Jul
19
2007
One of the most common questions we get from our clients is when their doctor tells them that whatever condition they have is harmless and/or “nothing to worry about”, and yet the insurance company tells them that the rate they are being offered will be higher as a result of them having that condition.
This brings into light the difference between “clinical medicine” (the kind practiced by your doctor), and “underwriting medicine” (the science of using medical information to better understand how a given condition or combination of conditions affects mortality).
One common example is MVP (Mitral Valve Prolapse), a relatively common condition. Most people that have it don’t even know they have it. Those that do know they have it are often told by their doctor that “it’s nothing to worry about” and that the only thing they need to remember is to take antibiotics when they have dental work done.
Fact is, MVP is generally categorized into three degrees of severity: Mild, Moderate, and Severe. Further whether or not there is regurgitation is also of note.
MVP, while not generally something that doctors would cause patients to panick about, is clearly an underwriting factor that absolutely does affect mortality. But since doctors are powerless to do much about it, they see no purpose in alarming their patients about it.
High cholesterol is another common underwriting factor. To qualify for todays lowest insurance rates, individuals must not just be average, but above average in many ways, including their cholesterol levels. A person may have relatively normal cholesterol, and be told by their doctor that everything is fine, but still not qualify for a given insurance company’s lowest rates.
August 11th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
For 30 years I was on high blood pressure meds. Being super-sensitive to drugs, these were changed some 30 times, due to constant reactions. This long-going experiment accomplished nothing. My blood pressure stayed high. Four years agod, in disgust, I abruptly stopped all high blood pressure medication. My blood pressure has been normal ever since.
Would this kind of withdrawal from a doctor\’s care disqualify me from insurance? Subject me to a higher premium? what? I am confused as to the consequences.
August 13th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Each case is unique. However, most life insurance companies are traditional in their view of medicine in that they like to see compliance, meaning that patients with whatever condition they have are doing what their doctor recommends. There is also a slight difference between clinical medicine, and underwriting medicine. For instance, your doctor may feel that blood pressure that\’s say 140/90 is \”fine\”, but the insurance company prefers to see it lower in order to qualify for their best rates. This is because they have volumes of data that indicate, all other things being equal, people with lower blood pressure live longer.
October 12th, 2007 at 1:07 am
I\’m not sure how I feel about this yet. I live in a state that charges the same premium regardless of age or risk factor to the detriment of our very health conscious family. One one hand, I think it\’s not a bad idea but there should be consideration for what the doctor\’s recommendations are. Certainly insurance underwriting isn\’t a perfect science and if they see a risk factor, they will charge you for it. It seems a slippery slope which may lead to rampant denials of coverage.
Jerry
http://www.leads4insurance.com