DON'T TELL YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY...

Byline: LAURA J. RIFT Local View

SEVERAL months ago, I lost my job and with it my good health insurance benefits. Since the monthly payment to continue my coverage through COBRA was nearly $600 and unaffordable, I planned to decline it and instead apply for an individual ``catastrophic'' health insurance policy that I would use only in emergencies. This was a no-brainer (I thought) because I was in good overall health and couldn't imagine having a problem getting accepted for such coverage.

Here's what I indicated on my application:

I hadn't been hospitalized for 23 years since the birth of my son and rarely saw a doctor. I was on only one prescription medication (for anxiety), although I had a prescription for insomnia that I used rarely (try a few pills in six months).

A physical a few years back yielded a single high cholesterol reading, although my overall cholesterol was borderline high, and the good cholesterol very high.

I found out through the same physical that I had quirky conduction in my heart -- but was told in no uncertain terms that I had no underlying heart disease and even had to switch from my HMO to a PPO to be able to see a cardiologist to tell me so. I did have a short history of irregular menstrual bleeding because of menopause, but I couldn't imagine how that would hurt me.

And last but apparently not least, I was somewhat overweight, although no more so than the average middle-aged woman.

All of the above amounted to no hospitalizations, little in the way of prescription medication or doctor costs, and almost no time off from work because of illness -- ever.

Yet I couldn't even qualify for a plan that would mainly pay for hospitalization.

One insurance company declined my application for a catastrophic medical policy after telling me that all of the above minor conditions disqualified me.

They also stated that my mild arthritis-like symptoms were labeled by my doctor as ``degenerative joint disease,'' which was news to me.

The molehill of my medical ``problems'' was made into a nonexistent mountain.

A few days after the decline I tried to get my anxiety medication refilled. Silly me.

I thought my cost would go up only marginally now that I had no insurance -- after all, it was a generic drug -- but no such luck: $65.20 was the retail amount I was told to pay.

Since I couldn't see using an anti-anxiety medication that would increase my anxiety when I paid for it, I decided to ``self-medicate'' by saving my money.

The update on my situation is that, with the help of my doctor, I had my application reconsidered and then approved, but not without a penalty: I have to pay a 75percent additional monthly premium and can't get the additional premium removed until I'm free of the anti-anxiety medication for a full year and lose about 20 pounds.

So what to make of all this?

It seems to me that when I had expensive, mostly employer-paid medical coverage through my job, I was not supposed to use it.

Going to the doctor to try to resolve minor chronic problems is penalized because then the minor problem gets in your medical records, and only someone with virtually no history of any kind qualifies for individual coverage.

The moral of the story is don't try to get better because what you say can and will be used against you. The system is worse than broken.

Remember this the next time you see those drug ads on TV promising you a good night's sleep.