Re: "Let's just suppose I am a birdwatcher..."

[Amanda Perez <amandaperez@ureach.com>]

    The question is, how do they decide which 'high risk' 
activities to exclude from coverage?  Over-eating, drinking, 
smoking, unprotected sex and taking baths (risk of falls) all 
increase one's chance of injury.  So do those get excluded as 
well?  If not, why?  What is the criteria?  If drivers of 
certain types of cars (sports cars for example, or sub-
compacts) are more likely to be injured in accidents than 
drivers of other types of cars, can your health insurer decide 
they can exclude you from coverage if your drive one of those 
cars?  

  Then theres the economic impact: skiing,diving, mountain 
biking, kayaking, rock-climbing, water-skiing, skating ....  
that's a whole bunch of people who could have to give up their 
hobbies, buy additional insurance or risk financial ruin.  
Think of the economic impact to stables, ski resorts, equipment 
manufacturers, tourism....

  Insurance companies are NOT concerned with lowering rates, 
they want to reduce claims by 'cherry-picking': covering those 
who are least likely to need the coverage and least likely to 
file claims.  Cherry Picking is not an acceptable practice.
  


"And just to give you some food for thought, look at it from 
the other side.   
Let's just suppose I am a birdwatcher, I pay for health 
insurance, my cost are reflected by the risk the insuror has to 
take covering everyone else, i.e, horseback riders, 
skateboarders, motorcycle riders, off road enthusiast, 
mountain bikers, and on and on.  I would not think it fair that 
my insurance costs as a birdwatcher should have to cover other 
risks!  I don't like having to pay a higher premium anymore 
than you do, but WHY should my co-workers (have the same amount 
deducted from salary) who sew quilts on the weekend have 
to cover my risk as an equestrian? Once again, I don't like the 
idea of a seperate policy or higher premiums, I don't even know 
if thats where this whole issue is going.   

Jackie Baker "

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