Insurance Only Covers What It Says It Will (Usually)

We all purchase insurance for all sorts of things. We have car  insurance, home owners insurance, renters insurance, property insurance, flood insurance, and of course medical insurance in addition to many other policies.

Recently I have seen commercial on TV that offer insurance for homeowners to cover things like dishwashers, hot water heaters, air conditioners, etc. They show ‘customers’ asking their homeowners insurers to cover their broken AC units. After being turned down, the announcer offers home insurance policy to cover the appliances etc. I think – what a scam. I consider this to be the same as the extended warranties offered when you purchase items.)

But I digress (again), I have a real problem when people assume their health insurance will cover things that it does not – like ‘wilderness therapy‘. I get it. Your teen or other family member is headed for a crisis so you try to find some kind of therapy to help them. It turns out to be successful and you expect your health insurance company to pay for it. Did you bother to ask them if they would cover it before you sent your family member?

This is where I have a problem. How can you expect your insurance company to pay for something just because you think they should? I get you were very stressed and wanted to do the best for family member, but ask first…

I also understand that we want our insurance companies to pay for new therapies as they become available and have recognized benefits. This is a constant issue. Insurance companies must be forced to change with the times.

However there is a right way to do things if you want to have the coverage. Get a preapproval and then your insurance company will be on your side. Or work with them ahead of time to get their okay.

Caroline’s Breast Cancer Blog