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Continuation... 

7. You can apply for insurance with the idea of replacing the other insurance. If you aren't happy with the result of your approval on the new insurance, you can cancel that and stay with your current one.  I talked with an underwriter for Protective Life Insurance and he said he doesn't rate any down for CD if they are complying with the diet.  Of course, they will do a health questionnaire, probably require your medical doctor records on you to view so it depends if you have any other health problems, etc.  Just some ideas for you to consider.  But do know that applying for an insurance policy does not make you give up your other one unless you decide to take it after they have made a decision.  If you want to accept it, THEN you replace the current one.  Hope this helps.

 

8. It has never been an issue with my Celiac condition. It isn't active, so why bring it up?  I was first diagnosed back in 1966. It's become a way of life for me. I'm active, I work, I enjoy life just as much, if not more than the average person... I don't have any disease. I'm just on a Gluten Free Diet. I don't even bring it up unless I'm at a dinner.....  

 

If it were me, I think I'd keep the policy you have, unless it's a lot cheaper. 

 

9. It never came up when we got Long Term Care Insurance. The blood work for celiac is so specific, I don't see how an insurance company will ask for it. I have annual routine blood work for general health, and it's not something that comes up at all. I've never heard of celiac being an issue. They're more likely to care about heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, etc. I could be wrong.

 

10. Sorry to say you will have no luck getting a better rated policy.  I was diagnosed during the time that I had a policy pending and due to my disclosure of My mother having been a celiac and dying from it.  That raised a question and they looked further into my records.  And seen that I had just recently had a colonoscopy and there was no getting around the issue.  They did agree to write a policy for me but it would have ended up being double what he had quoted me before they got suspicious.  My insurance agent recommend.  That after 5 years I might possible reapply and use my good health records as an argument that I am not at risk when I follow diet.  I am 43 and my mom died at 58.

 

Note: I believe the reply # 11. is about health insurance, not life insurance, but since it is a related topic and it sounds like changing the wording opened the door to getting coverage and may be helpful to others: 

 

11. My husband is self-employed.  We had a lapse in health coverage and when we finally applied to Blue Cross/Blue Shield we were denied based on our disclosure of our daughter's celiac disease.  We reapplied to Aetna and this time called it "gluten intolerance" - "treated by diet alone".  We were accepted without problems.  Good luck.

 

12. Some insurance companies requisition your medical records.  If that's what yours does, then they will find out about it.  And, no they will not test for celiac disease in the simple blood tests they perform.  Besides, if you've been gluten free for a while, nothing will show up on your blood work anyway.

 

13. I think it is very unfair to us Celiacs to be charged extra funds for an 

insurance policy, because of our celiac state. However, I do know that the insurance company can ask the medical doctor  for a medical form to be filled in, it did happen to my son, just within  the last three years.

 

Frankly, I would stay with your current policy as they cannot refuse you now that you have it, and let well enough alone. If only the insurance companies knew how many persons answer the questions NOT truthfully on an insurance application, that is one reason I had no testing done, I adhere to the gluten free diet, while my two sons had insurance before the blood test diagnosis. The insurance companies are just looking for an "out".

 

Also someone who has had TB or cancer cannot buy life insurance. My neighbour had TB with no life insurance, and my son's wife had cancer and is unable to purchase life insurance, but had they had it before there is nothing that could be done about it. Life is not always fair.

 

14. It is unlikely the routine test will check for celiac antibodies but the questionnaire will certainly ask questions that you would have to lie about to hide your diagnosis. I went through this recently and was denied "preferred status" because of celiac.  I contested it and after writing to my celiac doctor and receiving documentation, I finally received the lower rate.  It was a hassle--went on for a few months, and your outcome might be different. Incidentally, I don't smoke and said so.  One of the tests was to detect traces of nicotine (or something) and confirmed that I didn't smoke, but I thought that was interesting. Good luck.

 

15. Hi.  Don't change insurance policies.  My Dad is an insurance agent.  You would have to answer a very detailed health questionnaire AND yes, they can request all of your medical records.  Don't do it.  Your rates will either be extremely higher... or worse... they can refuse to give you coverage at all.  We will never change from what we have now.

 

16. I would go with your gut feeling and leave well enough alone.  Based on my experience, when you want to update, they treat it like a new policy and you go through the entire process of applying.  This includes a questionnaire, blood work, and most importantly, they contact your physician and ask for a copy of your health records.

 

After my diagnosis when I wanted to supplement my existing policy with another through my husband's employer, I was refused coverage.  Since then I have had several letters from the insurer of my existing policy telling me that I can get better rates.  They told me that I would have to "reapply" to get these new rates.  I have always refused and kept the policy as is.

 

17. The only blood test that will probably be done will be to test you for HIV. Why not apply for the insurance with a different company and if you don't get a lower rate, stay with what you have. 

 

18. I really can't comment on CD and insurance but I also have thyroid disease and I can comment on that. Not long after we were married my husband and I looked into life insurance.  We bought it for him first and at the same time we looked at costs of a policy on me, just based on thyroid disease (wasn't diagnosed for CD at that time), a policy for me was so high we chose not to buy one.

 

If doctors don't know what CD is, maybe the insurance companies don't know what it is.  Do you have an insurance agent who would give you quotes before you switched?  If you did, I would ask them before changing anything.

 

I believe the forms do ask for all illnesses you've had in the past and currently have.  They may also ask what runs in your family.  I think if you knowingly put down incorrect information and they find out about it, that is just not put anything down for CD, they don't have to pay you anything.

 

19.I applied for a life insurance policy after being diagnosed with CD.  I disclosed the diagnosis on the application and the requirement the insurance company had was that I have a follow-up biopsy to show that my villi were healed and that I was adhering to the gluten-free diet.  I had recently done that, as my GI doctor wanted to make sure everything was healing properly and I (for some reason) don't seem to show anything on the blood test, so the biopsy is the only way of knowing.  Once the insurance company had the results of the follow-up biopsy showing all was well - they had no problem approving my policy and I am not paying a higher premium.  Good luck!



That's all folks!

Joyce 

New Jersey

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