Medical Databases -- We're Screwed

[JMDEM]

Three years ago I got a life insurance policy. Due to some snafus with billing (they were automatically billing my credit card, and the card expired, even though the credit card company sent me a new card with the same number) the company told me that they would reinstate my policy if I filled out some forms and mailed them a check for the missed months.

I did all of this, and they cashed the check. A month later, I get a letter in the mail, with a reimbursement check. The insurance company says that they will no longer insure me, because a check of a nationwide medical database indicated problems with my health. They said their original letter specified this check -- I checked the original letter, and this was buried in fine print so small that I literally needed a magnifying glass to read it.

Now, three years ago, this insurance company did not check any medical databases. Instead, they relied on a physical exam by a registered insurance examiner. Since that time, I've only been to a doctor twice. One time I complained of some symptoms that seemed like gall bladder problems, and the doctor ordered an ultrasound. The ultrasound did not indicate gall bladder problems, but did show that my liver was getting fatty. I discussed this problem with the doctor -- I said it was odd, because I did not drink at all. He suggested that I drastically reduce my fat intake and lower my cholesterol. He also did not believe me when I said I didn't drink.

This information must have been entered into the medical database. This means, among other things, that I will probably never be able to get life insurance or private health insurance again.

Honest to God this happened -- I found out about it today. What in the hell is going on?

There's an amazing kicker to this whole story. I can appeal this situation, as long as I do it within 30 days. However, to find out what it is that I am fighting, I must send a letter to the insurance company, who will send their report to my physician, which will take A MINIMUM of 30 DAYS to process. In other words, it is impossible to appeal the situation.

[XanaDUer]

1. There is this thing called the MIB

"Medical Information database" (?)

Scary stuff.

PS-I work with medical records, and I tell you, if a doctor thinks you look "disheveled" or smell like alcohol, s/he can mention it and in it goes into your medical record.

Forever.

[Pooka Fey]

2. Great. And of course no $7 hr clerk will ever make an error entering info

Not that you have the right to check the info in the database to see if it's accurate. We ARE screwed. Again. :mad:

[WildClarySage]

3. $7.00 an hour clerk? Those jobs are outsourced anymore

because they can pay less to people who don't speak english on a daily basis. And surely their work will be flawless...

[Pooka Fey]

5. How silly of me to have forgotten that $7 hr is an economy-busting wage.

I must have been thinking it was 1995. :P

[7th_Sephiroth]

7. not on topic, but the outsourcing will come back to bite em in the ass

i worked with an electrical type company who outsourced to highschool drop outs to install thier equipment into cabinets, 3 months later after they all blew, they called us in to replace them for $2,000 per location HUNDREADS of locations

[SoCalDem]

4. Mergers between banks & insurance companies

mean that you could also be denied a loan if your "health" is deemed precarious..

and of course in the preparation for getting a job, your background check would then report that you were turned down for :
loans
insurance
and your health is not good..

Does that make you a likely candidate for a job???

and you'll never "know" why you did not get the job :(

[Pooka Fey]

9. Another good reason to pull your money out of Corporate Banks and

switch your accounts over to local/community Savings and Loans. They don't count every vote, but they surely count every dollar.

http://solari.com/campaign/coming_clean.htm#F4

[ultraist]

6. The mandatory mental health screenings for children will end up in the MIB

Just watch.

Life insurance companies already deny people who have ever taken anti-depressants. How do they get that info? Hippa my ass.

[WildClarySage]

8. HIPAA was never meant to protect your privacy. It's purpose is to

protect their profits.

[Spinzonner]

10. You may want to consider that the 30-day deadline

could apply to STARTING the process, not completing it. You can't be held responsible for things that are not under your control such as the time to get the report and have it handled by your physician.

Just be sure you document things carefully and keep records. Start a diary.

1. Make notes of all conversations: Number called, when, who spoke to, what was said.

2. Make copies of all correspondence sent. Send all correspondence certified or other aceeptance-required/receipt-oriented mail or Fedex so you can prove that it was sent and received.

3. Challenge everything. You have nothing to lose. Get records/reports of past exams that you think are material to this situation.

[elehhhhna]

14. Contact the state Insurance Board ASAP--they don't mess around.

[JMDEM]

15. More Info?

Mine would be California.

[elehhhhna]

16. Here's a link--

http://www.insurance.ca.gov/docs/index.html

Usually the filing of any complaint with a state insurance board will get the attention of the insurer IMMEDIATELY.

