Sleep Apnea Treatment » Insurance

Which disability insurance policy should I choose?

Alan — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:41:48 +0000

Question by gtmoore: Which disability insurance policy should I choose?
If I decline benefits at work, I can get an additional $ 2 per hour, which works out to be $ 4,080 per year. I’ve already switched to my wife’s plan for health, dental, & vision coverage, which is less than half of what I pay for individual coverage with my current company. I also was able to get a life insurance policy at a competitive rate. My issue is with disability insurance. I have a history of sleep apnea which is now so mild that my doctor says that treatment is not needed. Metlife has quoted me a policy for 5 year term of disability coverage for $ 97 per month with no exclusions. Mutual of Omaha has given me a quote of $ 106.87 for disability coverage until I turn 67, but they are exlcuding any disability due to or related to sleep apnea. Which disability coverage policy should I chose, or should I just stay with my employers plan and not worry about the extra $ 4,080 I would get by declining benefits with them?
Thanks for the replies! The policies have a 90 day exclusion period then are in force for 5 years with a qualifying disability for Metlife and till age 67 for Mutual of Omaha, which has the sleep apnea exclusion. The monthly benefit is $ 3600.
Thanks again for the replies. Do you think the limited benefit period of 5 years is a problem or is the chance of me having a catastrophic illness or injury very remote? My employer’s short and long-term disability group policy would provide coverage until age 65 if I were to become permanently disabled (60% of pay) and there are no pre-existing condition exclusions. However, as I mentioned before, I would forfeit the extra $ 4,080 per year by keeping the policy. What are your thoughts?
Yes, these are offers. Yes, I did go through two different agents initially. The insurance broker with the Metlife agent has given me all the pluses and minuses of my three choices and is leaving the decision up to me. I’m definitely leaning towards the metlife policy.

Best answer:

Answer by mbrcatz
Are we talking short term, or long term disability?

For long term disability, you could consider relying on SSDI. For short term, I’d bank that $ 4080 a year, and then some, and “self insure”.

But it WILDLY depends on your total income, and your age.

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how do you obtain disability insurance if you’re diagnosed with sleep apnea?

Alan — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 06:34:16 +0000

Question by IRONMAN: how do you obtain disability insurance if you’re diagnosed with sleep apnea?
After 20 yrs in the same hospital, I’m leaving my pharmacist job to work as an independent contractor. In preparation for my move, I applied for disability insurance thru a large insurance company but was denied coverage because I was diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Any suggestions out there? Will this continue to haunt me? I had the test done because my wife said I snored too much. Had I never been tested, I’d be on my merry way with a disability policy in hand.

Best answer:

Answer by kiltze
You likely will not be able to obtain coverage. Sleep Apnea is rather expensive for an insurance company due to the high costs of CPAP machines and masks. The only way around this might be to convince an insurance company to let you sign a waiver absolving them from having to cover your Sleep Apnea.

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Q&A: My health insurance company just rescinded my policy after I submitted claims.?

Alan — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:36:15 +0000

Question by Susana Sky: My health insurance company just rescinded my policy after I submitted claims.?
I applied for an individual health policy and in good faith signed that the information was complete to the best of my knowledge. I also consented to them acquiring any records necessary from my providers. I then had an emergency heart event that resulted in $ 20k+ claims. I then cancelled the policy after 5 months since I qualified for insurance through my employer. I just got a letter notifying me that I did not fully disclose all of my health history for the last 10 years on my application, therefore they are rescinding my policy as if it were never in effect. I am now facing $ 20k+ in bills and I am going to start the appeal process. How should I respond to the specific items they claim I did not disclose? One of them, for instance, is sleep apnea, which I was never diagnosed with and never received treatment for, but participated in a sleep study to see if I had it.

Best answer:

Answer by src50
Ask for the specific information that they claim you failed to disclosure along with it’s source.

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Q&A: Insurance company denied weight loss surgery. Has anyone had this happen and then later approved?

Alan — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:36:03 +0000

Question by kehlygirl: Insurance company denied weight loss surgery. Has anyone had this happen and then later approved?
Just asked primary physician for referrel and got denial letter a week later saying that I don’t have severe enough cardiopulmonary disease, diabetes or sleep apnea. That my current high blood pressure and hypo-thyroidism are being managed well with medication.

Best answer:

Answer by POPO
I have not had this happen to me, but I know a few people who have had the surgery. Whether your insurance company grants you permission to go ahead with surgery, you have to meet their criteria. You need to know exactly what their criteria is, and then speak with your general physician who will try to help you or counsel you against surgery if they don’t think it is reasonable for you at this time.

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Q&A: I am an employee of the state of Texas, will my insurance cover orthognathic surgery?

Alan — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:37:06 +0000

Question by Regular girl: I am an employee of the state of Texas, will my insurance cover orthognathic surgery?
I have an overbite and small chin which causes me to snore, sleep apnea, bad chewing, choke easily, jaw muscle pain, headaches etc so it’s not too look pretty or anything. Wll the insurance that the state of Texas provides cover this procedure which costs 25,000dlls total?

