Another Person Denied Health Insurance for Being Deaf?
Sunday September 7, 2008
Do deaf people get denied health insurance for having a hearing loss? This topic was blogged two years ago in "Denied Health Insurance for Having Deafness." Now there is a new comment on that post as follows:
Illinois Blue Cross/Blue Shield just denied me health insurance because of my hearing loss. I lost my hearing at 18 months of age….does that mean that all children with a hearing loss are or will be similarly denied? This is not right. I’m not even a candidate for a cochlear implant and their policy does not cover hearing aids anyway!This person posted anonymously, so I am not able to contact them to ask if they have any proof that the denial was because of hearing loss. If it is indeed true, it is something to be concerned about. Do you know anyone who has been denied health insurance solely because of deafness and no other valid health-related reasons? Talk about this issue on the forum.
Comments
Hmm…that is interesting. I wonder if people in general get denied easily for a lot of things if they had tried to get insurance on their own. I know many deaf people have Blue Cross insurance, most under the Federal Employee Benefit Program. I think if one had insurance through their employer, they wouldn’t get denied. I would suggest that person fight it because I’m going to bet that there are already many people in IL BC/BS that are deaf!!! You see, federal employee’s BC/BS insurance gets filed throught their state BC/BS insurance.
The Anthem health insurance company also cutted off my health insurance coverage last year after they don’t want to put up with the cost of ASL interpreters as I was in the hosptial from the auto accident.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
RLM,
I cannot beleive your comment made me shock and cannot understand that Health Insurance cannot cut you because of your injuries and The insurance should not pay ASL interpreter and Here is: http://www.seekgeo.com/?=189 by Seekgeo’s website.
Hosptial or nusring home or medical clinic cannot force you to pay interpreter. They broke the law of American Disabities Acts. They must pay an interpreter with a tax id: and not take out of your health insurance.
NAD say it is ok.. but not A.D.A say No, They should pay for your need to meet of your injuries were accused by cross walking someone honked you and you can not hear them.
How can everyone harshed on you and other deaf people,. I also was victims,too. you also became victims by insurance refused.
That’s wrong!
Forgive me, I put wrong number were in website address for some reason.
Here is http://www.seekgeo.com/?p=189
Deaf Pixie,
I did appeal to the Anthem health insurance over a year. No luck at all.
I also have another health insurance as Plan B anyway.
I have to file the legal complaint against this HMO company for its own illegal discrimination against deaf clients.
While I resided in DC. I never had any problems of having the receptionist with the hosptial or doctor’s office to arrange for the ASL interpreter.
I recently had a snafu with my own health insurance, because of the inaccurate computer data within the pharmacist to deny me prescription because my doctor was not in the system. I had to pay that prescription out of my own pocket.
My doctor checked out with the pharmacist and health insurance company and found out that they made a mistake. Huh?
RLM
RLM
RLM,
I suggest you to written and contact Insurance Commission in your hometown and complaint to the Commssion. It is not right to take out of your fee for interpreter fee. I urgent you to print out with ADA and show the commission by ADA.gov and need to education to Insurance to stop to take out of your health insurance. It is not same as Handicapped people do have a insurance to take out for caregiver. It is quiet different than ASL interpreter.
Insurance Commissor can investtiage your insurance company and you also additional complainted to Hospital with cc: whom, Etc
I know you might overwelmed to fight over doctor or insurance are uneducated about ASL interpreter can pay cover by doctor’s expense along with Tax ID#
Please make copies to two of letter to Hosptial and Commission for your records. with a Mail certifited. They will prove you got green certficate when mail arrive their business address.
Please feel free to email me. Ask Jamie to send me one if you need to reach.
RLM,
You can also send copy recipiet for out of pocket for medicine fill. I can related similiar mine before. Insurance sometime mistaken or Pharmacist. I know it is screwed up with your insurance and How frustrated with Hosptial and insurance systems is VERY HELL for me.
These sorts of denial problems are not limited to Blue Cross. The main problem is that systematic information about insurance denials is nearly impossible to gather given privacy rules, and so insurers can use this to advantage to shave $$$ from their bottom line. A new website called http://www.helpreformhealthcare is attempting to gather this complaint information systematically (and anonymously, so as not to violate privacy rules) so it can inform the health insurance debate. Add your complaint to the list.