i called my insurance company today and got an earful. i was just interested in getting a burial policy, nothing expensive 10-15 grand maybe.
they told me i could not get a policy for less than 100,000, yep...and it was going to cost 162 dollars a month.
then they told me that if i have ever taken anti-depressants, narcotics, sleeping medications, i could not be qualified, period....
i didn't dare mention lyme cause i knew i wsn't going to get it anyway....
but have you ever heard of this?
i'm interesting in maybe an aarp policy for say a couple of two years where you don't have to take a physical? anybody got one of those...
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
never heard of this randi! Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
yep, that's what he said. have to pass a complete physical and if you've ever been on antidepressants and some others, it's an automatic disqualification.
so i'm out....
plus my family history of cancer, strokes, heart attacks, and diabetes....
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
Randibear,
You are not out.
Every insurance company has it's own set of underwriting guidelines. You only heard from one company.
I'm not licensed in life and health only in property and casualty but my husband also has his life and health license and he has sold life insurance products for 30 yrs. So, I know a little from working with him. Also, each state governs the insurance companies so your state could be different from mine.
Most companies will write a policy under 100,000 without requiring a physical. They do, of course, complete an application that asks for your medical history.
Literally, in a life insurance contract, the insurance company is betting you will live and you are betting you will die. Of course, the insurance company is going to look at your health history to see how strong a bet it is that you will live.
There are, however, some life insurance policies that will take you no matter what. You see these advertised on TV. There are catches to these policies although I don't know all the catches. One such catch is that you can't die for a certain # of yrs. Usually 5 yrs I think.
If you can't qualify for conventional insurance then look into these. If you are destitute and on disability, talk to your local government body to see what, if anything, might be available for you.
Better still, donate your body to science. No burial costs at all.
Luvs
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
this is usaa, the military insurance company.
the minimum policy they have is 100 grand. i said, "geez, don't you have anything cheaper, some just small burial policy?" and he said no.
the 100 grand was going to cost 162 per month, not cheap for me.
i think i'll look into those arrp plans or something.
thanks for the information.
Posted by pab (Member # 904) on :
Randi,
If you put $162 in savings each month, you would have $9720 saved in 5 years.
Posted by sick (Member # 9143) on :
I've never heard of an insurance company NOT requiring a physical. My 26 year old son just got life insurance and they put him thru the wringer before they would insure him.
He has only been to the doctor maybe two times since he was 9 or 10 years old. Once he was cutting a belt on a machine at work and got cut and then once he had troulbe with his eyes.
He has also never drank or smoked a day in his life.
They made him have a complete physical and then they didn't want to insure him because he had had troulbe once with his eyes.
We did hear back from them yesterday and they did go ahead and insure him.
Boy I think it would be pretty risky to not do a physical.
sick
Posted by heatherliveswithlyme (Member # 14890) on :
SBLI is $82.68 every 3 months for 400,000.00 of coverage.
I'm in my 40s, overweight and didn't mention Lyme. They came and weighed me and took blood.
Posted by eric555 (Member # 18343) on :
But if you dont mention Lyme,
and then you pass away...
Wouldn't they then look for reasons like a lack of mentioning Lyme disease just not to pay ?????
Surely they could find out that you were treated on certain dates and got certain meds for certain illnesses.
They are public records, no ???
Posted by DaveNJ (Member # 17362) on :
Eric,
according the CDC many of us don't have Lyme. So it would not be lieing and it would be enjoyable to stick it to them for following stupid guidelines.
Secondly if you are CDC positive and they don't pick it up on any test then that reinforces the idea that LYme is insignificant. Nice way to stick it to the man if you ask me....of course i'll deny i ever said it
Dave
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
This is true. If you are not CDC positive, then there is no scientific proof that you even have LD. So how can they deny you? Even if you are CDC positive, remember that "Chronic Lyme Disease" does not even exist, so either way they can't deny you.
Posted by B and M (Member # 13544) on :
I work for an insurance company that sells both life and disability policies.
I asked about what a Lyme diagnosis would do to our underwriting.
We would not issue a policy within 6 months of diagnosis. After that Lyme would not be an issue.
As others mentioned, anti-depressents, high blood pressure and other items are a different story.
I guess it it thanks to the CDC that Lyme is not a long term issue as far as our underwriting guidlines.
B
Posted by jamescase20 (Member # 14124) on :
Blue cross has me listed as if I have aids, yet, I dont, never did...not even hiv. The error they cannot even admit too will not be corrected. When they start data sharing by the govts new bill, all companies will think this.
I found out though my HR rep at a job...she wanted to know why they where paying 4x the normal amount for me.
Posted by Zebco 33 (Member # 18376) on :
AARP is the way to go. No physical at all.
Posted by luluhaslyme (Member # 13201) on :
I agree!!
They cannot have it both ways either you do OR you don't have Lyme... if you do, then it needs to treated and if you don't, then they need to insure you...
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