Denial of coverage

[DistressedinAZ]

What is the name of your state? What is the name of your state? Arizona

Howdy

My husband got laid off and we have been doing the COBRA thing. It is pretty expensive so I decided to apply to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.

After about 6 weeks, I decided to call and find out what is going on. They told me that they had no problem covering my husband, but because I suddenly lost a chunk of vision in my right eye (1/4 of the visual field) a year and a half ago, and the doctors could not figure out why it happened they were denying me coverage.

I was floored. I was released from the doctor's care 11 months ago, and even before he examined me the very first time he said there was only a 50-50 chance they would ever know what happened. The leision was healing by the time I saw him, it never got any worse. BCBS said because there was no diagnosis they would not insure me, period, nevermind the fact that the battery of tests I was subjected to during the quest for this answer showed I am notorious healthy. I can tell you a great deal about what I do not have. Now I have that infamous denial of coverage flag on file-obviously I never expected this. I am healthy, I exercise, I don't smoke, I eat right...

I was told they would insure me under portability coverage, but that is so expensive as to pretty much price me right out of the market: $815 per month with a reasonable deductable or $345 per month with a $5000 deductable-just for me, dear hubby would be on top of that. I don't know of too many people who can just spend $9-10K to insure themselves just in case they "might" get sick. I can tell you I don't think my husband and I together have ever cost the insurance companies $5000 in one year.

Any advice on where to go from here?

DIA

 

[ALawyer]

Unfortunately, given the lack of any National Heralth insurance -- if I were you I'd be a proponent (but I am not) -- it may be time for a new job that provides health care without evidence of insurability, or time to take a second or third job.

The fact is that although you may be totally healthy, there may be something serious there that can cost the insurance plan huge amounts in the future. And they are making a decision based on general statistics (which admittedly may be flawed) that suggests to the plan that you are a bad risk.


If there are any plans you can join without evidence of insurability, or that have waiting periods, it may be worthwhil;e looking into them.

 

[zappy]

The the ONLY logical thing to do is DIVORCE your hubby, and stay single the rest of your lives.

You would probably be entitled to medicaid if you were single.

There is nothing to prevent you both from having wills made out to each other, as well as medical releases, and power of attorney....

Being married means YOU are treated as ONE UNIT, and THAT is exactly what you dont want.