Am I out of Luck?

wanabthin · June 11, 2007

We are changing our insurance over to my husband's plan on 7/1/07. Of coarse my first fear is denial because we will have just gotten the insurance into affect, then I remembered out of habit ( I always lie about my weight) I lied about my weight on the forms we filled out because I was afraid my husband would look at them on his way to work. Anyway I knocked off about 25 or so lbs. Have I completely messed up my chances w/insurance?

uniqueone · June 11, 2007

What are the weight numbers involved?

Alexandra · June 11, 2007

Lying about your weight on insurance forms is not enough, I wouldn't think, to create a problem with the carrier in terms of coverage. You should call your husband's HR administrator as soon as you can and ask how important it is that those numbers be accurate.

But I very much doubt that the information on that application form has anything to do with whether the policy covers you for banding surgery. You haven't even begun the process of being diagnosed with morbid obesity and submitting a request for surgery precertification, right? You're just talking about the enrollment form, and one thing has nothing to do with another.

Also, your new carrier can't exclude anything as a pre-existing condition if you're moving from one carrier to another. If you didn't have a gap in your coverage, you can't be penalized for your employer changing plans.

wanabthin · June 11, 2007

Thanks for the replies. I think I put that i weigh around 175 when it truth it is more like 220. My employer did not change plans. I have always held the coverage for my family but my husband just got a new job and his insurance was much better for us so we are going with his plan but there will not be a gap in coverage.

Alexandra · June 12, 2007

Well, whatever the differential in weight to fact I guarantee you the carrier has assumed MOST people will lie about their weight. Your husband has just hired and so was added on to the company's plan when he was eligible. Therefore there should be no pre-existing condition exclusions, and the information you put on your enrollment form is probably not material to the kind of coverage you will receive.