|
|
The Impact Depression can have on Your Individual Health Insurance
|
|
Depression and Health Insurance
If you've experienced depression, along with your obvious challenges, you may find purchasing an individual health insurance plan challenging as well. In the past you may have relied on counseling services or medication to get you through a tough time, but you still have trouble getting health insurance today. According to Karen Pollitz, a Georgetown University researcher who co-authored a study on the individual health insurance market for the Kaiser Family Foundation, individual insurers might deny you coverage based on your medical history if it includes use of prescription drugs to treat depression and anxiety and counseling services.
According the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 18.8 million adult Americans suffer from some form of depression in any given year. Statistics show that one in five of us will experience depression at least once during our lives. Despite this, a lot of people are putting off treatment because they are terrified of being punished for it.
According to the California Health Care Council's "Medical Privacy and Confidentiality" survey, 15% of American adults say that have done something "out of the ordinary" to keep their medical information private. These steps include:
Paying out of pocket
Not seeking care
Giving inaccurate information on medical history forms
Asking a doctor not to record your condition in his records
What Can You Do?
So what do you do if your depression is already etched in stone? Can you still get individual health insurance?
It is possible, but it will probably take a lot of persistence. The best you can do is fill out an application and be as truthful as possible. If you are denied, talk to your doctor to write a letter on your behalf.
!
 Do you recommend this article to others?
|
|
|
|
