Can Health Insurance Tell If I'm Taking Baclofen?

[ThirdMan]

Hey all! This may be more paranoia coming from yours truly... I am super excited because Bac has helped me curb (and more or less quit) my drinking enough that I have been able to finally quit smoking! Since I'm self-employed I haven't had health coverage in years and didn't want to pay for it while I was a smoker. Now that I'm not, I plan on lying straight to their faces and telling them that I have never smoked a cig in my life. I may tell them I've never even been drunk while I'm at it, just for fun because screw those a**holes anyway. My only concern now, is that they will do some piss test and find out I'm on Bac. Should I be afraid of this? Keep in mind independent coverage is astronomical as it is, so I sure don't want to give them any reason in the world to raise the cost, i.e. explain why I take Bac. Thanks!

[PhoenixRising]

Can Health Insurance Tell If I'm Taking Baclofen?

They typically look for Drugs of Abuse, so I'd say no.

[Boss.man]

Can Health Insurance Tell If I'm Taking Baclofen?

Here in the US, what they can check for will be different state by state.

Just getting a policy doesn't mean they accept it. For most states, if you get a CLAIM on the policy, you will enter some sort of review. If your claim is big, like cancer, most companies will scrutinize your initial application. The intent of the scrutiny will be to disqualify the policy. In some states, disqualification rates exceed 20% of all people with claims over $100,000.

The abilty to disqualify is also different state-by-state. Oregon and California are at complete opposites. Here in Oregon, you can hardly be disqualified for anything short of flat out lying on the form. Pre-existings and conditions don't matter if you've been covered for six months. In California, you can pay a policy for years, and then be disqualified for a minor typo or improperly signing a form, or being even one day late with any payment. Disqualifying is bad, because you are personally liable for the expenses (the doctor makes you sign a form for that) so you suddenly and unexpectedly get zapped for your full health bill, even when you thought you had full coverage.

If the new Federal Health Reform passes, many disqualifications will no longer be allowed. There still may be large variations state-by-state as states will be allowed to offer full coverage for all citizens, something that is apparently anathema to many red-states in the US.

[ThirdMan]

Can Health Insurance Tell If I'm Taking Baclofen?

Thanks so much for your responses Phoenix and Bossman! Geez, from what you're saying Bossman since I live in LA I would likely get disqualified if I were to get into anything catastrophic if I were to not confide taking x medication... My only reasoning behind getting the stupid insurance is in case of catastrophic, I NEVER go to the doctor and when I do they have given the most horrendous advice regarding basically everything I can think of. So I may as well keep my $300 a month then it sounds. I'm sure as hell not going to get over $3000 worth of medical treatment a year. What a rip, I sure hope they get health care reform of some sort fixed in this country. All I need is to get in a car accident and go bankrupt in the same day.

[brightlite]

Can Health Insurance Tell If I'm Taking Baclofen?

Thirdman,

I am self employed and pay for my own insurance. It's unbelievable and basically I never go to the doctor except for an annual checkup. Never ask them to prescribe anything which goes on your record and will eventually make your rates jacked up.

Anyway, I was thinking about whether to disclose that you are taking Bac or not. Will they be able to identify it in a urine sample? I don't know. You could disclose, but tell them it is for muscle spasms and since you didn't have any insurance, you researched and self-prescribed. I hate the whole lying thing, but if you tell them you take it for alcohol abuse....you will be screwed. It is unfortunate how this whole insurance business causes us to lie....aargh! Well good luck!

[Brave Hearted]

Can Health Insurance Tell If I'm Taking Baclofen?

Gosh reading this thread makes me glad to be British , fortunatley health insurance is not an issue for us !! I am though interested in the urine test issue surley it does not show up every little thing but it pays to be forewarned, I will have a story ready for any emergency addimission will say I have been abroad and got prescribed the bac for muscle spasm ! and like you say brite it just forces us to lie but thats the way it is !

[ThirdMan]

Can Health Insurance Tell If I'm Taking Baclofen?

Seriously Brave Hearted it is insane and just as Brightlight explained, you end up paying A LOT for something that you will most likely get very little use out of. Then, when you do finally need a root canal, for example, most insurance will cover maybe half of the cost and they try to weasel out of covering their share. And since medical costs in America are so jacked, expect to still fork over several thousand as happened to a friend of mine recently, and he HAD insurance! I lived in London for a while and needed dental SURGERY and they did it totally for free! I even told them I wasn't a citizen (working abroad) and they said they wouldn't have even asked if I hadn't mentioned it. The common explanation here is that everyone there gives royally in taxes, but all my friends in Europe and UK have plenty more vacation time and generally have a highere quality of life. Oh, and if they get hit by a car or get cancer they won't be financially in ruins for the rest of their life. Can't put a price on that kind of security!

[brightlite]

Can Health Insurance Tell If I'm Taking Baclofen?

Thirdman,

First of all, when I logged onto your thread your avatar freaked me out! ha ha. Anyway, just wondering if Thirdman meant the third man in the bobsled run or something similar.

Did you decide to disclose. How are you doing on the Bac?

[KateH1]

Can Health Insurance Tell If I'm Taking Baclofen?

Third Man....I totally get what your saying.....Insurance is only valuable at the point that we need it. I have paid or home owners and car insurance for more than 30 years. I have never had a claim on either. But, I still buy the policies because if something were to happen, I will be potected. In the case of medical care, bankruptsy is not the only issue. You will be denied care in most hospitals and by most doctor if you do not have insurance. The choice of course is yours.

One more thing, Boss.man is right. If you are caught lying on your original aplication, you will be denied coverage and, you will be forced to pay back any medical care given to you through the policy that you faudulantly filled out.

[ThirdMan]

Can Health Insurance Tell If I'm Taking Baclofen?

Brightlite: Ha! I was secretly hoping my pic would give someone the creeps, thanks for being that person. And "ThirdMan" is just a reference to a movie with Orson Welles . And thanks for asking about the Bac... I have not divulged to anyone because I haven't called Blue Shield yet even. I'm still tossing around the idea and it's only been 10 days since I quit smoking, so I was planning on waiting a month before getting a physical or anything. KateH1(91?), I couldn't agree more about the gambling nature of this stuff. It's really a strange option to be given, but I much prefer the odds with renters insurance for example. For $50 a month I am covered for over $20,000 worth of stuff, and they made a point of telling me I can drop own laptop and its covered. I wish I could say the deal with Health Insurance felt comparable. Worst case scenario I have a German passport, and if I get cancer I can always move to Berlin I guess. I'm 31 and (knock on wood) not tooooo worried, aside from riding my bike to work through LA traffic. Too bad ambulances don't drive to Europe!