benefits. Every family except for the very poor will feel this same way.

I could go on and on, so I will spare you the agony. However, I also do not want to see people go bankrupt because of medical bills, and I also do not want to pay 10 dollars for a tissue to blow my nose when I'm at the hospital. Something does need to be done, but it is not THIS bill.

You bring out some glaring weakness's in the proposed legislation. Like my doctor buddy said, "do you really want to have a 20% additional cost for a layer of bureaucracy to deny you a treatment?" I haven't met a person who qualified and applied for social security disability that got the benefit without a long drawn out legal fight. Yet there are countries with health programs that people are reasonably satisfied with and have almost universal coverage. So I think we could take the best of the best and formulate a good benefit program.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=191V3V2OtYs