STAYING HEALTHY

Below is an email I sent to our health insurance company a week ago.  I have not received any communication from them to date. 

We had recently attended a health fair for our company and had received our test results in the mail.  We were told to input our information on our "health profile" as a way to ultimately save us money.  Over the years our health insurance has provided less and less coverage, to the point that doctor bills can upset our budget pretty quickly.  We follow any procedures that can save us money. 

After taking the survey, the health survey summary showed I was at high risk in several categories...weight, blood pressure, exercise, nutrition...no surprises there.  BUT...at the top of the list was "cancer" and it said "existing condition." 

I was stunned!  I had input my diagnosis date as September 17, 1997 and my remission date...the date given to me by my oncologist...September 17, 1997; the date of my surgery...my colon resection, the date of the pathology report showing cancer, the date the surgeon removed the tumor.   I'm a 16 year cancer survivor. 

I must have done something wrong on this survey but the computer program would not let me go back and see what I had input.  Surprise turned to fear and then fear to anger, hence the letter.

Not receiving any reply...again, I am stunned. 

To Whom It May Concern:

The computer will not allow me to go back into my health survey to review my entry as to why my final results show I have an “existing condition” for cancer.  I am a 16 year survivor of colon cancer.  I do NOT have an existing condition and for this health survey to state otherwise is WRONG and just plain hurtful. 

If the purpose of your health survey is to scare people, you have succeeded.    

I pray you (I hope this is read by an actual human being not just another computer counting beans for some insurance company) or someone you love never receives a diagnosis of cancer.  Your world is changed…forever.  BUT…you listen to the doctors as they give you their best advice; you and your family discuss the choices you have to make; you choose your plan for treatment; prepare your finances and your life for a 180 degree turn around; and you pray, your family prays, everyone who knows you or anyone in your family prays, people you don’t even know pray.

When treatment is done you visit the doctor regularly for your…monthly, then every three months, then every six months, then every year…check-up just to be sure your body hasn’t betrayed you, again.  After each check-up you breathe a deep, deep sigh of relief. After year number five, the doctor releases you and you are no longer a cancer patient.  You and your family celebrate and you begin to live life believing…I’m good.  God has walked with me through the fire and I am good, praise God.

After the really big tests…for me that is a colonoscopy every five years…you celebrate again. You don’t even realize you and your family still have a small dark spot inside your hearts that keeps praying, “not again, Lord, please, not again.”  When the doctor says, “looks good…see you in five more years,”  you don’t even realize how tense you were until you hear the doctor’s good report.  You smile a little bigger and you feel light on your feet.  God is good!

I am a regular participant in Relay For Life here in Hood County, Texas.  I was a team captain for years and I have always urged every survivor I knew to join in for the benefit of the newest cancer patients attending Relay for the first time.  All I had to say to these survivors was, “remember how you felt when you got your diagnosis.  You represent hope to these folks.”  They proudly wear their purple tee shirts that say “survivor” across the back and march as a parade of Hope together.  I met a lot of new survivors at our last Relay here in Hood County on April 19^th and every time I got to tell them I was a 16 year survivor, their eyes grew wider and then they would smile the biggest smile…that’s why I Relay!

I’m writing to you today in hopes you will make a change to your health survey as it regards, not just my history with cancer but all, cancer survivors.  My other test results place me in various higher risk categories, which I accept as logical and accurate.  I may be at a higher risk for cancer but I do NOT have an existing condition.  Once I past that five year marker, I’m good and all other cancer survivors deserve the same consideration.

If you do not make this change to your health survey, then your motives are clear.  You wish only to scare people as a way to save money for your organization, not to work with your membership in partnership for the benefit of all…healthier members and healthier bottom line.

Sincerely,


Update:  After 3 weeks the insurance company was able to help me get rid of my "existing condition" issue.  They are indeed miracle workers...the solution:  I never had cancer at all!  That's one way of getting rid of your "existing condition"...change your info.  Guess what?  I'm on my way to rapid weight loss and perfect blood pressure too!  When insurance companies practice medicine, everyone is healthy.  Is that a bad thing?