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îlfe jJortlani» (Observer
July 21.2010
H ealth ] MAT T ERS
New Recession Rule.’ Don't get tests while shopping for health insurance
A nn B renoff
F or the P ortland O bserver
Most people rush to schedule
as many medical tests as pos
sible just before their COBRA
coverage runs out. But some
experts now say that's precisely
by
the wrong thing to do when you're
sh o p p in g for p o st-C O B R A
health insurance. The problem
with those medical tests is that
they just might find something -
- and if that something requires
treatment or even the potential
M M
for treatment, that can make you News and World Report and against even talking to the doc
undesirable to most insurers.
now is a freelance writer and tor about your m edical co n
But are these experts offering editor. She says she spent 30 cerns prior to the effective date
life-threatening advice — time o f years advising her readers to not o f y o u r c o v e ra g e . T h e m ’s
diagnosis is often a factor in skip their mammograms and get some fighting w ords, com ing
advancing diseases? With that their medical tests on time — and from an insider.
understood, here's what some th en
re a liz e d
th e
new
Toeing a straighter line is Rob
people are saying:
recessionary twist on her advice ert A m off o f A m off and Asso
“A person applying for indi when it came time to shop for ciates Inc. in Bainbridge Ohio.
vidual health insurance should post-COBRA health insurance. “It would be inappropriate and
delay any non-essential medical
“I realized that taking the pre possibly i 11 égal for any adviser to
testing or prescription drug pur ventive measures I should be suggest to anyone to delay ...
chases until they have secured
insurance,” says Alex Maybaum,
director o f consumer advocacy
for AnnualM edicalReport.com.
Maybaum, whose business helps
people keep track o f what shows
up in their medical reports so
that they don't wrongly get turned
down for insurance, even goes
one step further. “A person seek
ing individual health insurance
would be well-advised to request taking would lead to a medical testing to determine a medical
that their family members — par paper trail that could leave me condition. There are some states
ents, siblings and relatives — also up the creek,” she said. In fact, where the department o f insur
avoid any major medical testing, it did. W hen her cholesterol ance would consider this m al
especially tests for diseases with measured high, it led to her being practice and suspend a broker’s
a genetic component such as turned down for an individual license (if there was sufficient
c a n c e r, A lz h e im e r's and policy. As a Vermont resident, proof).”
Huntington's Disease.”
Brink was able to join the state's
Good point, Bob, but we're
Yes, he says, “Even medical all-inclusive medical pool. The talking desperate people here
tests o f close relatives can be insurance costs her $425 a who can't wait until 2014 — when
used by health insurers as a ba month.
the Obama-matic plan for insur
sis for denying a person insur
Even D eborah A lpert, a Los ing everyone kicks in - to get
ance coverage.”
A ngeles-based insurance con themselves covered.
Susan Brink used to cover sultant, says “have an insur
This sto ry o rig in a lly a p
consumer health issues for the ance plan in place and then go p e a r e d in A O L W allet Pop.
Los A ngeles Tim es and US to the doctor.” She cautions www. w alletpop. com.
Even medical tests o f close
relatives can be used by health
insurers as a basis for denying
a person insurance coverage.
emails,
riday August 6th, 2010: Place to be announced
Saturday August 7th, 2010: Embassy Suites Portland Airport Hotel
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Cost for reunion: Classmates $65 spouse or companion $45
Please R.S.V.P. as soon as possible to
E-mail to: leilablakely@gmail.com (preferable)
Voice mail: Carol Erdmann 503-982-3051
Snail mail: JHS Class of 70 / PO Box 19905 / Portland. Oregon 97280
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