Shortly after I got approved for health insurance, I received a big, fat, booklet of information from my health insurance company. This something that I should look over very carefully, in order to learn more about the plan I purchased. Here is a little bit of the interesting things I found in my new health insurance booklet.
The very first page of this booklet shows some important information. It has my name and address. It shows my health insurance policy number, and the date that this plan became effective. It specifically states that the plan is called “ClearProtection Plus 1000”. Obviously, it tells me that the name of my insurance company is Anthem. I knew that one.
It also states that the cost of my premiums will be $134.00. This matches what the insurance representative told me the premiums would cost when I called up and asked about it. It is reassuring to see that number, in black and white, printed on right in the official policy, though. On the very first page is this piece of information:
“If during the first two years of membership under the Agreement or Policy, we discover any material facts that you or your eligible family members knew, but did not disclose on the Application, we have the right to rescind this Agreement of Policy.”
That’s a bit scary. I know that this is in there because the insurer is trying to prevent fraud. For example, lets say that a person had been diagnosed as having cancer, but didn’t mention that on the application for a new health insurance policy. This would be a reason for the insurer to retroactively cancel the policy as soon as they discover this intentional omission.
The cynic in me immediately assumes that this means that my insurer is going to question absolutely every claim I make in the next two years, in the hopes of finding something that they can use to deny the claim, and cancel the policy. I have been completely honest while filling out the application. Logically, I have nothing to worry about.
Even so, it is troubling to think that I could lose this policy, without notice, anytime in the next two years if the insurer wants to make that happen. I fear it would mean that I’d be expected to pay them for whatever amount of care they covered before they canceled on me. I realize that I am worrying about something that is not likely to ever actually happen. It is disheartening to know that my insurer considers me, and all the rest of its customers, untrustworthy without having any factual reason to come to that conclusion.
Image by queenofhaiku on Flickr