California
United States
health Insurance the companies from hell
I turn 67 years old in December of 2009. I am feeling all of the 67 years. It all started in 2000. Each year I would schedule a full physical exam. Blue Cross/ Blue Shield covered the costs that physical. My blood test was normal in all catagories except for the PSA. Every year I tesed for prostate (PSA) anitgins. Year after year my number was 0.7 to 1.6. In 2000 the number was 18.75. My primary MD sent to a Urologist. Two biopsies later I was inforamed I had prostate cancer. At a meeting of an Oncologist and my Urologist I was directed to get treatment as my cancer was a very aggressive.
The entire procedure with hospital costs, doctors, meds and everything else the hospital could throw in was $117,000. I had a $500 deductable so the insurance should have been responsibile for the balance. After about a year the insurance had challenged about $3800 of costs. So the Hospital began billing me. I was put on a monthy payment plan. At the beginning of 2003 and just after I paid off my bill at the hospital I received a notification that Blue Cross/ Blue Shield had canceled my coverage. I call and spoke with a medical representative. She told me that Blue Cross/Blue Shield had found a error in my intial application for medical insurance through my employer. Due to a clerical error the Personnel Office for my employer had typed in 1952 rather than 1942. So I was ten years younger than I am. In the small print on the policy there is a sentence that states any inaccuracy on the application could lead to cancellation. I had also lost my employment because my position was redefined. Within the treatment regime I had no job and now no medical insurance.
Fast forward to 2007. I have MediCare and I think I could use additional insurance. So I apply to Hartford through AARP. The advertisment states Hartford accepts nearly all AARP applicants. Not me though. Why, becasue I have a pre-existing condition. Will AARP fignt for me as a member in good standing. Nope!! They abide by whatever Hartford dictates. So my monthy medical expenses has put nearly half of my retirement in jeopardy. If I had a supplemental insurance I would not be paying $345 a month for medications and services. If I live another 20 years I will not have enough money to pay my bills. I will porbaby die a pauper. I will care less when I am dead. But on the way to the end it irks me that I cannot live my retirement life with a feeling of security. This SUCKS!!!
RMcGinnis, Thank you for the comments. When my employment was terminated because of reorganization I was offered a COBRA. The costs was $785 a month for basic limited coverage. Since I was past my cancer treatments I was gambling on beating cancer and saving over $9000 a year in insurance costs. Fortunately I did survive cancer and I was able to not use all of my savings to pay the COBRA for the past seven years. Now other becoming older medical problems have to be addressed. I have developed glaucoma and cataracts. I need knee replacement surgery. All will be mostly covered under Medicare. But what if the cancer reappears? I would like to have supplemental insurance to cover whatever Medicare does not cover. Unless my Federal Government increases coverage I am worried. Again thank you for the comments.
Did you ever do anything in regards to your employers mistake on your original insurance application? I think these mistakes are made more often than people realize. I worked one place where everyone's insurance was dropped one month because of incompetence. Everyone suffered great inconveniences, while the person who made the mistake was held to no accountability whatsoever. Usually after 5 years of remission most insurance companies consider people cleared and not pre-existing, as far as I know BCBS is one of them, that is why I asked about your situation with your employer
Views: 99
Comments: 2
Bookmarks: 1
