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Not if you have a preexisting condition. At 22 years old, I was denied health insurance due to some fairly minor health conditions I had experienced as a child and teen, plus some recent weight problems, a visit to a psychiatrist for anxiety, unexplained rashes, and PCOS. 4 months after I was denied, I was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer (which explained the weight gain, anxiety - a huge tumor pushing against my lungs, and the skin condition). I had been on my employer-funded health insurance for just a month - and it was only because I was willing and able to move cross country for a fairly low paying job because I needed a job.
My treatment alone cost over $250,000. My yearly follow ups are close to $50,000. I make $36K in the Boston area before taxes. How does that math work? Or should I have just up and died?
As I said, it should operate just like car insurance. If you wreck your car all you do is file a claim, take your car to the shop and pay your deductible. If the car breaks related to the original wreck the insurance company or shop pays to fix it. If you wreck your car without insurance then you have to self insure and pay out of pocket. If you wreck a car then you can't expect the new insurance company to pay for preexisting damage as they never had any obligation to cover you when you wrecked it.
How in the world can you price an insurance policy to cover preexisting damage? You can't. You can either charge exactly what the cost to repair is or you can exclude that damage.
I just priced a policy and it seems that insurance companies are excluding coverage related to preexisting conditions, but "may cover it" if you write an appeal letter. I don't know if they always did this or if this is new.
As I said, it should operate just like car insurance. If you wreck your car all you do is file a claim, take your car to the shop and pay your deductible. If the car breaks related to the original wreck the insurance company or shop pays to fix it. If you wreck your car without insurance then you have to self insure and pay out of pocket. If you wreck a car then you can't expect the new insurance company to pay for preexisting damage as they never had any obligation to cover you when you wrecked it.
How in the world can you price an insurance policy to cover preexisting damage? You can't. You can either charge exactly what the cost to repair is or you can exclude that damage.
I just priced a policy and it seems that insurance companies are excluding coverage related to preexisting conditions, but "may cover it" if you write an appeal letter. I don't know if they always did this or if this is new.
A car is optional. A body is not. What is your solution for someone like me that at 22 years old could not buy health insurance after I was no longer on my college's insurance plan?
What about people who have pre-existing conditions from birth? Or lose their job and health insurance when they have chronic conditions that need constant, expensive medication?
As I said, it should operate just like car insurance. If you wreck your car all you do is file a claim, take your car to the shop and pay your deductible. If the car breaks related to the original wreck the insurance company or shop pays to fix it. If you wreck your car without insurance then you have to self insure and pay out of pocket. If you wreck a car then you can't expect the new insurance company to pay for preexisting damage as they never had any obligation to cover you when you wrecked it.
How in the world can you price an insurance policy to cover preexisting damage? You can't. You can either charge exactly what the cost to repair is or you can exclude that damage.
I just priced a policy and it seems that insurance companies are excluding coverage related to preexisting conditions, but "may cover it" if you write an appeal letter. I don't know if they always did this or if this is new.
I've written appeal letters. Still nothing. They might insure who if the pre-existing condition will not cost them very much, and they will increase your premium to cover it. Like minor depression, for one. This would not cost them much at all to treat. Sounds reasonable, yes. But may I ask, would you be okay with this if the tables were turned? If you had a pre-existing condition, not due to lifestyle, would you want others to pay a tiny bit more to ensure you could afford coverage and treatment of your pre-existing condition? If not, why?
A car is optional. A body is not. What is your solution for someone like me that at 22 years old could not buy health insurance after I was no longer on my college's insurance plan?
Whichever insurance company that you had coverage with at the time the illness developed should be liable for your care.
[/quote]What about people who have pre-existing conditions from birth? Or lose their job and health insurance when they have chronic conditions that need constant, expensive medication?[/quote]
Whichever insurance company insured you should be obligated for your care. A condition existing from birth should be covered by the insurance policy in effect at that time.
I don't think insurance should be coupled with your employer. I'd like for you to be able to keep your insurance even if you switch employers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by soanchorless
I've written appeal letters. Still nothing. They might insure who if the pre-existing condition will not cost them very much, and they will increase your premium to cover it. Like minor depression, for one. This would not cost them much at all to treat. Sounds reasonable, yes. But may I ask, would you be okay with this if the tables were turned? If you had a pre-existing condition, not due to lifestyle, would you want others to pay a tiny bit more to ensure you could afford coverage and treatment of your pre-existing condition? If not, why?
Well, if they are going to cover it they should charge an appropriate premium or not cover that illness at all.
I'm not fundamentally opposed to charity. I'm not even opposed to compulsory charity. I am vehemently opposed to interfering with free market forces though.
Well, if they are going to cover it they should charge an appropriate premium or not cover that illness at all.
I'm not fundamentally opposed to charity. I'm not even opposed to compulsory charity. I am vehemently opposed to interfering with free market forces though.
Equating car insurance to health insurance is a moral equivalence argument. No one has to choose between car insurance and dying.
How do you propose we deal with people with pre-existing conditions who need treatment if not interfering with the free market?
Equating car insurance to health insurance is a moral equivalence argument. No one has to choose between car insurance and dying.
How do you propose we deal with people with pre-existing conditions who need treatment if not interfering with the free market?
Insurance is simply a financial product designed to manage risk. Auto, home, health, life, personal liability, disability insurance products are all designed to manage risk. There is no difference between them, they all mitigate your risk in exchange for a fee. Take away the insurance and the risk is still there, except you bear the entire cost.
You don't even have free market healthcare. You haven't had free market healthcare since the 1930's. You will know when you have free market healthcare when you can do the following.
When hospitals do not have pricing power.
Go to any hospital you want.
Go to any doctor you want.
Go to a specialized clinic and not a hospital.
Buy insurance across state lines.
Get one price for service from any service provider.
Get medical service from a qualified nurse instead of a Dr. - Right now the nurse might perform all of the tasks but you get billed for the Dr. time.
When drugs sold in Canada are the same price as drugs sold in the USA.
You should be importing Dr's, nurses, and engineers, instead the government is going to be giving citizenship to people with an average 5th grade education.
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