One more way for the information to run queries to cherry pick applicants is accomplished. When you apply for insurance, the fine writing will usually state that you are giving permission to check any medical information and records and, yes, this includes prescriptions. Even the $4.00 generic retailers can’t help out here as they maintain records too even if you pay cash.
Two companies supplying these pharmacy profiles—MedPoint and IntelliScript—violated federal law for years by keeping the system hidden from consumers. They collect data and can sell the file back to the insurance company for maybe $15.00 or so. Not only does this help to deny coverage, but it levies other reasons to charge a higher rate for coverage too, and employers pay attention too as this can result in overall higher premiums for your group plan too.
The 2 companies buy the data bases from Pharmacy Benefit Managers like Medco as an example, but some retailers have their own Pharmacy Benefit Managers, and there are no HIPAA or other privacy laws to stop the process, scary. The insurance companies say this helps identify high risks, well yes, so they can potentially dodge a high risk of sorts. The insurance companies are not notifying consumers why they were denied if it was due to a pharmaceutical data mine either. So what is the solution, go back to getting medications from Canada, and I say that with a bit of satire here. One other item, what about fraud, could one be denied in this case, it does happen here and there.
Just one more angle in the fight for healthcare. The more meds you take, the greater potential of scrutiny when it comes to insurance. The records they have access to can go back up to 5 years. As the insurance business dwindles here due to the economy, more are opening up offices in China for their next frontier. If you have read recent posts here you can see where several carriers have been sued in California and new laws are being passed to give the department of managed care more teeth to go up against the carriers to assure equal opportunities and cut down this type of activity, after all who can you trust anymore…that’s one good question. BD
That prescription you just picked up at the drugstore could hurt your chances of getting health insurance. An untold number of people have been rejected for medical coverage for a reason they never could have guessed: Insurance companies are using huge, commercially available prescription databases to screen out applicants based on their drug purchases.
Interesting info. I am selling Toronto term life so I can see the battle among any insurance companies, not only health insurance. The competition at high level and no wonder, they are using all possible ways to protect themselves and collect the best and less dangerous clients. And let's wait for genetic testing! No GINA will help...
ReplyDeleteLorne