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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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