Guaranteed Healthcare

In the fall of 2006, I received treatment at my college campus for minor depression. I mostly went through the free school counselor but also started taking antidepressants at the advice of the school psychiatrist. I stopped taking the antidepressants in February because I turned 22 and was kicked off my parents insurance. In the fall of 2007 I was back at school for my final semester. Because I had over six credits, I had to enroll in the school's student insurance plan. Since my parents plan had kicked me off before I even was able to finish and get a job - this was the best option for me.

However, during the fall the depression came back severely and I ended up seeking in-patient treatment. I went to the hospital hoping to be put on a 24 hour watch to get set up on a correct treatment plan and was instead checked in for three days. I continually advised that my insurance was not the greatest and wanted to leave as was allowed by law after 24 hours. The doctors, however, continually had reasons for me not to leave - such as I couldn't leave until I saw this or that doctor or social worker who wouldn't be back until the next day. I spent a total of three days in the hospital and accumulated in that time over $6000 in bills. My insurance cited a preexisting condition and did not pay a single penny of my claim. I did not even get my deductible's worth out of the plan.

Now I have this mountain of debt in addition to student loans in repayment and I am faced with collections and ruined credit. How can we allow insurance companies to deny claims for preexisting conditions for any amount of time? Most people will have to change insurance companies at least once in a lifetime- as is definitely the case as children transition from their parent's health plans to their own. If you do have a preexisting condition it is likely that you need insurance the most - and as my 3 days of treatment shows - a year waiting for the HIPAA preexisting condition denial to end is prohibitively expensive to the consumer.

The cost of treating a preexisting condition that is not being funded by an individual's insurance company may be enough to force them to be unable to seek treatment -putting lives in danger. Not to mention that there is absolutely no financial help from hospitals for people with insurance -only for those who are uninsured. So if your insurance company denies your claim - there is no help available. How is this fair?