by nate on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 | Career, Health, News, Tech/Gadget, Weird, World | No Comments

A Canadian woman on long-term sick leave for depression says she lost her benefits because her insurance agent found photos of her on Facebook in which she appeared to be having fun.

Nathalie Blanchard has been on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, for the last year.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Saturday she was diagnosed with major depression and was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits from insurance giant Manulife.

But the payments dried up this fall and when Blanchard called Manulife, she says she was told she was available to work because of Facebook.

Manulife wouldn’t comment on Blanchard’s case, but did say they would not deny or terminate a claim solely based on information published on Web sites such as Facebook.

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Tags: bikini woman lost her insurance benefit, Canadian, Canadian Woman, facebook users, insurance company

by nate on Thursday, May 14th, 2009 | Health, Knowledge, Life | No Comments

“It’s a huge problem, because insurance companies don’t want to insure sick people,” said Nancy Metcalf, senior program editor for Consumer Reports. “They’re a business. They don’t want to insure people they know are going to cost them a lot of money.”

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The industry’s trade association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, has a proposal to help people with pre-existing conditions as part of a comprehensive health-care reform plan.

Finding individual insurance when you have a pre-existing condition is tough but not impossible.

“We have been successful,” said Kevin Lembo, a state health care advocate with the state of Connecticut. “There are options out there.”

1. Become a group of one.

In about a dozen states, you can be a group all by yourself for insurance purposes. What this means is that you become, in effect, just like any other company, and insurers can’t deny you insurance or charge you higher premiums because of your pre-existing condition, according to Lembo.

To find out whether your state will allow you to become a group of one, see this list from the Kaiser Family Foundation (look at the column headed “Definition of Small Group,” and look for “1-50″).

For more information on becoming a group of one, see this advice from the American Diabetes Association.

In states where you can’t become a group of one, you can become a group of two.

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“You can hire your brother-in-law to become a subcontractor for your landscaping company,” Lembo said. “It’s horrible, but what else are you going to do?”

An important note: Under these rules, an insurance company might be allowed to exclude coverage for your specific condition for a short period of time, usually about six months.

2. If you’ve been laid off, get COBRA.

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COBRA can be extremely expensive, but it’s worth digging deep in your pockets for the premiums, because it may be difficult, if not impossible, to get insurance any other way, Consumer Reports’ Metcalf says. If you’ve been laid off since September 1, you’re eligible for a 65 percent discount on COBRA premiums. For more information, visit the Department of Labor’s Web site.

3. When you lose your employer-related insurance, apply for new insurance within 63 days.

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In all states, a designated insurance company — charmingly called “the insurer of last resort” — has to take “all comers” in insurance lingo. You have to apply for this insurance within 63 days of losing your group insurance. For all the rules, read this explanation from Families USA (scroll down and look for the “HIPAA eligible” heading).

Here’s the bad news: Although in some states there are limits to what the “insurer of last resort” can charge you, in other states, there aren’t. In those states, “the sky’s the limit,” Metcalf said. “They can and will charge you a fortune. It could be, say, $1,400 a month in premiums with a $5,000 deductible. But some people pay that because it’s the only game in town.”

To find out the rules in your state, visit the Kaiser Family Foundation’s State Health Facts or contact your state insurance commissioner.

4. Find out whether your state has a high-risk pool.

State high-risk pools are specifically for people with pre-existing conditions who can’t find affordable insurance on their own. Thirty states have high-risk pools, insuring 175,000 people, according to the American Diabetes Association, which lists the states on its Web site.

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5. See whether your professional organization offers group insurance.

Some professional groups, such as those representing real estate agents and freelance writers, offer health insurance. Check and see whether your profession does the same.

Here’s another piece of advice, offered somewhat tongue in cheek: Move to Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York or Vermont.

“In those states, everyone has to sell to you,” said Cheryl Fish-Parcham, deputy director of health policy at Families USA. Not only do insurance companies have to sell you a policy in those states, there are limits on how much they can charge you, she says.

For more help in finding insurance when you have a pre-existing condition, you can contact the Cover Me Foundation at 877-678-7631 or Coverage For All at 800-234-1317. To find out about public assistance programs in your state, see this guide from Families USA.

source: CNN.com

Tags: COBRA, health insurance, how to get insurance, insurance, insurance company, insurance in United States, pre-existing and insurance, pre-existing condition, welfare