<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Hi Everyone, Thank you for your comments regarding this subject. It appears that others are having similar experiences regarding health insurance. Below are excerpts from your messages that may be helpful: "My husband and I recently tried to apply for different coverage within the same health insurance company here in Montana. It is a Montana-based company. I was denied and the two reasons cited with a history of Celiac Disease and Nabothian Cervical Cysts (which are common in women, but benign and very rarely cause any problems). I was told the decision was based on a common point system they use provided to health insurance companies. I did some research and then wrote back to the insurance company, citing facts about both celiac and the cysts and asked that they reconsider. They won't!" "I was not denied Health Insurance. They simply refused to pay anything GI related for 1 year. After the year was over, they would re-evaluate. But the carrier was not BC/BS. Fortunately, My husbands employer was having trouble attracting new employees because they didn't offer Health Care coverage. They finally implemented health care policy and all was well. We were able to get coverage through his employer and the HC plan was through BC/BS. I would suggest they your friend simply say she is allergic to wheat instead of letting them know he/she has celiac disease. Anytime one out disease on anything it sends up red flags. If you say you have an allergy, or say your gluten intolerant they usually don't think twice. Your friend may want to appeal by telling them as well as showing them documentation that her condition is under control." "I would suggest she contact the benefits security administration first. They were a tremendous help to me one time when Cigna tried to deny me benefits and they found a loop hole for me. There are many laws and loopholes out there that the average person doesn't know about and the health insurance companies will try to get away with cause they know nine times out of ten, they can!! I fought it and won! and the representative involved with the security administration was extremely helpful and went to bat on my behalf....good luck, I've included the weblink: http://askebsa.dol.gov/" "I wasn't biopsy confirmed, so when I applied I just put down "gluten intolerance". That was a couple years ago, I think before they even cared about CD. Talking to an independent agent is helpful as far as what words they give more scrutiny to. I had trouble getting insurance because of back problems, the agent told me to write "backache" instead of "back pain" because that is a phrase that catches the underwriter's eye. It's very hard to get independent coverage, unfortunately. I know people who have gotten turned down just for having allergies. Another thing I did was that if one thing I had been treated for was a symptom of another thing I had put down already, I tried to not put it down again and have it be two hits against me for just one problem. Hypothyroid and celiac had to be separate, but celiac and nutritional deficiencies are definitely under the same umbrella. He can run that by an agent to make sure it's all done correctly without tripping over any traps so to speak. Unfortunately, I think most applications ask if you've been turned down befor and why... so he may want to look into working with BCBS to review it again." "insurance companies will not insure us on an individual plan. The company my husband is with is changing many of their policies to include diseases that have not been covered in the past." "I suggest that she speak to an attorney knowledgeable in the area of health insurance law. In the alternative, she should call her local government's health insurance regulatory agency. Also, I found this website, for individuals who cannot obtain other insurance due to a "high risk status." However, I would strongly suggest that she consult with an attorney before trying this option - as it will make it difficult for her to get insurance in the future, and is likely not transferable if she were to move, as it is administered by the state of Missouri. http://www.mhip.org/. If she wants to contact an attorney, here is a good place to start: The American Bar Association, http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/findlegalhelp/home.cfm." "I feel is the worse for writing policies they add for everything, exclude everything and charge you many bucks I was charged $964 for me alone every 2 months and to top it all off, never told them i was a celiac just think if i had" "I had the same problem with BC/BS of Illinois. I did obtain a letter from physician explaining that I was now in excellent health through my gluten free diet, and no longer even required iron supplementation (my presenting symptom was anemia). I appealed the denial, submitting my doctor's letter along with my own letter explaining the diet and how it actually made me a better risk than individuals who eat an unhealthy diet and don't have regular check-ups. I was denied again. BC/BS directed me to the State of Illinois program for people who are denied private coverage. Fortunately for me, I changed jobs and was then able to be covered by my employer's plan." "I also requested health insurance reimbursement for specialty foods due to celiac disease...I have harvard pilgrim hmo. They denied me and told me that it had to be a malnutrition type disease such as Crohn's disease or something that requires you to be fed through a tube or such. I called and spoke to someone after my submitted letter and denial and told them that it is a case of malnutrition in a sense because you lack the nutrients you are supposed to get due to intestinal damage. Still, to no avail. I don't get it. I am pretty persistent when it is something I believe in and my food bill has gone up considerably because I am buying foods from health markets that I know will be safe for me." I will be sending a part 2 with additional comments. I hope that some of them are helpful. Barbara in SW Missouri *Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the Celiac List* ******* To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[log in to unmask] *******