hello semi colon's need your advise

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fedester
fedester Member Posts: 753 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
hi all,
hope all is well with everyone fighting this dragon. i have a question to throw out to you all.
i am thinking of changing jobs and that would mean new health insurane. being that i had colon cancer that would be a pre health condition. how would this effect the new health insurance coverage. i appreciate all the feedback and thank you all.
thanks
bruce

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  • Betsydoglover
    Betsydoglover Member Posts: 1,248 Member
    #2
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    Hi Bruce - this question came up early last summer and I did a bunch of research. For the life of me the search "capability" on this site won't turn up that post, but the bottom line is that normally this is not an issue, especially if you have been continuously insured - as in when you leave one job with insurance and immediately take another.

    I'll keep trying to find what I wrote up, but it all has to do with HIPPA law and if you do a net search on HIPPA or pre-existing condition, you will find that there is a fairly narrow definition of that term.

    I'll keep looking to see if I can locate my prior research.

    Good luck with the job.

    Betsy
  • cindybob
    cindybob Member Posts: 61
    #3
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    Hi Bruce.
    If it is a group health plan and not one that you purchase separately, they do not need to know pre-existing. It's like asthma or diabetes, you just get covered. (I think) I work in a school system and for years our medical companies changed every year, and preexisting never mattered. Sometimes though, if you did NOT have coverage to begin with and then got a job that offers insurance, the insurance company may deny care on the "pre-existing" loop hole. That's what my hubby's doc told him in regard to foot surgery. My husband had to have his 3rd foot surgery without insurance, and the doc wrote it as something very tame, like a shot or something so that when my hubby does get coverage, they do not start denying claims due to "pre-existing." The foot doc said that if my hubby were to get pneumonia, they (insurance) would connect it to foot surgery and call it pre-existing. But he said they do that when there is a lapse in coverage. As long as you have coverage, even if the company changes, then you are safe. So, I guess my advice is that if you have to go through a probationary period w/o insurance, you cobra the insurance until the next one kicks in.
    I hope that I made sense.
    Good luck with the new job!
    Cindybob
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #4
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    Hi Bruce,
    I can give you basically the same advice as everyone gave you. I did switch insurance 10 days before my operation in sept 04. As long as there is no lapse in coverage, you're OK.
    Hope things are well with you. I had a cT scan today, I'll let you know next week when I get the results
  • carmen07
    carmen07 Member Posts: 120 Member
    #5
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    Hi Bruce,
    I carry the insurance for my Husband. My company has switched insurance companies four times since his diagnose. His condition has never been an issue. They don't even ask the question on the insurance forms. If you do change jobs and you do not have insurance right away than you can carry your old insurance (Cobra) for 18 months, but you have to pay. Also you have to make sure that the Company you work for qualifies to carry Cobra. Small companies do not have to carry Cobra. Your Laws of Cobra should be posted at your Company.
    If you went for private insurance that can be an issue. My biggest concern when I had insurance change was getting the Chemo/Surgeries approved.
    I know that some insurance companies can give you a hard time about Erbitux.
    A co-worker recently left our company and went to a new. They are carrying Cobra until the new insurance from her new job starts. During that time she is checking with her doctors if the new insurance is decent. I hope that this helps.
    I wish you all the best!

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