Insurance Questions

[Bubtub]

Hi all,

I have been having some problems and still undiagnosed with anything. Burning pain and progressive atrophy without 1st repitition motor weakness. The doctors are all stumped as there is significant atrophy and yet EMG findings are normal. It has progressed slowly over 4 years. CK never elevated either. Hyper DTR, widespread fascis that start and stop. Buring pain at every atrophic site with the left medial quad being the worst. I am having an MRI next week as well as a muscle biopsy and I fear some sort of diagnosis from the muscle biopsy. Even the great Mayo Clinis is stumped. I doubt it is ALS but I also doubt it will be something which can be fixed. It may be some sort of weird slowly progressive nerve issue that won't kill me right away but certainly may cause major changes in my life.

Prior to getting ANY diagnosis, I wonder what thoughts you all have regarding health insurance. I have a fairly standard major carrier PPO. $2500 deductable, 5K max out of pocket annual plan. 5M lifetime benefits. 80/20 home health care with max 30 visits.

I realize that maybe there will be a one year exclusion or something, but I am thinking I might want to up my coverage prior to these last tests just in case. Any thoughts on what I might need health insurance wise if you were me. Trust me, I'm no hypo - I do have something and I am going to find out what it is real soon and there is a good chance it it untreatable and going to cause some major immobility and additional care needs.

My situation is that i am engaged to be married and have strong family support. I don't see the need for life insurance or mortgage insurance, etc. as I have a good cash flow business that I run from home and have a partner - and my finance' owns her own business as well and does quite well. We live way below our means (imagine that these days?...yes, there are some of us left...). So I'm wondering what sort of stuff can come up with neurological disorders I haven't thought of and what I may want to see specifically in my health insurance policy to be best prepared for it.

Thanks in advance for your answers.

 

[rose]

Hi Bubtub

The first thing would be to find out exactly what your policy has to say concerning pre-existing conditions before you make any changes to it. If you alter what you have, it could very well start what is considered your date of enrollment to to the time changes are implemented. If you don't see anything in writing, talk to the company and ask for something specific that is in writing.

I watched the documentary "Sicko" and was amazed at what insurance companies were able to get out of covering ~ retroactively no less! for their individual policy holders. Policies seems to be a bit more forgiving if a person has a group insurance plan through their employer.

Mortgage insurance became tax deductible last year, so its not that bad of an idea.

Good luck to you, I hope you are found to have a very treatable condition, or one that will resolve on its own accord. :smile:

 

[Bubtub]

Any advice given prior to a diagnosis flls under the umbrella of pre-existing with my plan 12 months prior to coverage. It also says I can't be covered for any of it 12 months afterward. So you are right, if I changed my plan they would exclude me for 12 months after changing my plan anyway so it probably won't be worth it to change it -

Unless someone has another angle I shoud look at - like 12 months won't matter and it is better to be more heavily covered after that. I still would like to hear opinions on what people might want expanded coverage for with any of these diseases.