insurance

July 7, 2004

Like I said, it all depends on the state you live in.

Alley

July 7, 2004

In a message dated 7/5/2004 5:01:01 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

alleypat@... writes:

I had hep C as a dependent prior to having coverage on both Cigna and United

Health Care and have never had a problem getting coverage (this is thru my

husband's insurance at work). Is that what you are asking? I'm sure I've had

others in the interim, even as an employee, I just don't remember them all.

Companies change and their ins chagnes all the time. Never had a

I had my own health insurance (self-employed). They didn't drop me, they

just made the rates unaffordable. It didn't make that much difference to me,

because the hospital responsible for me having the disease foots the bill.

Anne

July 7, 2004

In a message dated 7/5/2004 9:40:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

psita@... writes:

Our group insurance is not going to write insurance for small groups any

longer. Our work is here on the horse farm, just the two of us, different than

a

large or small company. We cannot get any insurance with another carrier

because we both have pre-existing conditions. It would be new coverage and they

have the right to turn us down and have done so. This is different than being

added to a company as a dependent or a employee. We cannot get individual

policies for the same reason. Terry

Dear Terry,

this is where Hipaa comes through for you. I will assume you are an on-going

business. So look at the employer side of Hipaa. The same rules apply to

you individually. My first recommendation would be to contact Federated Mutual.

You also might want to check with the insurance companies that you insure

your horses, your vehicles, barns, house, etc. If they insure people, too,

you're in luck. IF they don't, definitely contact Federated Mutual. IF you move

all of your business insurance to the same company they will, in all

probability provide at least some health coverage, although you may have to sit

out a

waiting period.

Hope this helps.

Anne

July 7, 2004

In a message dated 7/7/2004 6:33:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

psita@... writes:

I have all the information about HIPAA. It covers a maximum of $100,000.00 a

year. The cost is twice that of regular insurance, and the deductible is

$5,000.00. After that it pays about half until a certain point, and then 100%.

It doesn't make sense. One would pay about $20,000.00 to protect yourself

for $100,000.00. I don't want to seem snooty, but we are trying to protect a

lifetime of assets against a possible catastrophic illness other than hep c. I

have minimal damage and considering my age of 60 and how slow the disease

progresses, I am not as worried about that, as I am the unknown. I have seen

what

illness can do to a person, and leave him or her with nothing. I would hate

to have to sell my house I have lived in for 26 years, not to speak of the

farm and horses. We need major medical, and if we can't get it, HIPAA is not

going to help much. Only people who have very expensive horses insure them, and

the company we have everything else with, does not insure people. Thank you

for suggesting Federated Mutual. I will let you know if anything turns up.

Terry

Dear Terry,

True enough. Does your state have the Homestead Act as a part of it's

financial law? If so, you could check into it's maximum. My insurance was

$12,000.00 after diagnosis, so had it been necessary Hippa would have looked

like a

somewhat better deal. You don't sound snooty at all, I understand exactly how

you

feel. I lost my business and my ability to have children, among other

things, all because some fake physician was allowed to pretend to be a

pathologist

for a few years too long. It does help to have at least gone to medical school

before you sign yourself up as an M. D. So you're free to sound as angry as

you feel with me.

Anne

July 7, 2004

Yeah, I know things are different in Louisianna...probably all of the deep

south...but I know Louisianna is different from my years racing down there. The

thought just popped into my head about my friends' policy and thought I'd throw

it out.

insurance

Tatezi,

We have been turned down by Blue Cross for a group policy. I have been

denied as an individual, and now we are working on getting a policy for for

three months before medicare, with an exclusionary rider for colorectal cancer,

and not sure even that will work. In Louisiana, even Cobra is not a definite.

The company has the right to choose whether or not to offer it to their

employees. We have an agent. He is my daughter's agent and long time friend.

He handles her business insurance. She is a physical therapist. He deals with

all the companies and knows what he is doing. Terry

July 7, 2004

Anne...I forgot that you know all about this insurance stuff...have to remember

that you are a resource for insurance questions.

Tatezi

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