What's in Your Medical Records?

I spoke with an underwriter recently about an application and was informed that the applicant would not be issued at the standard rate. There was going to be a 50 percent rate increase. 

I asked why and was told that there were several factors. I won’t go into all of them but I will tell you that one of those reasons was a prescription for Viagra. I was a little surprised that Viagra would be a contributing factor towards a rate increase but it was explained to me that there are certain side effects, that combined with other issues, caused an increase in risk. 

Do you know what is in your medical records? Did you know that you can take corrective action if there is something wrong? Fixing your records now will save you money when you apply for health, life or disability insurance later.

This client has been advised that after 6 months of discontinued use, we can appeal the increase to have his rates reduced. He does have alternatives to his prescription; samples, natural supplements, even a proper diet and exercise. We need to be careful of what goes in to our records. Every time we ask for a prescription, it goes in to our records. Our stomach bothers us, we ask for a prescription. We get a headache, we ask for a prescription. We get hurt, we ask for a prescription. We want to lose weight, we ask for a prescription.

Have we become a society looking for a magic pill? Some in the medical profession have been accused of trying to supply its patients with such a pill ... diet pills, sex pills, diabetic pills for type 2 diabetics. Perhaps the magic pill we are looking for is old fashioned accountability. 

What do you think?

Here's what the federal goverment recommends as the "magic pill." Do you agree?

Editor's note: The author is the owner of A.L. Saland Insurance Solutions.