Disclosing Alcohol Rehab and Length of Time Until Insurable

[WafflesMcGhee]

Title says it all.

Now for the really stupid part:

I voluntarily entered a rehab for alcohol 4.5 years ago. I do not have a criminal record and work as a mechanical engineer. Unfortunately the weekend before I entered treatment I went all out and tested positive for some harder drugs (coke, Xanax, and amphetamines from scripted adderall) on intake. In my entire life I’ve only done coke a handful of times and popped Xanax out of opportunity.

I was quite intoxicated on intake and was essentially told my addiction would need to be severe to be covered by insurance in the inpatient program since I had not done outpatient before. Wanting help I exaggerated my intake form a bit to make sure I was accepted and got the help I needed.

I problem drank for about 6 months due to a funk I fell in after losing my entire immediate family in a car wreck. However, when asked on intake I said it had been a couple of years.

I’ve been sober for 4 years coming up in August and I’m expecting my first child later this year. I am wanting to get 25 year term coverage. I’ve changed health insurance multiple times since treatment with job changes.

How far back do life insurance companies go with medical records?

How do they pull medical records?

What happens if I do not disclose? Can they find the treatment from an old insurer?

Will they see my exaggerated intake form or just that I sought treatment?

Are my session notes with the psychiatrists and therapists confidential?

Thanks

 

[WinoBlues]

Title says it all.

Now for the really stupid part:

I voluntarily entered a rehab for alcohol 4.5 years ago. I do not have a criminal record and work as a mechanical engineer. Unfortunately the weekend before I entered treatment I went all out and tested positive for some harder drugs (coke, Xanax, and amphetamines from scripted adderall) on intake. In my entire life I’ve only done coke a handful of times and popped Xanax out of opportunity.

I was quite intoxicated on intake and was essentially told my addiction would need to be severe to be covered by insurance in the inpatient program since I had not done outpatient before. Wanting help I exaggerated my intake form a bit to make sure I was accepted and got the help I needed.

I problem drank for about 6 months due to a funk I fell in after losing my entire immediate family in a car wreck. However, when asked on intake I said it had been a couple of years.

I’ve been sober for 4 years coming up in August and I’m expecting my first child later this year. I am wanting to get 25 year term coverage. I’ve changed health insurance multiple times since treatment with job changes.

How far back do life insurance companies go with medical records?

How do they pull medical records?

What happens if I do not disclose? Can they find the treatment from an old insurer?

Will they see my exaggerated intake form or just that I sought treatment?

Are my session notes with the psychiatrists and therapists confidential?

Thanks

@WafflesMcGhee, what a cool name for a beach bar.


A whole lot of maybes and probably.

They are going to automatically pull an MVR, an MIB (have applied for insurance in the last few years) and a script check. The script check will of course pop up your prescriptions for the last several years. I have a client that 'forgot' about the rehad Kaiser sent him to. It popped on the script check. We got it done, however, the first company declined him because he did not disclose it and that caused some issues.

Count on the companies seeing everything. Work with a knowledgeable Independent agent that can shop it anonymously for you. Initially it is about finding the companies that will take you, then it is about finding the best blend of benefits and cost. Depending on the face amount you are looking for there _may_ be some simplified issue options.

Assuming you going to stay sober this is a temporary problem. Meaning as time passes so does this small problem. So what you buy today you do not have to keep. We rewrite clients all of the time.

Good luck and congratulations on you pending child.

Lee

 

[WMSG]

First, and most important -- I personally want to acknowledge, and congratulate you on approaching 4 years of sobriety. I admire and respect you and what you have accomplished on this journey you have traveled and where you are today. I am intimately familiar with the disease of alcoholism and drug addiction, as my wife is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. I wish you all the best as you continue to live your life, as I well know, one day at a time.

In addition, congratulations on the upcoming birth of your first child.

That said, first, while you have asked a lot of specific questions, absent the understanding of the life insurance underwriting process, the answers are meaningless. Thus, the answers really have to given in the context of the "underwriting process" and what a life insurance company does during that process -- however, at this point it's hypothetical because we are not talking about a specific life insurance application or company.

