SheriKCMO

Cysters,
My husband and I are self-employed now, and we need to get off our COBRA plans and buy health insurance. Unfortunately, because I take metformin, the insurance underwriters keep rejecting me because they think I'm diabetic. One company even stated in the rejection that the results of my two hour glucose challenge test were part of the reason for my rejection. Am I screwed? My own COBRA doesn't run out for another year, and then I'll be on my own. I'm thinking about getting a part-time job with benefits, like throwing boxes onto trucks at UPS or something. ????
Does anyone have any suggestions for a fellow Metformin user?
Sheri

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Sheri:36 Hubby:36
Metformin 1500mg since 10/02, Yasmin since 4/06, managing IR/pcos with lower carbs

First pregnancy ended at 23 weeks due to incompetent cervix.

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Mary Catherine will be in our hearts forever, November 28, 2003.
Second loss March 9, 2004 at five weeks

Third pregnancy, Cerclage 8/13-1/19

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Duncan 2/11/05, 9lb 3oz
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Ruby 2/27/06, 9lbs

Time to lose this weight!

christyz

Gosh! I take this part of Met so forgranted in Canada!

Can the Dr that perscribed your met write a letter to your insur company indicating that metformin is now a standard drug in the treatment of PCOS and that you are NOT diabetic?

Taking on a insurance company seems so overwhelming! I'm so sorry you have to justify your actions. Hugs and good luck, Sheri!

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Christy

33 yrs, 1 precious hubby, 2 miracle kids, At Goal Wt for 4 yrs, Trygly's down 445 pts, Free Androgen down from 20 to 2, 3 half 'thons ran, 2 mtns hiked, 1 crazy run in the Rockies, 4 forest trail races, profiled in 2 magazines...1 woman determined to kick PCOS butt!


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Before & Aug 2007

'08: Duathlon and another half?

Angie02

Sheri,

I have a friend who is a health/life underwriter so I will ask her about this. It has been awhile since I was self-insured, but my understanding was that in the state of Missouri, as long as your are going from full-coverage to full coverage and can provide a certificate of insurance, that you can't be denied, although they can claim "pre-existing condition" and deny coverage for related expenses for a certain period of time. Has this changed???? Or does this only apply for group coverage?

If you have not done so, you might want to call the Missouri insurance commissioner--they should be able to advise about you legalities or direct you to appropriate resources. Here is their website listing the statutes. I believe they have a local office on the plaza--their number should be in the blue pages.

http://www.insurance.state.mo.us/laws/index.htm

I will try to find some info as I am curious too. Given my place of employment, there is alway the potential that I will have to Cobra (will it ever end????). I will let you know what my friend comes up with. But I would definitely check with the insurance commissioner--they can at least explain the legalities of the process.

Angie

SheriKCMO

Thanks a bunch, ladies! The group to group transition is the only one that is guaranteed like that, unfortunately. I've got a couple of avenues to explore now, thanks to my sweet cysters! We are waiting to hear from one company about our recent application, so hopefully we won't have to worry long.

__________________
Sheri:36 Hubby:36
Metformin 1500mg since 10/02, Yasmin since 4/06, managing IR/pcos with lower carbs

First pregnancy ended at 23 weeks due to incompetent cervix.

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Mary Catherine will be in our hearts forever, November 28, 2003.
Second loss March 9, 2004 at five weeks

Third pregnancy, Cerclage 8/13-1/19

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Duncan 2/11/05, 9lb 3oz
Fourth pregnancy, Cerclage 8/26-1/26

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Ruby 2/27/06, 9lbs

Time to lose this weight!

hollyamanda

I think I was told once that Walgreens and Talbots give infertility coverage (met too I assume) to their part time people! I would love to work at talbots. www. talbots.com

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Holly in Texas

SheriKCMO

Thanks for the job tip, because there's a Walgreens around the corner! I have a couple of other ideas brewing, and I think I'll wait to use up my COBRA to make any change for myself.
There's an update for dh! He got an acceptance letter today, so he's covered July 1st. [His COBRA expires July 31st.] They didn't want me because of my PCOS.
Thanks, everyone, for your help and support! We'll be fine until this time next year, and hopefully I'll be more height/weight proportional by then for those apps.

__________________
Sheri:36 Hubby:36
Metformin 1500mg since 10/02, Yasmin since 4/06, managing IR/pcos with lower carbs

First pregnancy ended at 23 weeks due to incompetent cervix.

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Mary Catherine will be in our hearts forever, November 28, 2003.
Second loss March 9, 2004 at five weeks

Third pregnancy, Cerclage 8/13-1/19

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Duncan 2/11/05, 9lb 3oz
Fourth pregnancy, Cerclage 8/26-1/26

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Ruby 2/27/06, 9lbs

Time to lose this weight!

Angie02

Sorry it took so long to get back to you, but I have been a little under the weather this week. I asked my friend about individual as well as small business insurance. She said that medical evidence can be required for any small business under 10 people as well as individuals. So unless you can get a bunch of people on your payroll, that avenue won't help either.

I was thinking back to when I was self-insured as a contractor a few years ago. I don't know why I didn't think of this before--you can ususually get medical insurance if you are registered with a contracting or temp agency. Some of the agencies that offer full coverage will have requirements regarding hours that you must fulfill. However, for some of them, all you have to do is be registered with the agency and you will fall under the group umbrella. Sometimes you have to wait X number of months. So that might be something to consider when your cobra gets closer to the end and you need to move from group to group coverage. The coverage you get might not be as good as what you can get working a part time job, but you never know.

I ended up purchasing individual insurance with a non-maternity clause because it offered me more comprehensive coverage. However, my agency offered a decent plan, did not require minimum hours worked, and the only down part being that it had a deductible I couldn't afford to meet.

SheriKCMO

Thank you all so much for your help!!

Seattlekckckc

I don't have any info for you, I just wanted to wish you luck! Insurance companies can be so frustrating!!!

Casey