Question:
HELP ! Post Op & need health insurance

Hi Everyone: My husbands employer just notified all employees that they are no longer covering families and spouses on health insurance unless we want to pay. WELL, because of my WLS, my rates are $692. per month and they will put in an EXCLUSION that if anything goes wrong with me and is WLS related they will not pay...Anyone have any suggestions as to where I can get health insurance and not have my WLS be a major exclusion...I have NO Health insurance as of the end of this month. ALSO, I am self employeed and can purchase a policy that way if need be...THANKS EVERYONE.... you're always so helpful.....    — Joi G. (posted on September 7, 2003)

September 7, 2003
Wow this really stinks! I can see them deciding to not cover families because of cutting costs but then to put on riders etc. is nuts. I cannot believe just to have you covered on a group policy that it would be almost $700. Insane. I guess all you can do is call around and see what you can put together. You need to do something within like 60 days of that policy ending or you will run into insurability problems. The company you are with now has to provide you with a letter of insurability.
   — zoedogcbr

September 7, 2003
I hate to tell you, but if you cancel that group policy coverage you will NOT be able to get yourself an individual policy that will cover you. My former employer didn't pay our premium for 2 months and BCBS of Fl. cancelled our policy. I tried to get back on them with an individual policy and they refused me because of the WLS. I could't believe it. I told them that they had just been covering me and what did they mean they would not give me coverage. Their response, not for 5 years!! So, I called around and was told that would be the case with every insurance carrier. They will not offer coverage on an individual policy until you are 5 years post-op. I was furious! I don't know who we have to complain to about this but there has to be something illegal about that. So, I now have a new employer that is offering me coverage after 60 days of employment. I don't know how much my portion will be, price-wise, but it'll be nice to have coverage again. I don't know if it will cover any possible complications with my WLS. So far (18-months post-op)I haven't had any problems.
   — KelBurt

September 8, 2003
first of all a group insurance cannot cancel you and if they are not going to pay for others than they cant exclude you if you are paying wls should have nothing to do with this i would look into contacting insurance higher ups because i have been in the medical insurance business for over 20 years and i have never hear of a group policy not covering certain things because of wls
   — ROSEMARY A.