Wife dropped intrusive insurance coverage today

[Blackhawk2001]

I don't know if anyone else has experienced this lately, but the latest insurance that my wife's workplace has adopted has tried to impose a number of intrusive obligations on us as a condition of coverage. Among these: give them our complete medical history, agree to undertake all suggested medical testing and innoculations or be penalized monetarily, submit to medical screening and counseling about lifestyle and dietary choices. After a couple months of agonizing over it, my wife went into HR today and told them to drop us from the insurance; we're not putting up with such intrusions into our lives.

Anybody else getting Obamacare'd early?

 

[jsx1043]

Not as of yet, but I did figure out why my Anthem premiums were so high at my last job. It could have something to do with the company buying Super Bowl tickets for 100+ executives, and covering all airfare, ground transportation and lodging costs for the visit - in addition to the lavish parties that were thrown for all the top dogs.

Insurance companies are teh debil!

I know that's a tough call for you guys at this time.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Not as of yet, but I did figure out why my Anthem premiums were so high at my last job. It could have something to do with the company buying Super Bowl tickets for 100+ executives, and covering all airfare, ground transportation and lodging costs for the visit - in addition to the lavish parties that were thrown for all the top dogs.

Insurance companies are teh debil!

I know that's a tough call for you guys at this time.

No, it was a tough call for her. I told her to drop the insurance back in December. Her employer, for reasons unfathomable to me, is attempting to implement Obamacare a couple years early. The boss recently got a 56% vote of "no-confidence" and the boss' boss got a 70% vote of "no-confidence" by the rank-and-file, largely over this insurance deal, I think.

 

[Sailor]

My plan offers about $200 discount if I take a health survey, and provide my annual cholesterol and BP numbers. The results will tell you if you need to increase the amount of your exercise, diet changes, info on your risk for disease based on the results. Really basic stuff that could help the average Fatty Mcbutterpants.

I did it and saved the money, but this was voluntary.

 

[wizard_of_ahs]

From what I've read, you will see more and more of this. In efforts for employers to keep costs down, the insurance companies will make people who smoke, are over weight, obese, etc. pay a "premium" due to "poor" lifestyle choices

Gotta luv OBAMACARE...... NOT !!!!

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I don't know if anyone else has experienced this lately, but the latest insurance that my wife's workplace has adopted has tried to impose a number of intrusive obligations on us as a condition of coverage. Among these: give them our complete medical history, agree to undertake all suggested medical testing and innoculations or be penalized monetarily, submit to medical screening and counseling about lifestyle and dietary choices. After a couple months of agonizing over it, my wife went into HR today and told them to drop us from the insurance; we're not putting up with such intrusions into our lives.

Anybody else getting Obamacare'd early?

That has nothing to do with Obamacare...

It has everything to do with actuarial science and money-making (which is what an insurance company wants to do - make money)

They all want to maximize their profit whilst minimizing their risk. Just like any other business.

And personally, I don't have a problem with the majority of it. I think that those who cost the business more should have to pay more.

-J-

 

[Sailor]

From what I've read, you will see more and more of this. In efforts for employers to keep costs down, the insurance companies will make people who smoke, are over weight, obese, etc. pay a "premium" due to "poor" lifestyle choices

Gotta luv OBAMACARE...... NOT !!!!

My wife is an intensive care nurse. People who smoke and and are overweight SHOULD be paying more for health care. They should charge by the pack and pound.

The drunk driver should pay more for car insurance.

Insurance discriminates, as it should.

 

[hooky]

We looked at changing carriers here at work and they had us all fill out enrollment forms so the potential new carrier could price it out. They wanted to know a complete medical history on everyone on my family plan, including every diagnosis and prognosis for each doc visit in the last 5 years. I marked N/A and turned it in.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

We looked at changing carriers here at work and they had us all fill out enrollment forms so the potential new carrier could price it out. They wanted to know a complete medical history on everyone on my family plan, including every diagnosis and prognosis for each doc visit in the last 5 years. I marked N/A and turned it in.

