THEIR RULES, OUR PAIN
Real stories of people trampled by the insurance companies
“After not being insured for a year, I finally got insurance from my job. They gave me a form to fill out where I mentioned that I had high blood pressure. Once I was covered, the insurance company started denying all types of care, claiming it was due to a ‘prior condition.’ This included not paying for an eye infection and refusing to buy a sleep apnea machine. It didn't make any sense. What does an eye infection have to do with blood pressure? What does sleep apnea have to do with blood pressure? Why was I paying insurance premiums if I couldn't use the insurance?”
What are the insurance companies not cheap about? Find out in this week’s Foul Play.
Read other stories in the "Their Rules, Our Pain" archive.
LATEST SCORECARD
Fifty-eight percent of primary care doctors in the U.S. report their patients often have difficulty paying for medications and care, and half of U.S. doctors spend substantial time dealing with restrictions insurance companies place on their patients’ care, according to the 2009 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey.
LEARN MORE
Families saw their premiums for job-based health insurance rise to an average of $13,375 annually in 2009, with workers paying an average share of $3,515 and employers paying $9,860.
LEARN MORE
