Words to the wise: If you are nearing graduation from college and will lose your parent's health insurance and have HPV please listen. If your last pap smear was normal pay out of pocket for your next one just in case it's abnormal so it won't be on your insurance record. Believe me, once an abnormal pap smear is on your record and you have HPV, no insurance in California will cover you. If it's normal this time, then submit your insurance.
In 1 day I lost my job and my health insurance. My daughter who has HPV and abnormal pap smears could not be covered for this pre-existing condition by Anthem, or Blue Shield. I wanted to share that if you have HPV and your pap smears (2 in a row) are normal, you'll be accepted in California. If your Colposcopy is normal and you have low-risk HPV you'll be covered. But once you are diagnosed with high risk HPV you have to wait 5 years AND have clean pap smears. BRUTAL facts.
But there is hope. In our case I chose COBRA to cover my daughter until her smears are clean. There has been an improvement in her diagnosis. Other hopeful news is if you get a full time job, you will be on group coverage and they have to cover you, but make sure you get a certificate of coverage from your parent's insurance so they will cover your pre-existing condition, the certificate will also shorten or waive the waiting period for pre-existing conditions.
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Proactivemom,
Would paying out of pocket at an establishment such as a planned parenthood show up on an insurance record? They have my social security number but no information on my health insurance.
November 26, 2014 - 11:06pmThis Comment
there's an option to continue the insurance coverage you've been getting at your previous job (it's called cobra.) i actually received a packet in the mail a couple days ago, but it's about $350 a month to continue. I guess I can make modifications to decrease the amount of money it costs, but right now I can't really afford anything else. so unfortunately i am just praying i will be okay until I get my new insurance coverage from my new job. there's always state insurance: medi CAL - but i don't quite know how extensive their coverage is.
August 26, 2009 - 10:36pmThis Comment
Good luck Romaji. If you sign up for Cobra you can cancel it when you get your other insurance, so it will only be for a short time. Pretty soon your previous insurance will send you a certificate of credible coverage (HIPPA). When you get your new insurance, that certificate could waive your pre-existing condition. If I was your Mother I would be very proud of you taking this all in consideration. My daughter told me most of her friends have no insurance other than through college. Thank goodness you have a new job - hope your insurance worries end soon.
August 27, 2009 - 10:29amThis Comment
After posting my comment, I wondered what you do for your other health needs (like if you needed an X-ray, physical, etc.)? A woman your age needs full coverage. Can you ask your last employer for a certificate of credible coverage that is supposed to cover you for all pre-existing conditions (if you don't have a gap of more than 63 days between insurances)?
August 26, 2009 - 7:06amThis Comment
Wonderful! I will tell my daughter about it!
August 26, 2009 - 6:52amThis Comment
false. in California, there is something called fam pack card you can get at most clinics by filling out a form. It's a green card that covers all sexual health related issues. std checks, pap smears, birth controls and antibiotics. I am 24, my hpv got worse, and I just switched jobs recently so I lost my insurance coverage. The lady at the clinic told me about the fam pack card and it covered my colposcopy last week.
August 25, 2009 - 11:12pmThis Comment
Proactive Mom,
Thank you for this helpful information. It is entirely too common for health insurance to not cover pre-existing conditions...or not to cover a condition that even has something in common with your pre-existing condition! It is frustrating and detrimental to everyone's health and well-being.
It will be interesting to hear from others who live outside of California; have you found this to be true in you state as well?
This is an important message, as many students are accustomed to great health insurance (either through their parent's or the student health plan), that it is a rude-awakening to find out that health insurance is not a guarantee with employment (and, employment is no guarantee, either).
I hesitate somewhat on verbally "endorsing" what you are suggesting, as isn't it a form of insurance fraud? The pap smear would still be part of the medical record, even if paid for out-of-pocket, and many doctor offices do submit health insurance claims on behalf of the patient. Ideally, having group health insurance coverage is the best, that covers pre-existing conditions, but more and more people are finding out that this is not always an option for them, especially right out of college.
Would love to hear other's thoughts on this.
August 23, 2009 - 1:04pmThis Comment
Alison,
I understand your concern and hesitancy about my advice. Fraud constitutes making a false statement. This is more of what I intended to say:
If you have HPV and have had normal pap smears, PLEASE apply for insurance before you have your next pap smear. Then you will not be making a false statement. This is the exact wording on the application:
_____
Have you or an applying family member received treatment or professional advice, or experienced symptoms related to: Female reproductive system -- such as: breast problems; breast implants; adhesions; abnormal bleeding; amenorrhea; miscarriage and/or abortion; endometriosis; fibroid tumors; abnormal Pap test; problems of the ovaries, uterus and associated female organs; in-vitro fertilization; infections, genital warts, herpes, syphilis, or other venereal disease (except HIV infection); or is either the applicant, spouse or domestic partner whether or not listed on the application, being treated or been treated for infertility within the last 24 months?
_______
As said earlier, if you have HPV you would have to check this box, but they will not deny you if you've had 2 consecutive clear pap smears.
Paying out of pocket for tests is not unethical, it's being proactive. This practice is very common in large corporations. They offer employees complete blood work at health fairs. The results are private and go directly to the employee so they can be proactive in turning their health around with diet and exercise before they have their physicals on public record.
I'm sorry if you thought my advice was in any way illegal or fraudulent. Insurance companies are very uncaring about HPV, they would not call my daughter's doctor even when her colposcopy showed no abnormal cells because she has high-risk HPV. This has been very upsetting and frustrating. Just recently I became aware of the certificate of credible insurance that I received during my layoff. It protects one from pre-existing conditions IF they go onto to another insurance within 63 days of loss of coverage. This paperwork is worth it's weight in gold. If one gets coverage through work (group coverage), this paperwork can waive the pre-existing condition clause--it's your right.
August 23, 2009 - 6:20pmThis Comment
ProactiveMom,
So glad to hear back from you--I thought your advice was great, and it is nice to read more clearly what you are suggesting the 20-somethings out of college to do regarding health insurance: apply for health insurance sooner-rather-than-later, while your health is still good and you do not have any pre-existing conditions. HPV is very common, fortunately most of the strains are low-risk and do not cause long-term conditions, and I think your information will help many, many women.
I am surprised that "abnormal pap smear" is among the conditions listed, as this is very, very common for women. Perhaps the words that are most important is whether or not the condition is being "treated" or if "symptoms" are present? (Hypothetically, a woman can have an abnormal pap smear that does not need treatment---most of the time they do not---and are asymptomatic, which means the "box would not need to be checked??).
I have many issues with our individual health insurance company as well (we do not have group health coverage), and I think the more we share our successes and failures regarding this topic, the more aware everyone is regarding the health care crisis and hopefully we can see some health care reform (whatever the form; regardless of your political affiliation) very soon.
August 23, 2009 - 8:57pmThis Comment