And you'll be rejected...

The great-all knowing medical information database that they double-check will catch it.

Insurance companies share information.

You probably had to submit a form giving the new company authorization to access your medical records.

They'll reconcile the med. records with what you've reported. If there are discrepancies, you'll be given an opportunity or two to correct and/or explain.

Otherwise, you'll be rejected.

Don't try to "pull one over" on an insurance company. Multi-billion dollar industries don't get to be multi-billion dollar industries by letting things slide.

-J-

 

[SockMonkey]

My wife is an intensive care nurse. People who smoke and and are overweight SHOULD be paying more for health care. They should charge by the pack and pound.

The drunk driver should pay more for car insurance.

Insurance discriminates, as it should.

But for some people who are overweight, it is not because of lifestyle choices or anything they have or haven't done that caused them to be overweight. People should not be punished because of things they can't control. Should a person who is predisposed to cancer have to pay more for insurance because they might have health problems down the road? They could not help their DNA. Just sayin.

 

[hooky]

And you'll be rejected...

The great-all knowing medical information database that they double-check will catch it.

Insurance companies share information.

You probably had to submit a form giving the new company authorization to access your medical records.

They'll reconcile the med. records with what you've reported. If there are discrepancies, you'll be given an opportunity or two to correct and/or explain.

Otherwise, you'll be rejected.

Don't try to "pull one over" on an insurance company. Multi-billion dollar industries don't get to be multi-billion dollar industries by letting things slide.

-J-

That's fine. They can reject me. It wasn't available at the time I was asked to fill it out. I'm not going to share all my personal medical history and that of my family for a group quote. If they've got it somewhere else, they can go look it up.

 

[redlegrod]

But for some people who are overweight, it is not because of lifestyle choices or anything they have or haven't done that caused them to be overweight.

Just curious. If someone is overweight who's fault is it?

 

[Sailor]

But for some people who are overweight, it is not because of lifestyle choices or anything they have or haven't done that caused them to be overweight. People should not be punished because of things they can't control. Should a person who is predisposed to cancer have to pay more for insurance because they might have health problems down the road? They could not help their DNA. Just sayin.

Yes they should, the cause is irrelevant. Fat is fat. If you are fat you have a higher risk of many diseases, and thus higher health care costs. This is irrefutable.

It may not be your fault, but you should pay more. The only other option is for me to pay more for you, or for the insurance company to take the loss.

It is not the 17 year old boys fault he is 17 and an inexperienced driver. Should he be forced to pay more for car insurance?

 

[ATOMonkey]

I guess the issue at hand is what do you think "Medical Insurance" actually means.

Does it mean insurance in the classic sense, that you pay your individual premium based on risk, or do you think everyone should pay the same and then everyone in the plan shares the cost of everyone equally?

 

[Sailor]

I guess the issue at hand is what do you think "Medical Insurance" actually means.

Does it mean insurance in the classic sense, that you pay your individual premium based on risk, or do you think everyone should pay the same and then everyone in the plan shares the cost of everyone equally?

Group coverage premium is based on the risk of the group, and everyone pays the same within the deductible choices they offer. The larger the group the more the risk is spread out. Your poor health can affect the premium a lot or a little depending how large of a group we are talking about.

Individual coverage is based solely on your health.

 

[ATOMonkey]

Group coverage premium is based on the risk of the group, and everyone pays the same within the deductible choices they offer. The larger the group the more the risk is spread out. Your poor health can affect the premium a lot or a little depending how large of a group we are talking about.

Individual coverage is based solely on your health.

True, because that is the way it's regulated. The really interesting question is "how do they choose your group?"

I won't agrue the facts.

If I were king of America, health insurance would be run more like car insurance, where you still have risk sharing, but also have individual premiums.

 

[cwillour]

Yes they should, the cause is irrelevant. Fat is fat. If you are fat you have a higher risk of many diseases, and thus higher health care costs. This is irrefutable.

