Monique_in_Canada

We moved to Canada June 2001, hubby started working for a CDN company on June 13th 2001....3 months later Green Shield benefits kicked in, April of 2002 my son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, everything was covered no questions asked, sometime in 2006 my hubby's company changed to Great West Life, this is when the issues started, they wanted proof that Matt was covered when he got Diabetes, so had to get a letter of (not sure wot they called it) from Green Shield to prove that he has always had coverage since he was diagnosed......

Monique_in_Canada

this information and the information you have posted in the other thread hardly helps Ribbons unless they get a job at your company!!!

Zoe Bell

Actualy its very helpful seeing as the policy provider I'm with is Great west Life, the one that gave you so many problems.

The thread topic is did you have any trouble with pre existing conditions.

My answer is no and neither did my collegues.

You are saying yes you did.

How is my response any less helpful than yours?

Almost Canadian

My history is set out on the other thread. I have been covered with GWL with no issues.

iaink

Me too...

Work benefits were via Canada Life when it was taken over by GWL and there was none of the drama Monique experienced due to the change.

Something seems very wrong about the way Moniques situation has been handled.

iaink

Or virtually any other employer based on the poll results so far....

JonboyE

I can understand it through.

Insurance is about risk management and the Insurance company is entitled to be sure they are taking the right risk for the premiums they charge. The premiums are based on the likelihood of an average person making claims for $x in a year. They are not set for people who are guaranteed to make expensive claims every year.

For example, although they cannot refuse to insure you if you join a company sponsored group scheme when it is first offered to you, they can at a later date. I guess their reasoning is that if someone declined to join the scheme when it was first offered but subsequently wanted in there must be a reason. The most likely reason is that the employee has now got a condition that will give rise to a claim.

My guess this that, in Monique's case, GWL wanted to make sure that the husband's employers had not switched to GWL just so they could get coverage for a condition that was not covered under the previous policy. When they found out that it was covered under the previous policy they accepted the claim as part of the swings and arrows of the insurance business. (Of course, they will also jack up the premiums to his employer to compensate. They are not that generous.)

iaink

Now I'm confused, was his claim refused or not? I got the impession somehow that GWL had refused to cover it upon review?

In the great medical expense lottery I wouldnt have thought that diabetes was the most expensive condition for an insurer to have to deal with, and its hardly uncommon in this nation of lard arses.

Having re read the other thread it appears to have been more of an issue with dealing with the US insurers, rather than the cdn ones.

Alan2005

Can you give ICBC a call and tell them this.

JonboyE

My reading of post # 16 is that it is resolved now. Perhaps Monique can confirm.

Monique_in_Canada

there was never really an issue to resolve because of none coverage as we had benefits when Matt took Diabetes, and when the company my hubby worked for changed benefits supplier he was still covered....the issue would have been he would not have been covered if he took diabetes while not having a benefits plan covering him......but having said all this.....and as interesting as it has been, think we have digressed from Ribbons first question.....

ann m

We have a very disgruntled employee right now.

When he joined our company, many years ago, he declined the coverage for his family - I don't know why because it didn't cost him anything extra.

Unfortunately his wife became ill - and when he applied for coverage at a later date, the insurance company declined them coverage.

Truly unlucky, his child is also now ill and has also been declined.

Privately, I think his best bet is to leave us and go to a new employer who will not ask any questions. (Vocally, he feels we have failed to provide for his basic human rights.)

Although, of course, they may ask questions to check he didn't just switch for this benefit alone.

Monique_in_Canada

my issues I had were with CDN insurers not US ones, (don't even get me started on US benefits) they question absolutely EVERYTHING!!!

but yes diabetes its a very expensive disease to have.....test strips are $1 each....diabetics should test their blood at least 5 times a day, insulin is $30 a vile, 1,000 units of insulin per vile, 1 unit per 5 grams of carbs....my son uses around 70 units of insulin a day, so one vile per fortnight-ish....but then my son is on the pump....one pump is $5,000 and the supplies for the pump is around $300 a month, BUT Ontario government do give every diabetic $5,000 every 5 years for a new pump and $200 a month for supplies, but before this came into force GWL did pay for everything....but if there was no coverage it would cost around $500 a month

JonboyE

Better?

iaink

I didnt say it was cheap, but there are more expensive long term problems I suspect, heard disease/ blood pressure meds etc dont come cheap I hear, and far more expensive short term ones if you are unlucky enough to contract something quite rare.

It seems to me that although they said it would be an issue had he first been diagnosed in the UK, there is no actual direct anecdotal personal experience here (based on the poll so far) that anyone from the UK has actually been refused benefits when signing on with an employer plan?

That seems to include people with diabetes and with GWL, so maybe it was just someone trying to scare you or someone who was genuinely misinformed?