Not sure what your standing is but they'll advise you and thank god you're in a progressive state.

[DELUSIONAL]

11. Sue the doctor -- if he put in your medical records

his claim that you were lying about drinking -- sue him.

Also you should be able to find out what sort of records there are "out there" on you.

We've learned that credit reports can be inaccurate.

The records they found may not have even been yours.

I won't allow my medical records to be put into a massive database -- for just the reasons you've encountered.

There are other reasons for the condition of your liver -- other than alcohol. Seems like your doctor was not all that competent.

[JMDEM]

12. Not sure if it was him

Whatever is in that database is making the insurance company NOT insure me for any amount of money. They could have insisted in upping my rates instead, so it must be pretty bad to them.

I am very interested in your statement that a person can (perhaps) adamantly insist that something NOT go into a medical database. I am wondering how this would be accomplished.

It may not be this doctor. Among other things, I took Prozac for about a year -- oddly, just to help with an insomnia problem. But I later found that this would prevent me from getting any private health insurance. I can't remember if I revealed the prozac to the Life Insurance company. I stopped taking it because of the problems with getting health insurance, and because it wasn't doing all that much good for me. Perhaps that is what showed up. But the prescriptions I got were way before I signed up for life insurance.

The fatty liver thing -- one thing that scares me -- I talked to a friend that told me that his mother had been diagnosed with a fatty liver, and the only thing they could find odd in her eating / drinking habits or medical history was that she consumed vast quantities of diet beverages. Apparently nutrasweet (aspartane) can DESTROY LIVERS in some people. I too used to drink a lot of Diet Coke, because coffee started making me nauseous (perhaps an allergy) and I switched to the Diet Coke for caffeine.

[DELUSIONAL]

17. There are other conditions causing liver diseases

and most MDs don't know what to look for --

For instance there is a genetic liver disease I just learned about -- it is carried on the female X chromosome -- and passed from mother to daughter. These women don't have a specific gene to translate some sugars into food -- rather the body treats certain sugars as a poison and the liver is affected. My friend's mother died of liver failure -- she was NOT an alcoholic. His sister required a liver transplant and ONLY then did the doctors discover this rare disease -- but they should have recognized the symptoms in his mother. Forms of this specific food intolerance happens in an estimated 1 per 10,000 people (the sex linked disease is rarer). And yet this is not being caught and is often diagnosed as anything BUT food intolerance. Gene Therapy hold promise of a cure for these diseases (thanks idiots who voted against their best interest and gave bushie enough votes so he could steal another election).

Some of the causes are genetic -- you may not have a specific gene and this would take a liver specialist. HMOs etc often don't have specialists -- this is a highly specialized field -- most often found at large teaching hospital/Universities. You should have been sent to a specialist.

I let my health care providers know that under no uncertain terms can they put my health records into massive databases -- I insist on maintaining my right to privacy of my medical records. My dentist also has strict confidentiality -- and privacy rights for his patients.

Each state differs in patient's privacy rights. This is probably why bushie is campaigning for modern record keeping for doctors.

Your experience is a wake up call for all of us -- what sort of mis information about our health records is out there? We know that haphazard collection of financial records (like credit histories) can be wrong -- and with identity theft -- who knows the records the insurance company found may not be your records.

[Mandate My Ass]

13. My husband (consultant) was denied disability coverage

Years ago my husband was diagnosed with sleep apnea. The doc said he could either have surgery that would shave flesh from the roof of his mouth and back of his throat, he could wear a contraption at night called a CPAP (basically a big bellows that would blow O2 down his throat) or he could lose weight. He lost weight and the snoring and apnea went away as proven by a follow up test months later.

Soon afterward he applied for private disability insurance and they denied him coverage because they found out about the apnea diagnosis. That information could only have come from one place, the hospital where he had the test. He said he doesn't remember signing a release. This was late 1990's, I'm sure it's worse now.

[paula777]

18. You are right about never being able to get private health insurance

again. If you have even the slightest health problems major companies won't insure you. I have applied to Blue Cross, Kaiser, and a couple of others and all have sent me letters saying that I am too high of a risk and they refuse to cover me. (I mean, I'm willing to pay the monthly $450 or whatever it is) and they just say Nope, fend for yourself bitch. Because of that I have to go to the County Hospital. I feel your pain JMDEM, I've felt it for 2 years now. BTW, the County Hospitals are horrific and often times inept, so if you even have a chance here of keeping your health insurance, FIGHT TO THE DEATH!