Be that as it may, second, I'll speak to a few important issues, some of which you asked about. Any insurance company you apply to -- may see everything. One cannot answer what they will and won't see, not definitively. When applying for life insurance, once the application is submitted, the insurance company/underwriter will run an MIB (Medical Information Bureau) report on you. Your MIB report should consist of all health insurance claims. The MIB (Group) is a member-based group that is owned by approximately 450 member insurance companies (in the US and Canada). MIB is not just a database of information, but they also provide additional services to their members, subscribers, and others. Part of their mission is to protect insurers, as well as policyholders and applicants -- but this is done from the perspective of attempts to conceal, lie, commit fraud, omit, etc., information that any member/subscriber considers material to the underwriting of life and health insurance.

Third, when you apply for life insurance, you authorize the insurance company to access the MIB, all records available, medical history available, to contact all doctors, medical providers, etc. The MIB may include information related to -- health insurance claims, all medical records, prescription records, lab results, medical facilities records, and DMV information.

Fourth, going back to the application -- answer the questions completely and truthfully. Life insurance companies differ on the medical questions they ask -- some ask "in the last 10 years" while others ask "have you ever" -- so that is really not the issue. Depending on the application, the condition, treatment, etc., the insurance company underwriter could ask a doctor for their entire file, for the last X years, or anything else. That is up to an underwriter. He/she may request a certain doctor's records, and decide not to request another's. It is case by case.

In short, the insurance company may see everything. Most insurance companies have alcohol and drug supplemental questionnaires, and will ask additional questions, looking to gather additional information.

That said -- find an expert life insurance professional, a seasoned, veteran, experienced life insurance professional. Find one who has experience in dealing with complex cases -- a professional who has experience knowing what companies in the marketplace might be more favorable to your situation, and who has experience dealing with underwriters on more complicated underwriting situations. Apply, be completely truthful and honest. You do not want to commit fraud, lie, misrepresent, or anything of the like. If you do, that too can be part of the MIB, as life insurance applications and their results are also part of MIB.

Your history is far enough in the past that a life insurance company will certainly consider you. They will look to what you are doing today -- AA, NA, medication, counselling, etc. They may "rate" you or may "rate" you for a period of time. It is all case, circumstance, detail specific. Apply. You need and want the coverage. A quality life insurance professional will advocate for you, will shop the marketplace, will know what companies may be more favorable, and simply put, will be knowledgeable as to these things and will have resources that will help you and your case. I've had cases all over the board with regard to alcohol and drug use. The results too have been all over the board.

Thank you very much...all the best...one day at a time.

 

[WafflesMcGhee]

I wanted to thank each of you all for responding.

I do Smart Recovery which is a more secular support group. I do not do AA which I feel like is the default option. I’ve built an amazing support network since beginning my sober journey.

I do see a therapist weekly. I tend to have issues with frustration/anger. It has helped immensely.

Since rehab I’ve gone from 5’11 and 220 to 170lbs. Lift daily, run 5 miles 3-4x a week, blood work is good, blood pressure has recovered normally 105-110/70 even while taking medication for my adhd.

 

[WMSG]

I wanted to thank each of you all for responding.

I do Smart Recovery which is a more secular support group. I do not do AA which I feel like is the default option. I’ve built an amazing support network since beginning my sober journey.

I do see a therapist weekly. I tend to have issues with frustration/anger. It has helped immensely.

Since rehab I’ve gone from 5’11 and 220 to 170lbs. Lift daily, run 5 miles 3-4x a week, blood work is good, blood pressure has recovered normally 105-110/70 even while taking medication for my adhd.

Congratulations again! I am familiar with Smart Recover -- and regardless of the program, you are doing the work you need to do, every single day. All of the information you stated above should be part of the application/memo that the life insurance agent submits. In addition, your doctor(s) should also have favorable things to say, comments, etc., and that too can and will help. The more favorable information, the more positive, the more progress adds to the space, distance, and time, from your history.

All the best!

 

[Tahoe Ray]

I wanted to thank each of you all for responding.

I do Smart Recovery which is a more secular support group. I do not do AA which I feel like is the default option. I’ve built an amazing support network since beginning my sober journey.

I do see a therapist weekly. I tend to have issues with frustration/anger. It has helped immensely.

Since rehab I’ve gone from 5’11 and 220 to 170lbs. Lift daily, run 5 miles 3-4x a week, blood work is good, blood pressure has recovered normally 105-110/70 even while taking medication for my adhd.

Lifting and running is the best thing you can do to manage your addiction.

No comment on your insurability as others have commented but I just wanted to congratulate you on a good path.