Shopping for new health insurance in as much as my Blue Cross Blue Shield, 1 person, group plan was now over $900.00 a month I sought out information on other plans. I solicited for Health Insurance information and was contacted by an agent for American Medical Security. After showing me the plan in glowing terms and cheap prices, I agreed to pay $1600 up front, for 3 months coverage while the policy was "approved".in addition to that fee, the agent suggested that I buy two (2) other "supplamental" programs that came to another $400.00 (their yearly premium). So there I sat, with no insurance, (I had cancelled my Blue Cross Blue Shield never dreaming I would have a problem getting new insurance) out of pocket for $2000.00
During the application filling out process, I told the agent that I had been hospitalized with chest pain but that a comprehensive 2 day hospital stay and testing had confirmed that my heart was in "great" condition.in fact my Cardiologist, who is world renowned stated to me "I have good news and then I have more good news" and proceeded to tell me that my heart was in excellent condition and that my cardiac stress test was optimal and other cardiac tests such as my cardiac sonogram were excellent. My personal doctor is Board Certified in Internal Medicine specialist and after a careful review of all my tests stated that my heart was in "excellent" condition and I had "absolutely nothing to worry about". He further said my, overall health, as far as cancer, cholesterol, kidneys, liver, lungs, chest etc., was in excellent shape. NO PROBLEMS!
I told all of this to my agent. I also told him I had smoked but not inhaled 11 cigars in the last 24 months and he immediately said we had to say I was a "smoker" because American Medical Security does a urine sample and that nicotine would show up and my application would be fraudlent. So I agreed, said I was a smoker, which I am not, and have not inhaled or smoked a cigarett in 20 years.
To make a long story short, on a Friday night at 6:30 pm two weeks after I filled out the application the agent calls and tells me I am "UNINSURABLE" and that I have a "SEVERE HEART CONDITION" and that he is suprised that I did not tell him. He said he thought that I was a straight shooter!!!
He won't tell me what the condition is. American Medical won't tell me and after 1 month and 3 meetings with my Doctor, he calls AMERICAN MEDICAL SECURITY and they tell him that my cardiac sonogram report makes me UNINSURABLE. He actually laughed and said the the "UNDERWRITER" while holding the report in his hands, that the valve leakage cited was "MILD" and could be described as "MINIMAL" and that no heart is "PERFECT" and that my heart was in excellent condition. All to no avail. The person on the phone with him stated AMERICAN MEDICAL HAS THE RIGHT TO REFUSE COVERAGE BASED ON MEDICAL CONDITION TO ANYONE IT WANTS TO.
So the agent set me up and AMERICAN MEDICAL SECURITY nailed my insurance coffin shut with a letter DENYING MEDICAL COVERAGE. Now the last two companies I talked to wanted to know if I had ever been denied medical coverage and of course I said yes and of course they said "SORRY".
MY ADVICE. Don't play games with expert game players like american medical security & don't pay any insurance company up front until they approve the policy. American Medical did send me a check back with a complete refund AND THEN CONTACTED ME TO SEE IF I WAS INTERESTED IN HIGH RISK, HIGH COST MEDICAL INSURANCE!!! THAT DID IT FOR ME. They have really screwed up my life just because they wanted more of my money.
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