Paging turtlensue....some encouragement...

[LeftyFingerPop]

I wanted to make this a separate thread, rather than respond to your original thread, in order to call some attention to it for others also.

I want to tell you a story, and offer you some encouragement on your current insurance situation.

I'm going to offer some embarrassing information here, but I don't care. your post yesterday brought back some bad memories and I am so pissed off at the current state of our health care and related insurance situation....

Long story short...

I have posted in here before that I had a terrible major depressive episode in 2000...It was so bad that I ended up in the hospital briefly. I was non-functioning and zombie-like. I was fucked. Horribly fucked. I could not work, and had to go on disability and collect disability insurance payments for a time from UNUM.

Well, as soon as the payments started, this woman from UNUM would phone me EVERY.GODDAMN.FUCKING.DAY.

Now you have to picture this...I'm so fucking sick that I can't even brush my own teeth...but I am afraid not to answer these calls because I thought if i didn't talk to this woman, my only source of income would be cut off.

So she would say things like: How are you feeling today? You sound much better. You know, you will not be on disability for long...we don't pay claims for depression for too long. You need to get back to work ASAP. Oh, and I need you to call your doctor and have him send us your medical records for the past year. If you were diagnosed with depression in the past year, we consider that to be pre-existing, and not only will we stop your payments, but will will make you refund what we have paid you already. EVERY.FUCKING.DAY.

My doctor is a little guy from India with a high squeaky voice who swears like a drunken sailor. I told him what was happening...he calls up this woman in my presence, and in the high squeaky voice says:

"My patient is very sick and if you continue to harass him I will ensure that he sues the fucking life out of both you personally and your fucking bloodsucking company".

The calls stopped. A few years later, I saw something on 60 minutes I believe, where UNUM was being investigated for unreasonably denying claims.

My point is this: I have a special place in my heart for insurance companies. The people that work for them are TRAINED, PAID AND ENCOURAGED to find any way possible to deny a claim. There is a special place in hell for these fucking clowns.

Try not to worry...THIS IS WHAT THEY DO FOR A LIVING.

Read your contract, answer their questions, know the laws in your state, and don't let them back you down. :hug:

[Gormy Cuss]

1. Thanks for the story, philboy. I hope that it encourages turtlensue.

For turtlensue, a link to a consumer's guide on health insurance by state:
www.healthinsuranceinfo.net

[TZ]

2. Thank you, Philboy

I have been in touch with my HR. They were pretty quick in getting back to me. They gave me a patient advocacy hotline AND I've been told, that showing the proof of my previous coverage should get me past this pre-existing bullshit. And I was looking through paperwork and found my COBRA provider's official notification of end of coverage. That OUGHT to do it. Meanwhile I have the name of a law firm that could help me, if this bs continues.
And thanks, Gormy Cuss for that link that I will look at this evening...

[LeftyFingerPop]

3. Sounds to me like everthing will be ok...

Best of luck...I know how worrisome this is, but you will be ok here I believe.