Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Life Insurance Rate Quote is WAY HIGH because of my BRCA2!

I currently have a life insurance policy with USAA.  First of all, let me say that they are a great company and I have really appreciated their customer service and insurance services.  My insurance policy I have had these past years with USAA is at a BEST RATE premium...meaning that I was the absolute most healthy that I could've been and I got the BEST RATE available.

Recently, I went through the process of applying for an insurance plan that would increase the amount of coverage and also increase the term-life of the policy.  I went through the process just after having my breast MRI to make sure there was no cancer before my mastectomy.  Because of this MRI and consulting with a physician about my options, a RED FLAG was raised regarding my health.  USAA underwriting requested my health records from 2011 to present and saw that I most recently had a mastectomy because of my BRCA2 cancer risk.

 I received a follow-up call from Kelly, an underwriter today.  She told me that she saw that I was BRCA2 positive and saw in my records that I consulted with a physician about my risk since my mother had breast cancer.  Kelly asked how old my mother was when she had her breast cancer.  I replied that my mother was 37 years old.  Then the underwriter told me that she would need to forward this information on to the medical director to make a decision.

Right away I was a little concerned.  On my application it just asked if I had a family member who died before the age of 60.  The answer to that is "No".  I answered every question on that application truthfully. 

The only reason there was any question, was because of a procedure that I chose to do to PREVENTATIVELY REDUCE MY RISK.  Now they determine that I have the BRCA2 gene...WHICH WAS NOT ASKED FOR ON MY APPLICATION... and they are forwarding on my case to the medical director.

They know that I have done surgeries that have reduced my risk to that of the normal population or better.

And then the phone call...
A sales gal explained to me that they would like to offer me coverage under the 3rd tier rate.  Instead of a $300,000 30-year plan at $32.89/month, I am offered a premium of $55.89/month!

She proceeds to explain that I have been offered the "Good Health Non-Smoker" rate that is the rate given to healthy individuals...with no "dings" charged against me (like for example, $5 per $1000 of coverage)...but there are no "discounts" given either because of my BRCA2 gene mutation.

She specifically told me that it is because of my BRCA2 mutation that I am not being given the best rate.  I ask to speak to the medical director and am handed over to the underwriter.  Kelly was very nice and she explained that she saw the BRCA2 mutation  in my records and wanted to give me the BEST rate, but needed to send it to the medical director to assess my risk.  She said she passed on the information that I had undergone preventative surgeries to reduce my risk, but wanted to see what could be done. 

I again received the confirmation from her that it is indeed because of my BRCA2 mutation that I did not receive the BEST rate.  "Well, and because of your family history too..." 

I asked her to please review the application where it asked for information regarding my mother's age of first having breast cancer or anything of that sort.  It's nowhere on the application.  They asked me about that after finding out I am BRCA2 positive.  I explained to her again that the only question is if my parent died BEFORE the age of 60years.  My mother did not die before the age of 60 years.

The only thing that led USAA to my medical records was the breast MRI "red flag" that has to do with my BRCA2 mutation.

I specifically asked her, "So, if it were not for the BRCA2 mutation, I would have gotten the BEST RATE?"  She replied, "Yes,  Because you have the BRCA2 mutation, you have an increased risk of getting breast cancer."

First of all, these two girls keep telling me what my risk is.  I KNOW MY RISK.  They think that they need to explain this to me so I understand why I am not getting the best rate.

BUT THE FACT that they are using my BRCA2 genetic mutation at ALL as a reason to not give me the best rate is what is alarming.

Yes, I have a genetic mutation that increases my risk of breast cancer.  According to the GINA ACT, employers and insurance companies cannot discriminate against me:

"Title I makes it illegal for health insurance providers to use or require genetic information to make decisions about a person’s insurance eligibility or coverage."

I even went forward and did preventative surgeries to reduce my risk to the average population or better than that!  Even if I didn't get those surgeries,  insurance companies cannot USE genetic information to make decisions about my insurance coverage...according to the GINA Act 2009.

I understand that they may think my risk is higher for cancer and they don't want to cover that risk at the Best rate premium...

BUT
#1) Nowhere on the application did it ask about my BRCA2 gene.  Why now, because they saw it in my medical records are they using that information to discriminate against me?
#2) Nowhere did it ask if I had a family member who had breast cancer ( and perhaps even if it did, I was told by the sales gal and by Kelly, that other than my BRCA2, I would have received the BEST RATE) to influence my rate.

Now that they have my full medical record from 2011 - 2013, they can suddenly discriminate against me?

I shared the GINA act with Kelly.  She still told me again about how my BRCA2 mutation increased my risk for breast cancer.  I explained again about the GINA act and how this information cannot be used against me.  I reminded her that my operations have REDUCED MY RISK to less than that of the general population, so I should even moreso not be penalized.  Even if I hadn't had the surgeries, GINA states that insurance companies cannot use my BRCA2 against me to make decisions about a person's insurance...coverage.

She said she will speak with the medical director again and get back with me.

I think that USAA needs to think on this one long and hard before they come back to me with a rate that is less than the BEST RATE!

We shall see how this goes...and if I need to take further action.

What is genetic discrimination?
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Genetic discrimination occurs when people are treated differently by their employer or insurance company because they have a gene mutation that causes or increases the risk of an inherited disorder. Fear of discrimination is a common concern among people considering genetic testing.
Several laws at the federal and state levels help protect people against genetic discrimination. In particular, a federal law called the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) is designed to protect people from this form of discrimination.
GINA has two parts: Title I, which prohibits genetic discrimination in health insurance, and Title II, which prohibits genetic discrimination in employment. Title I makes it illegal for health insurance providers to use or require genetic information to make decisions about a person’s insurance eligibility or coverage. This part of the law went into effect on May 21, 2009. Title II makes it illegal for employers to use a person’s genetic information when making decisions about hiring, promotion, and several other terms of employment. This part of the law went into effect on November 21, 2009.
GINA and other laws do not protect people from genetic discrimination in every circumstance. For example, GINA does not apply when an employer has fewer than 15 employees. It does not cover people in the U.S. military or those receiving health benefits through the Veterans Health Administration or Indian Health Service. GINA also does not protect against genetic discrimination in forms of insurance other than health insurance, such as life, disability, or long-term care insurance.

For more information about genetic discrimination and GINA:

The National Human Genome Research Institute provides a detailed discussion of genetic discrimination and current laws that address this issue:

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