health insurance premium

July 19, 2011 3:09 PM

Using health insurance in US- possible skin cancer. Does anyone have any evidence/estimate/experience with how much premiums may/will increase if skin cancer is found/treated?

When my hubby was diagnosed with a critical illness our premium more than doubled to about $1K per month. I've been putting off going to a doc because I am worried about how much my individual premium may increase.

I am considering going to doc with a fake name and paying as if I do not have insurance so I don't doom myself to a life of high premiums after paying in for all these years with no claims.
Details: I have a very high deductible HSA individual policy that adjusts the premium yearly based on my health status. I've had no health issues in the past 50 yrs other than the previous insurance red-flag which was forgiven as grief counseling.

posted by mightshould to health & fitness (4 answers total)

I am considering going to doc with a fake name and paying as if I do not have insurance so I don't doom myself to a life of high premiums after paying in for all these years with no claims.

Insurance fraud is taken very seriously, and if you are found out you will be prosecuted. It's not worth the risk when you don't even know if what you have is skin cancer!

Even if a mole looks suspicious, it could be something which is easily dealt with, either through freezing it off (I know of many, many people who have had this done, and it is quite common, so I can't see it raising your premiums too high), or through chemical combinations that basically exfoliate your skin through several layers--think a chemical peel to a high degree. That's a little scarier, but also not uncommon and it only takes about a month of using the chemicals on your skin before you can stop.

If you DO have melanoma, that's what you've been paying insurance for all these years. The cost of your premiums going up could be substantial. The cost of dealing with something like this without insurance? In this country, astronomical.
posted by misha at 3:47 PM on July 19, 2011

misha : Insurance fraud is taken very seriously, and if you are found out you will be prosecuted.

"Paying cash" does not commit insurance fraud. As for the fake name, say "hi" to everyone who's ever gotten treated for an STD since the discovery of penicillin.

That said, yeah, expect your (yearly) premiums to go up by more than the cost of removing it. You already even have a pretty solid data point (your husband) for how your insurance company reacts to actually having to pay out.

Of course, if you have complications and need further treatment, you might prefer having applied that cost to your deductible in this year... Mostly, though, I don't think I'd personally screw around if I really thought I had cancer. They can easily treat most of them if caught early nowadays, but every day's delay puts you closer to a wooden box.
posted by pla at 4:35 PM on July 19, 2011

If you're with a reputable insurance company your premium shouldn't go up any more than it goes up for every other insured in your pool. There are laws in place to enforce this. I also know from personal experience. Don't worry, don't delay treatment.
posted by donknotts at 7:22 PM on July 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Sorry, yes, using a fake name if you're paying by cash is not insurance fraud. It would be if you used someone else's name for their insurance benefits, of course.

I still think you need to see your doctor and donknotts is right. Your premiums should not go up for this.
posted by misha at 2:05 PM on July 20, 2011