ENDO Messages for November, 2003: Re: Jules Re: USA Health Insurance

Re: Jules Re: USA Health Insurance

From: anonymous (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Tue Nov 18 14:06:39 2003

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In reply to: Amanda: "Jules Re: USA Health Insurance"

Amanda, I am not sure about pre-existing symptoms, but if I know anything about how insurance companies work, they will probably exclude those for 12 months too. Some companies exclude for longer than 12 months, but I know that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida excludes for 12 months. As far as I know, when the 12 months is up they will cover anything, even the endo, but I would get it in writing first. Be aware that most companies do not cover pregnancy for the first 12 months either, even if you are pregnant when you sign up. When you say apt, I am assuming you mean apartment? If that is the case then you may have called a "low-income" housing complex. We have those where I live, too, and they only allow you in if you make less then a certain amount. They determine your rent based on your yearly salary. Some of the complexes are really nice, too. But, no, not all apartments are like that. COBRA is a federal law that came about in the 1980's, you can read all about it at http://www.cobrainsurance.com. It is continuation coverage for if you lose your job, quit your job, or in my case, lose your dependency status. I was married in May of 2002 and because of my endo, I had to elect COBRA(otherwise I wouldn't have been able to seek treatment for 12 months). You are supposed to be allowed to receive exactly the same benefits after you elect COBRA as you had before your "qualifing event" which in my case was marriage. The only difference is that instead of your employer, or in my case my mother's employer, paying for part of the premiums, you are responsible for the full amount, which for me is almost $300 a month. In my case, I had guest membership in the state that I am attending college. According to the law, I am supposed to continue to receive guest membership until my COBRA expires(which for loss of dependency status is 36 months), but they are saying that they don't have to give it to me. Instead, they want me to drive six hours to Florida where my parents live to go to the doctor. And there is nothing that the federal government can do about it because of loopholes. After my COBRA runs out, I am supposed to be allowed, via FEDERAL LAW, to obtain health insurance through a private company with no pre-existing exclusions. Basically, before you get any type of health insurance, get everything in writing. The only health insurance that I know of in the state of Florida is BCBS, and I am pretty sure that they are the only ones with private insurance there. Just because they tell you something over the phone, doesn't mean that they are right. Trust me, that is what I have been going through for over 3 months now. Unfortunately, health insurance in America is only in it to make big bucks, they don't(atleast in my experience)care at all about your health. And it really sucks in Florida, because they have no competition. So they can be, and were to me, as mean as they want to be. I wish you all the luck in the world and hope that what happened to me doesn't happen to you, or anyone else for that matter. Jules

At Mon, 17 Nov 2003, Amanda wrote: >
>Thank you for your response. I am a bit confused since this is new to
>me. So if you had a private health insurance company that covered you
>for everything but my Endo for 12 months then after the 12 months they
>would cover my Endo? What about pre-existing symptoms...I have tailbone
>pain that we aren't sure if endo causes. Because I have had the symptom
>for for a long time, is it then considered a pre-existing condition even
>though it is undiagnosed?
>What is Cobra exactly? and why were you able to get it to cover your
>endo? I guess you haven't exactly but they were supposed to right?
>On an unrelated topic I just called about an apt in Naples and they told
>me that have an income maximum of $33,000?!? Here we have income
>minimums, not maximums. Are we going to find this everywhere?
>Thanks,
>Amanda
>
>At Sat, 15 Nov 2003, anonymous wrote:
>>
>>Aimee,
>>Good luck trying to get good health insurance in Florida. I am in a
>>legal battle with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida and they are
>>screwing me big time. In answer to your question, yes all private
>>health insurance companies exclude pre-existing conditions for no less
>>than the first 12 months of service. The only way that I know of to get
>>around that exclusion is to have exaughsted all other means of
>>insurance, and to prove that you had insurance for a certain length of
>>time before you applied for the new insurance. I am on COBRA right now
>>because my husband doesn't get insurance through his work and COBRA was
>>all I could get that would not exclude my endo. Once I have used up all
>>my COBRA, I will be able to get private insurance without any
>>pre-existing conditions exclusion policy. But until then, I have to pay
>>$300 a month for health care. And of course, now BCBS of FL is trying
>>to say that they don't have to follow the federal law of COBRA and they
>>are denying my claims. I know that this was probably confusing, so
>>write back if you have any questions.
>>Jules
>>
>>At Sat, 15 Nov 2003, Aimee wrote:
>>>
>>>Hi,
>>>I am considering moving to Naples, Florida from Ontario, Canada. Like
>>>all of you, I have endometriosis. My hospital and doctors visits are
>>>covered here by provincial health insurance and alternative treatments
>>>and drugs by my husbands employee benefit plan. My husband will be
>>>working for a new company which will only provide health benefits to
>>>him. I have looked a little bit at private health care insurance on the
>>>web to cover me in Florida, but all the companies I have looked at state
>>>that they "exclude treatment of a pre-existing condition." Will all
>>>insurance companies be this way?
>>>Thanks,
>>>Amanda

Next message: Barbara: "cervical inflammation and back pain...HELP"
Previous message: Denise: "Re: Tailbone Pain & Difficult Bowel Movements"
In reply to: Amanda: "Jules Re: USA Health Insurance"

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