Lots Of Stuff Can Exclude You From Med. Coverage

[FC]

Medical Insurance

[fritz]

Another thing that can cause you to be denied coverage, or have to waive, is coverage for cardiac disorders in the future if your blood pressure is slightly elevated when the insurance company gives you a physical.

 

I had to waive such disorders for a year (while still paying high rate for the rest) because mine was elevated during the physical. And after all the schitt I had to go through in the physical, it ain't surprising. Now that I am once again covered under my spouse's policy, there is no physical or questions.

 

Yes, insurance companies are getting greedier all the time. The only answer is national health coverage, at a reduced rate.

 

fritz

[AzRednek]

It is not illegal yet but many are denied jobs or do not make it past their employer's probationary period becuase of their or family member's poor health might have an adverse effect on the co's health plan. Pre-employment physicals are also used as a tool to determine a potential employee's effect on the co's health insurance and worker's comp risk often more than determining one's fitness for a job.

 

I worked briefly in the fed health insurance program. I met several rather highly over-qualified people for the job that took it simply to get an immediate family member into a health plan. There is no pre-exisiting condition exclusion in the fed program. Clinton's National Health Plan was modeled after the FEHB (Federal Employee Health Benefit program).

 

Incidently if ever asked in a pre-employment physical about hunting or guns, deny any connection. You are considered high risk for hearing related worker's comp claims.

 

[fritz]

". Pre-employment physicals are also used as a tool to determine a potential employee's effect on the co's health insurance and worker's comp risk often more than determining one's fitness for a job."

 

Ain't that the truth! The damned truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

 

I went two years to trade school right out of high school and came out with an associate degree in welding and blueprint reading. I went and applied at the local chemical plants, because that is where the action was (higher wages).

 

First was Alcoa. A whole day spent on the appitude tests, which I passed with flying colors. Then the next day the physical, which I thought I passed. Then the interview, where it was explained to me that I had a severe back problem. The hell, you say! A bad back? I have hauled hay bales, lifted stuff on the farm for my dad that exceeded anything a weldor would do. I never had a back pain in my life (still don't).

 

Then I went to DuPont. They wanted to do the same two day schedule, with the appitude tests first day, physical second day. I told them to just give me the physical and save us all a lot of time.

 

Well, sam ting. They tell me I have a bad back! Enough already, I go to a back specialist in hopes of finding out just what the hell is wrong with my back. He hesitates to examine me (fear of a labor injury). I tell him, "Hell, I ain't been hired by anyone to be able to sue". He examines me.

 

He doesn't help me much, so I go to a family doctor. This physican tells me he sees it all the time, I have what is called scoliosis. A curvature of the spine, which insurance companies are deadly afraid of.

 

Let's see, that was back in 1965. I was unemployable. I had a bad back. I asked my doc what should I do? Should I crawl under a rock and let the world go by, because I have a bad back and can't lift anything?

 

He said to live your life without fear of it--it's an insurance company hangup. He was right. But then along came the 'nam war, and LBJ was drafting every warm bodied boy (regardless of their backs, he just wanted their blood). The Air Force required me to get a physican's statement that there was nothing wrong with my back (the Army would take me just as I was!) Ha!

 

So much for the Army, all they wanted was warm bodies. I took the Air Force, and with my associate degree I got to do what I was trained to do (without government expense).

 

Sorry for the long tirade, but it all does pertain to medical insurance coverage.

 

fritz

[FC]

My wife is very good at human resource law. She told me that pre-employment physicals can legally only be given after a job offer is given (contingent upon successfully completing the physical).

[fritz]

" She told me that pre-employment physicals can legally only be given after a job offer is given (contingent upon successfully completing the physical)."

 

Maybe they didn't have that same rule back in 1965.

 

fritz