I may be overreacting, but this SUCKS!!

[Ceradad 10]

So, DW and I are in the process of switching our life insurance policy to a new company. We first got life insurance about 4 yrs ago and got term life insurance. At the time we were pretty ignorant and just went with what the guy gave us. Premiums went up each year. Mine more than DW we believe because I was so overweight at the time and my blood work was not good at all.

Now, after taking a financial course, we have learned that we were getting screwed royally by the company. So we decide to check out the agent that has our auto and home insurance. Go through all the paperwork with our agent, get the little "physical" where they take your height, weight, blood and urine samples and a phone interview to get medical background info.

Agent calls me up yesterday and says he has great news and "interesting" news. Says DW qualified for their super preferred premium which cuts about $15/mo off her premium. That is the great news. Then tells me that since I had the lap band procedure only 16 months ago, and they don't like to consider that until at least 2 yrs out, they want to put a "small" surcharge on my premium. I qualified for the super preferred premium as well due to my cholesterol being great after all the working out I've done. Then tells me that with the surcharge my premium will be $120/mo, approximately 240% what I qualified for. Says if we go with it, they won't look at my premium for 2 more yrs. However, we can not go with it for now and on my 2 yr bandiversary, we can go through the whole thing again.

Now, to me, it felt like I was being discriminated against again. The first company was screwing me over for being so overweight and they wanted to get their money out of us because I was more at risk of dying younger. Now, this company says that because I had WLS, I lost the weight too fast (he thinks this is the reason) and may gain the weight right back. WTFH?!?!?!?!?

Now, I may be overreacting, but it just seems like the insurance companies just really don't like fat people. Even ones that have done something to lessen the problems that can come from being overweight.

[lapbandtalker 0]

$120 a month should get you about 1-2 million dollars coverage. If you aren't getting that, shop around and FIRE your agent. I wouldn't even go with that company ever.

Get your MIB report so that you will know what's on there before your next insurance company checks. Any errors need to be corrected.

Good luck and thanks for sharing your story in case others are going thru the same thing. I was considering purchasing more insurance but decided against it...for a time, so that more time will be away from surgery.

[Ceradad 10]

Sorry, forgot to mention that. The amount is nowhere near 1-2 million. Only 500k.

As for what is on the report, considering he said I did qualify for the super preferred premium, I'm sure there is nothing erroneous on that. Plus, I just had a physical for my job and I got my bloodwork results back from my dr. Everything was well within the normal ranges if not even better. So, I know there aren't any problems there.

[MacMadame 81]

They will consider you in two years? I've heard most places won't consider you at all until you are five years out from bariatric surgery.

It's the same with private health insurance. They want you a few out from the surgery before they will give it to you.

The way I look at it is that if I hadn't gotten the surgery, I'd have the same experience (and have had the same experience) for being MO. Dh and I were denied when we applied for BCBS privately, for example. But now there is an end in sight because in a few years I won't be MO and I won't be just out from surgery.

[Ceradad 10]

Ok, my agent called me back today after talking to the underwriters. The main issue is that they lump all WLS surgeries together. They say I am going to have malabsorption (sp) issues and anemia. I told him that just isn't true. That they need to be educated on the differences between the various gastric bypass surgeries. Just because they are categorized the same does not equate to them all being the same.

I informed him that my insides have not been carved up:biggrin: or rearranged. He called the underwriters back and they cannot change anything. The person who handles their medical policies has to make that change. I told him I would get some information and drop it by his office so he could forward it on to the proper person.

[tapshoes 2]

Ceredad,

Make certain when the info is forwarded to the underwriters, it is is given to their medical consultant (most underwriters have them because medical knowledge is so very specialized). If it is given to an anonymous non-medical person, I doubt they will have any capacity to do anything about it. They need a physician to review, and understand the difference.

Sadly, way too many insurance companies though are 'discriminating' about WLS and also about being obese. You just can't win!!

[Ceradad 10]

Thanks Tap, that is what I am going to do.

[tapshoes 2]

You're absolutely correct, Jack. However, the chances of MIS-interpretation are far greater if the person has no medical knowledge or training!