Insurance Companies May not Have the Last Word When it Comes to Your Health Insurance Policy.

Much has been said lately about a new "consumerism" in healthcare and the health insurance industry. Emboldened by the empowerment, health insurance consumers and their advocates realize that they are in a position to fight back when faced with seemingly arbitrary or inaccurate decisions made by insurance companies regarding individual health insurance policies

People have been turned down for affordable health insurance all together by insurance companies, or have had to deal with "exclusions" for previous injuries or conditions. An exclusion is when an insurance company with sell you a health insurance policy but will "exclude" coverage for the treatments of specific conditions. Most often consumers will just accept these decisions when the insurance company makes them, and they should not, according to consumer advocates. Case in point, a woman in Indianapolis found herself looking for an affordable individual health plan, after the rates in a group plan she was a part of for many years through a trade association continued to rise astronomically. The woman, when she applied for a policy with a major Illinois insurer, found she was not quite as healthy as she thought she was. The company wanted to exclude any treatments related to back pain or cervical spine disease or disorders because she was in a car accident years ago - even though she was given a clean bill of health after the accident and has undergone no treatments other then those immediately following the accident. The woman's insurance agent provided medical test records and other documentation from the woman's physicians that clarified information on her application, and got the exclusions reversed - and a reduction in her original heath insurance quote by 20%. Now not all cases will end up that way, but advocates insist you at least try and do not just accept the decisions made by the insurance companies when it comes to exclusions or denial of medical coverage.

If you are turned down for health insurance the insurance company must provide you the reasons in writing - so be sure that you ask for such documentation. Armed with the details sometimes your doctor's intervention can help to reverse such a decision. This is especially true in the case of prescriptions for anti-depressant medications. Often an insurance company will reject someone when they see such a prescription in their medical history because it shows up as a mental illness. But perhaps your doctor only prescribed it because you have a severe fear of flying, or for a brief period of time during the death of a spouse or loved one. A note to that effect can make a difference. Any documentation that can be provided by your doctors to explain conditions or clarify errors in your medical history can go a long way to reversing rejections or exclusions.