The monthly payment for the insurance is 450dlls but the state pays for it plus I also have humana dental insurance.

Best answer:

Answer by redbird
You need to call your human resources person for information like this. But if you want a more immediate answer, I bet your insurance company has a web address that you can access and you will find all the information that you want there.

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Q&A: How do I get insurance for lap band or bypass surgery if my insurance company has turned me down.?

Alan — Tue, 10 May 2011 12:34:40 +0000

Question by Dianna B: How do I get insurance for lap band or bypass surgery if my insurance company has turned me down.?
My insurance company will not cover lap band surgery for me (or gastric bypass for that matter). I have been overweight for years, have sleep apnea, sore knees, and the necessary BMI to qualify. Even the hospital that would do the surgery has told me that they turned them down. Paying for it myself would be out of the question. My company has been using this insurance company for years and years – I do not see them switching carriers in the near future. Is there any way I can get this surgery done? I feel the pros far outweigh the cons.

Best answer:

Answer by Lea B
Many insurance policies will not cover that procedure because it is not medically necessary. They consider it the same as cosmetic surgery. You can contact other insurance companies and ask them.

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How expensive is the gastric bypass surgery (bariatric) if you don’t have health insurance to pay for it?

Alan — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:40:23 +0000

Question by nwafanusa1: How expensive is the gastric bypass surgery (bariatric) if you don’t have health insurance to pay for it?
I am 39 years old and very obese and have diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and high triglycerides. My doctor at the VA Hospital wants them to give me gastric bypass surgery but they no longer do it at the VA Hospital. Is there any VA Hospitals that perform gastric bypass surgeries (regular one) or how much money do you need to have it done on your own? Please help me. Thank You.

Best answer:

Answer by Diane Y
I don’t know where you are from but call the patient representative at the VA and ask them about other VA hospitals, where they are and if they do the gastric bypass. Try a county hospital in your area (they do have programs) you will probably have to jump thru hoops but it will be worth it.
As for as how much it cost it varies I would say $ 15000 up to $ 30000. Also, go to the VA web site
http://www1.va.gov

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I have been told I may have sleep apnea by my wife. Dont have insurance but need to get CPAP machine. Advice?

Alan — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:37:16 +0000

Question by RP: I have been told I may have sleep apnea by my wife. Dont have insurance but need to get CPAP machine. Advice?
I cannot afford test (heard it was like $ 1500.00 each time and you have to do it twice). I found some websites that offered CPAP machine and mask for little cost but how do I get a prescription without being tested? Someone told me they do home tests that are cheaper but how do I get one? I did find a site, 1800CPAP . com that has a doctor that answers sleep questions but I still need a prescription to buy their CPAP. Does anyone know how I can get a home sleep test?

Best answer:

Answer by dylstar7
I hsve sleep apnea
I was diagnosed in a sleep test by the Beverly Hills Sleep Center
which my medi-medi paid for
getting the machine is the simple part
it’s the settings that do the treatment
try losing some weight and exercising some
it is possible to put sleep apnea into remission indefinitely
I see the machines on craigslist.com all the time

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I cannot sleep. I am pretty sure I have sleep apnea, but I have no insurance and cannot afford testing.?

Alan — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 06:35:24 +0000

Question by cm9779: I cannot sleep. I am pretty sure I have sleep apnea, but I have no insurance and cannot afford testing.?
Apparantly the testing is ridiculusly expensive, even with insurance. My Dr. has perscribed me Restoril which is a heavy sleep aid. It does put me to sleep, but I wake up within a few hours after it wares off. I generally get about 3-4 hrs. of sleep a night. I am so tired I feel like crying all the time and I constantly feel sick. Does anyone have any ideas until I can afford the Apnea testing. (please don’t suggest nasal strips, they do not work). Help Me.

Best answer:

Answer by geminiblue26
have u tried medicade or asked about programs that hospitals offer or payment plans ?

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I have sleep apnea….no insurance?

Alan — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 06:43:06 +0000

Question by Christina B: I have sleep apnea….no insurance?
I think i have severe sleep apnea, i wake myself up a million times a night and i dont feel rested ever. my family says that when i sleep im coughing and stop breathing. i would like to get a sleep study done, but do not have any kind of insurance. i didnt return to work after having my second child (3 months ago) and i dont have medical or dental (and i really need the dental)
I live in Simi Valley (southern California), Does anyone have any advice for me?
Like how much it would cost to pay out of pocket for a sleep study and apnea machine, or how i can obtain a medi-cal type program?
what does the DHS office stand for in the second persons comment?

Best answer:

Answer by Miranda W
Well, I’m not sure exactly how much it will cost. My dad has that and he has a machine that he uses when he sleeps. I would suggest finding out how much it would be to rent the machine w/out insurance. You can try it out and if it helps then you might want to look into buying one. Overall, this could be cheaper than dozens of doctor visits. Other than that, you might want to ask around at medical offices about possible free studies being done.

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