I LOVE when people pretend biology is this simple!

While you consider it irrefutable, consider that most insurance companies are using BMI to determine this and a significant number of actual studies on health-care consumption and results (not common wisdom that just sounds good) have shown a lack of correlation between 'overweight' and most health risks. The correlations that are indicated vary widely at differing times in their life and, while some studies have shown higher risks associated w/ 'overweight' BMIs in certain areas, others show a reduction in the risks of other health problems.

This is not to say the weight is not a factor, but that the correlation between weight and health problems is not always clear when moving between normal and overweight from a results-based analysis standpoint.

Also, keep in mind I am referring to 'overweight' which is the term used by the previous poster, not 'obese' which is classified as a higher BMI.

The reality is that we cannot know the extent to which insurance companies are guided by actuarial science vs market dynamics (i.e. if people believe it costs me more, I can get more money.)

BTW, ever try the BMI on many NFL linebackers and running backs -- they are normally not what one would consider fat, but typically fall into the overweight category and, while they certainly have higher health care costs than average, I doubt that much of the additional cost is due purely to weight vs. the nature of their work.


Links:
Underweight people at higher post-surgery risk: study | Reuters

'Obese' BMI Does Not Harm Current Health Of Young Adults, Study Says

Excess weight doesn't always equal health risks: experts - The Globe and Mail

Weight Management*Complications - Weight Management Health Information - NY Times Health

 

[Sailor]

Ok, I give in, there are always exceptions. However there are a metric shat ton of studies that show overweight and obese people have an increased risk of:

Coronary heart disease
Type 2 diabetes
Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
Stroke
Liver and Gallbladder disease
Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

And the anecdotal evidence from my wife that about 80% of the patients in intensive care are there from complications of weight/smoking/addiction.

It is just that simple. Sure an insurance company would like your DNA profile to find out the exact risk, but they are stuck using a broad brush. BMI.

Sure that 17 year old may be a better driver than you. Doesn't matter, he is going to pay the same as every other inexperienced 17 year old.

 

[cwillour]

Individual coverage is based solely on your health.

Wish this had been true when I had an individual family policy through Anthem a couple of years back. The reality was (and I believe still is) that they simply place you in a aggregate geographic pool w/ a modifier based upon your health history. This is why a family w/ no paid claims outside of regular well-child and my wife's annual can get a 25-30% rate hike, because the pool had a high rate of consumption.

After the third 20%+ bump in three years with no single years payouts totaling more than 30% of our premiums I could not take it any more. (To be fair, one year my wife had to have a minor outpatient surgery and both my kids got tube in their ears so after my deductible, the insurance company paid a total of <$3000 of my $10k+ premiums including well-child and all other payouts. The other two years had only well-child and my wife's annual that were paid by the insurance company while shots and ear infection visits / medications totaled <$500/yr and where well under the $3k family deductible) When I called about the rate increases, I was told that while my family had no continuing care issues, the overall rates for northern Indiana where going up due to regional health factors and a general increase in utilization on individual plans. At the end, my employer got us on a small business plan (he actually maintains individual coverage even though he could be covered by his wife's plan just to allow me to be on a group plan w/ more stable rates.)

 

[EvilBlackGun]

Except for .0000001 percent of the population with "bad glands"

If you DO NOT EAT, your "DNA" will NOT GAIN FAT. In 99.99999% of terminal-obesity cases it is "hand to mouth" disease that kills them. How do I know? I came back from 'Nam in 1968, weighing 205, and pretty good shape. I subsequently added 65 pounds due to some sort of "stress syndrome." V.A. therapists are great! I'm self-controlled and at 210-212 for the past 20 yrs. except for some diabetes incidents. However, the V.A. is VERY intrusive, but I can walk away should ever I care to. I can sincerely empathize with "fat" folks.

But for some people who are overweight, it is not because of lifestyle choices or anything they have or haven't done that caused them to be overweight. Just sayin.