Insane Insurance

Hola!

I'm starting this blog because I wanted to share my thoughts on the insanity that exists in everyday life. Here's my first one.

What the Hell do insurance companies think they are doing!!?

I heard a story today about a gentlemen that signed up for health insurance from a major national provider. He signed up through his employer in November of 2006. (The dates are rough approximations as close as I can remember).

This particular individual drinks alcohol. In fact, in October of 2006 he was issued a DUI for drinking and driving. I'm not promoting drinking and driving in any way. However, this was the only known issue he had involving alcohol. He had not approached his physician, work or school regarding drinking alcohol. There was no other written record of alcohol involvement.

After receiving the DUI, this person started his new job, signed up for health insurance and went about his life. Soon,his court date approached to resolve the DUI charge. He pled no contest and proceeded to agree to outpatient group therapy to address his decision to drink and drive.

After successfully completing the group therapy he has had no further known issues with alcohol.

It is now December of 2007. This person has just received a letter from the insurance company stating that they would not pay for his group treatment and he was going to be put on a one year "Pre-Existing" holding period for further insurance. Furthermore, they (roughly) tripled his premium retroactive to his first day of application.

The insurance company claims that it received information from the group treatment facility, contained within his medical records, stateing that the patient had a DUI in his recent history. Though there was no medical history of "prolonged" or even minor but habitual usage, the insurance company accepted this one known instance as a "pre-existing" health condition and is charging the insured a "premium" premium - retroactively - and is not even providing him coverage for another twelve months for this issue.

The question is: Does one instance substantiate a pre-existing condition?