Pre-existing?

[confused777]

What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania

I went to the doctor and because of a severe uterine prolapse, they want to do a sling for my uretha (sp?) and a hysterectomy. I called the insurance company and they said 'no problem' EXCEPT if there is a pre-existing condition. That got me thinking. I know that years ago (maybe 4 to 7?) my old GYN mentioned the word PROLAPSE but that there was nothing to be done (not severe enough to do anything about). I had completely forgotten about it.

Now I'm wondering if they are going to get old medical records and disallow the payments. I honestly never even thought to write it down on the new insurance form. It would be like writing down that I broke my finger 10 years ago and it aches from time to time.

How do I find out more about potential issues? What can I do to prevent problems?

[averad]

You can talk to your doctor and your insurance carrier customer service (thats what they are there for). You also can read your benifit booklet (sometimes even online) and get the information your looking for.

[cbg]

Is your health insurance through your employer? If so, how long have you been covered through this employer?

It makes a difference to the answer. Averad is correct that you can find the information in the policy booklet but depending on the answers to the above questions I might be able to cut through to the chase for you.

[confused777]

I became self employed and started my own insurance 12/1/05.

[ecmst12]

Read your policy booklet then and find out what the exact definition of pre-existing is under your policy. It means you have not been diagnosed with or treated for this condition in the past X amount of time, where X can be anything from 6 months to 5 years. So it's likely you're in the clear either way, but look it up just to be sure. When they do the pre-approval for your surgery, they may request old records to see if pre-existing would apply.