Difficulty getting health insurance w/ herpes - Herpes Message Board

new_to_this · 03-17-2005, 10:25 PM

I was recently turned down by 2 health insurance providers who both cited genital herpes as the reason I was being turned down for coverage. Has anyone else had difficulty getting insurance ever since being diagnosed with genital herpes?

renessa14 · 03-23-2005, 08:08 PM

From what I understand, insurance companies can pull medical records and find your pre-existing conditions. They cannot deny you insurance based on this but may not cover the pre-existing condition. The federal government has set limits to the pre-existing conditions that can and cannot be excluded from a policy. You may want to find out what kind of conditions are set by the government.

I am in this situation now too. I recently moved out of state and am unemployed, but I know when I get a new job and insurance I may have problems with this as well.

Good luck

drenyob · 03-25-2005, 01:02 AM

This could be another subject but relates to health insurance. I know I have herpes but haven't been tested yet. I am a student and still under my parents health insurance. I don't really want them to know about the std. If I get tested will they find out somehow??

hsvmom · 03-25-2005, 07:32 AM

yes, they can deny the preexisting condition for a period of time, but i also don't think they can deny coverage in general. Also, did you have insurance previously? If so, the time you were insured can sometimes be counted towards the time you have to wait for coverage. It depends a lot on how long you've been uninsured. I was insured at the time my babies were born with herpes, so I don't have much more than that to offer...sorry.

drenyob...no. They won't know. They may get an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) in the mail that explains the claim. It will say the date of service, the provider, and a very vague and generic description of what was done, and how the claim was covered and paid. When I say vague and generic, I really mean vague and generic. I have about 30 pages of EOBs for each of my sons that just say "Laboratory" all the way down the page. When I look at it I have absolutely no clue which test was which. For my doctor's exams it just says "medical exam." It doesn't even say anything like "well woman exam" or anything like that. If you are still concerned, call the insurance company and ask them to explain to you how their privacy policy would protect you in that situation. They should really be able to put your mind at ease.

are you a student in college? If so, try the university's health clinic. They are usually pretty on top of STDs and tend to know more about a lot of them then a lot of doc's. At least, at the universities I attended that was the case. Usually it will be free or very very cheap and the records would be very private.

Mmshelll · 04-15-2005, 08:38 AM

New to This ... also may try somewhere like Planned Parenthood.

HSVMOM -- different topic, but you said your babies had have herpes? Was this due to ob during vaginal birth or is there other ways for them to get it? I am preg so wondering.

Thanks.