Underwriter called me this morning (had my medical last week) that the estimated quote they originally gave has changed because I didn’t disclose that I have/had myeloproliferative neoplasms. I have never heard of this before and told her this. She proceeds to tell me it’s blood cancer! Needless to say, I was in shock! I have had high platelets in the past and was told by doctor that I just do another CBC a year from then. I was never given a diagnosis and was told it’s nothing serious as everything else was normal. This is the only thing I can think of. Last year and this year all my blood work was normal.
I asked the Underwriter to tell me who/where that info came from but she said she doesn’t have access to that info. My question is, who does? Who can I contact from the life insurance that can give me this info?
The only doctor I’ve been to is my OB/gyn since 2012, she’s the one that orders my lab work since I don’t have a doctor. Nurse from her office is denying they made that diagnosis.
I’d suggest contacting a lawyer while you are at it. Damn. That is disgusting. And if you had a cytopenia and a doctor did not reveal to you this info you may have a lawsuit against the doctor.
It’s important to get accurate information. Contact the insurance company’s customer service to get details about your records. If your OB/GYN’s office says they didn’t make that diagnosis, request a copy of your medical records from all the facilities you’ve visited. This could help clarify the situation.
I can guarantee that wasn’t an underwriter. No insurance company would allow this due to legal risks—the legal department would have a fit. It would be a HIPAA violation since there’s no way to confirm your identity or verify the call. Underwriters are not medical doctors. Either you’re misunderstanding the information you received or you’re not being truthful about what you wrote.
An insurance company doesn’t diagnose you—that’s the job of your doctor. If your diagnosis isn’t already in your medical records from a doctor, the insurer makes an underwriting decision based on possible diagnoses from the information they have.
For example, if you’ve never been diagnosed with diabetes but your lab results show a high A1C level, the underwriter won’t diagnose you. They aren’t doctors. However, they might decline your application due to the “elevated A1C” and suggest you see a doctor.
As a former life underwriter, I’ve seen how lab results can uncover issues that doctors might not have noticed. Sometimes, a decline can actually be a blessing in disguise, helping you catch something important.
Wait, they think you have blood cancer but see no treatment records or evidence of remission, and they’re offering you coverage? This is a mess.
As others have suggested, ask your doctor to clarify your records and add a statement about your condition. Get a copy of this updated record for yourself. Then, find a better agent and company. Explain what happened, ask them to write a cover letter for you, and provide a copy of that letter to the real underwriter.