I don't know a lot about this but I would be afraid that if I could do as you want, then later they found out I had hidden problems they would not pay for anything and possible charge me with fraud.

Jodi, I really don't know the answer, but it seems to me that it's not your "records" from one dr to another that will be a problem. It will be the information that is out there between insurance companies. I can just about garuntee (sp?), that they share that info, even if you don't list any previous info. JMHO. I sincerely wish you luck, tho. And I hope you can find another job that is less stressful in your line of work!

Tami

I'm certainly not an expert on this but I can say that due to EMR (Electronic Medical Records) you would probably have a difficult time hiding anything. My DH comes home after a day in his office and spends another 2 hours checking through all the EMR's that have been entered into his inbox. What's interesting is that he gets an EMR anytime any of his patients visit another doctor - even if it doesn't have anything to do with why that patient sees my DH. Talk about sharing medical information.

Medical insurance is probably like car insurance. If you switch auto insurance companies they run a check of your driver's license with the state to see if there are any infractions.

When we bought homeowner's insurance for our new home the insurance company ran a check to see if we had ever filed a claim at our previous address.

As Vala mentioned I would worry that they would deny a claim if they discovered that you had omitted pertinent information.

You're probably going to have to sign a release for them to access your medical records before being insured.

Quote:
Requiring insurance companies to accept people with pre-existing conditions is one of the cornerstones of the health care reform bill passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010.

I'm in the same boat your in. :0) CIT, I carried a pager on my time off, worked nights, weekends and holidays,rotating nights to days at one place... back in the day. :0) I consider myself retired, but work part time for the insurance benefits(4hrs,7am-11pm, M-F). I have excellent medical insurance, eye, dental, AD&D, even a little $11k life ins.....for DH and myself!

Here is a link that might be useful: Obama care, the whole article....

With EMR, all of your records are available to anyone who treats you. Even your past prescriptions and the pharmacies you filled them at are listed.

Since the issues you are referring to are resolved, you could try to get your current PCP to mark them as such in your past medical history/past surgical history, but EMR records are sometimes just copied/pasted into records over and over in various hospital systems.

I know that with the much challenged Obama care policy, no one can be denied because of a pre-existing condition, and cannot charged more ... and that's great ... but I'm pretty sure the insurance companies will still figure out a loophole so they can charge more. And that's what I'm afraid of.

I'm not trying to hide an existing condition. I'm trying to remove non-issue conditions such as I listed above. Things that have been resolved one way or another and have been gone long enough from my life that I no longer consider them part of me.

But the health care companies insist on having them follow me around for a number of years. It may be against policy with O Care to deny and overcharge but the policy is challenged so much that by 2014 when much of it is supposed to go into affect, everything will have changed.

OldG, you just reminded me of something. I did ask my primary care doctor to write a letter explaining the issues that have been resolved. He did that after I got my denial letter from another company 7 years ago. I need to find that (for all the good it will probably not do me).

Nicole, CIT??? I've always been told that means 'Cougar in Training'. LOL

Jodi-

I think it would be an exercise in futility, Jodi. You'll have to give at least "some" history yourself to your new healthcare provider. I guess you could lie (by omission) & not mention some past issues, but that might not be safe (nor fair) to your new provider. And, really, I believe that if you have much of any chronic health issue that you are currently being treated for, the insurance company won't have to dig deeply into your past records to find a reason to deny or charge you exorbitant rates. Speculating here, but if you have say ^cholesterol level, .... BAM! they'll use that as a reason. There's also the issue of if some medical problem from the past resurfaces, it will be noted in your current record & then they could cancel your coverage due to your failure to be forthright about your past history on your application.

It's the dilemma that "mostly healthy" 50 & 60 year olds face. As I understand it the Affordable Care Act goes a long way to correct the injustice. Hopefully, the ACA doesn't get trash canned!

I hope you can find another job that you love that is less stressful, has health insurance, & you can more fully enjoy these "golden" years.

And that is the problem with our health care in the USA. It's getting to the point that if you need to see a doctor you don't dare unless it is life threatening.

Sorry I don't have any advise.

You can elect to, personally, not transfer files but the odds that those files...or the info contained therein...are or have been accessible to other insurance companies are pretty high. The "giants" share whether they openly admit it or not. I know this for a fact regarding my deceased husband's medical history.

Beyond that,at some point during your application to a new insurance provider you will be asked to sign a statement declaring that you've provided truthful replies to their inquiries. If you do not disclose previous medical issues...and the company finds out that you've intentionally withheld medical info...not only could you be fined...but you could be dropped by the new carrier as well as prevented from ever getting insurance coverage again.

It's not worth it, Jodi. Resurrecting the letter from your primary care physician and submitting it, along with your application, is the best way to go.

Good luck! Believe me. I know exactly how you feel. At the tender age of 72...and in reasonably good health...I'm insurance poor these days just trying to protect myself and satisfy Obama's edicts.

Anne

Jodi check with the MIB or medical information bureau and see what is being reported on you. I too was denied insurance coverage because I disclosed that I had a test done for a possible heart condition that turned out to be negative. I didn't want them to not know and cause problems later. Well I was denied with two companies because I disclosed I was tested but no heart problems. I even had a letter from the doctor disputing their claim. A friend of mine sells insurance an he told me about the MIB. I did a check on me and nothing was reported to the MIB about the procedure. So I reapplied not mentioning the test and walla I got approved. Here is a link describing the MIB and you can dispute incorrect information and they have to change it if they can't prove it.

Here is a link that might be useful: MIB records

Thank you CB! I'll contact them tomorrow.

Jodi-

I don't know and don't believe that they can fine you BUT, if something were to happen that was costly to the insurance company and they find out that you lied about something as insignificant as having a cold in the second grade, they will use that as a reason to deny paying the claim and will cancel you. On the application, they will ask you lots of questions and then you will sign saying you have been truthful. As long as you have been truthful, you should be okay.

Insurance companies are the biggest form of legalized extortion in the world. They don't make the billions of dollars in profits that they make every year by paying claims.The less claims they pay, the more money they make.

Do you know about the pre existing condition insurance? It's probably cheaper than you will pay with any insurance company. As far as O care being changed, I am crossing my fingers that because I am already in "the system" that they won't yank it out from under me.

Isn't Hubby an insurance agent?

Here is a link that might be useful: Cali pre-existing insurance

Yes Magic, hubby's an insurance agent (car, auto and life). That's why we find it a bit ironic that the company he sell for (and who shall remain nameless) offers only one health care provider choice and it's terribly expensive and has been since day one (35 years ago) when he started working for them.

Lots of good information and suggestions on this post. Thanks everyone for remaining insightful, civil and helpful.

Jodi-

Jodi, I don't know if it's the same in California, but the last health information questionnaire I filled out as part of an applicaton for medical coverage was very specific in its written instructions....there were several pages of conditions to be marked if any were in my past history but only if I had been diagnosed or received treatment for any of them in the last five years from the date of application. If that helps you at all...I wasn't moving from one group plan to another, we are small business owners so I was applying for an independent private policy, looking for one with the same wide coverage but smaller monthly premium than what I have now.