Healthburn
I no longer have group health coverage, so I have to get individual health insurance for myself. Based on the horror stories I've heard, I expected this to be expensive. What I found is worse: they won't even give me insurance because I reported having heartburn.
Today I received the following insurance denial letter in the mail from Anthem Blue Cross of California. I can't believe it.
Dear Mr. Curtis,
Thank you for applying for a Tonik plan from Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Co.. We wanted to follow up and let you know what's happening.
Bear with us while we get a bit technical.
Sometimes medical conditions present uncertain medical underwriting risks. We carefully reviewed the health information and medical history that you gave us when you applied, and you are not eligible for a Tonik plan at this time. Specifically, our decision was based on the following health information:
| Provider | Medical History |
| Health Statement | Heartburn |
...
Sincerely,
Individual Underwriting Department Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Co.
(See a photo of the letter)
Yes, Anthem Blue Cross is denying me health insurance because I reported heartburn on the application. While this looks absurd, there are some cases where heartburn is caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease, which can be unprofitable for the insurance company. A good way to weed this out is to ask, "Do you have heartburn often?"
Let's look at how they asked the question on their site (which is attempting way too hard to be hip):
Yes, I have "experienced" heartburn once or twice in the past six months, and I was honest on the application. Apparently, this means I can't be insured. Even with Rolaids.
-d