My husband and I have been sent contracts to sign with a (seemingly) great school in China. One of the statements that we must sign is that we are in good health. I am, but....I've had two different cancers twice in the last three years. My doctors would all agree that I was unlucky, that it was random, and now I'm in great health. I don't feel the need to disclose this information, as I feel great. However, I am worried about how this will affect us getting insurance through the school, as the school says we must be covered under their policy with Aetna International Insurance.
I hold my own private Aetna International Insurance, and I will not be giving this up, as I've had my policy since before cancer, so they cover all of my treatments. But since the school's insurance is also Aetna, it's not like Aetna won't know my history. The school also insists, when I casually brought it up, that they cannot just pay for my own private insurance, but that we must be covered through them.
My fear is that I might have insurance trouble once the school attempts to secure insurance for us, and whether or not that could affect our employment with them.
Any advice?
Sharing medical history??
Re: Sharing medical history??
I am going to China in the fall too. And for the visa, I have to do a physical exam. You have to show you don't have any blood diseases, as well as have a chest x-ray and EKG. I did not see anything on the form about cancer. They want you to be healthy for visa purposes. Not sure about the health insurance - but I think as long as you have continuous coverage, prior conditions shouldn't be a factor...
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wrldtrvlr123
- Posts: 1173
- Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
- Location: Japan
Re: Sharing medical history??
I would generally agree. It's kind of a grey area but in this case, I would do/say what you need to do to secure/provide this great opportunity for your family. The main issue is the visa and your will have to pass a general physical once you get there (and before you leave your home country for some schools). They are basically looking for transmittable diseases so none of your history should be an issue.
Worst case realistic scenario, you get there, Aetna Int'l does not cover you and you maintain/pay for your own insurance. I can't imagine that being a deal breaker for the school (i.e. that they would suddenly withdraw the contract, turn you around etc). It's a bit of a calculated parsing of the truth/risk but if you deem it the best for your family then go for it. Others may have more dire warnings/advice.
Worst case realistic scenario, you get there, Aetna Int'l does not cover you and you maintain/pay for your own insurance. I can't imagine that being a deal breaker for the school (i.e. that they would suddenly withdraw the contract, turn you around etc). It's a bit of a calculated parsing of the truth/risk but if you deem it the best for your family then go for it. Others may have more dire warnings/advice.
Re: Sharing medical history??
I agree...share what is honest. My husband was diagnosed with cancer in 2013 and went through a full course of treatment. When we applied for our current job, the question about health comes up, but we answered honestly that he was fine--because his doctors have certified him cancer-free and in remission. For us, we don't need to talk about the cancer because it's now a non-issue. Whether it might come back in the future is another story. At the point we were hired, he was cancer-free.
We had interviewed and accepted jobs with a new school when we found out the cancer diagnosis. Our new school and the insurance company didn't blink. He was in the middle of a stem cell transplant and recovery and the new insurance didn't ask any questions.
We had interviewed and accepted jobs with a new school when we found out the cancer diagnosis. Our new school and the insurance company didn't blink. He was in the middle of a stem cell transplant and recovery and the new insurance didn't ask any questions.
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overseasandlovingit
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2015 3:19 am
Re: Sharing medical history??
Thanks. I'm already in the country with my husband's current job, so we shouldn't even need need to do the health check again. My main fear was rejection from the insurance, or such a high premium for the school that they would consider that means for rejection. You all have helped put my mind at ease!
Response
In your scenario the best option is to disclose. Aetna is going to share internally and your IS will find out. This gives them a dismiss you for cause card they can play anytime. If the cancer comes back they can dismiss you for not disclosing. They dont even have to do that they can claim at any time that you were dropped by their policy underwriter and they can dismiss you for that.
The IS will likely claim that their interpretation of "good health" is not your interpretation of good health, 2 cancers in three years isnt really good health. Its health (because your not dead) but that kind of occurrence is a red light warning.
The blood tests are primarily to screen for STDs specifically syphilis and HIV, the chest X-ray is to screen for Tb. Their are two types of HIV-1 tests a fast but not as accurate test and a much slower (and more expensive) test. If the fast response test is negative they clear you and move on, if the fast response tests positive or inconclusive they use the slow test to confirm. The problem is that there are such highly effective cocktails to treat HIV that they now test for the classes of those drugs (actually their intermediate metabolites) since the drug test is cheaper than the slow confirmatory HIV test. Cancer treatment drugs will result in confusing results, and someone will go digging in your medical history.
Generally my advice would be different if your could reasonably protect your medical history and privacy. Its none of the ISs (and to a significant degree not even the insurance providers) business, but this is China and they can make whatever they want their business since they have the coin, and you cant effectively conceal this.
The EKG is to reduce exposure of heart disease related costs on the health care system. It has nothing to do with wanting you to be healthy.
The IS will likely claim that their interpretation of "good health" is not your interpretation of good health, 2 cancers in three years isnt really good health. Its health (because your not dead) but that kind of occurrence is a red light warning.
The blood tests are primarily to screen for STDs specifically syphilis and HIV, the chest X-ray is to screen for Tb. Their are two types of HIV-1 tests a fast but not as accurate test and a much slower (and more expensive) test. If the fast response test is negative they clear you and move on, if the fast response tests positive or inconclusive they use the slow test to confirm. The problem is that there are such highly effective cocktails to treat HIV that they now test for the classes of those drugs (actually their intermediate metabolites) since the drug test is cheaper than the slow confirmatory HIV test. Cancer treatment drugs will result in confusing results, and someone will go digging in your medical history.
Generally my advice would be different if your could reasonably protect your medical history and privacy. Its none of the ISs (and to a significant degree not even the insurance providers) business, but this is China and they can make whatever they want their business since they have the coin, and you cant effectively conceal this.
The EKG is to reduce exposure of heart disease related costs on the health care system. It has nothing to do with wanting you to be healthy.
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Ifyousayso
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:55 pm
Re: Sharing medical history??
I may be wrong but I understood that in China it is a legal obligation for the employer to provide health insurance regardless of any you may have yourself.
Reply
@Ifyousayso
This is no longer true, and really never was, since the definition of "health insurance" was 'complex'. A vast number of so called self insure policies only covered the most minimum of care, and the benefits for more serious injury and illness were entirely dependent on maintaining employment with the organization, in which case a serious injury or illness often meant termination.
China has a social insurance program that includes universal healthcare, organizations may provide better healthcare options (private clinics, etc) but many pay fees based on the number of employees into the social healthcare system.
This program includes expat employees, but there are essentially 2 kind of healthcare portals to western medicine in China. The Public hospital system and private ones. The social healthcare system only provides access to the public healthcare system and its not very pretty. The private hospital/clinics system has vastly differing services and quality of care, at a cost.
The major issue is accessibility of care, specifically care in rural areas where recourse can be very limited.
This is no longer true, and really never was, since the definition of "health insurance" was 'complex'. A vast number of so called self insure policies only covered the most minimum of care, and the benefits for more serious injury and illness were entirely dependent on maintaining employment with the organization, in which case a serious injury or illness often meant termination.
China has a social insurance program that includes universal healthcare, organizations may provide better healthcare options (private clinics, etc) but many pay fees based on the number of employees into the social healthcare system.
This program includes expat employees, but there are essentially 2 kind of healthcare portals to western medicine in China. The Public hospital system and private ones. The social healthcare system only provides access to the public healthcare system and its not very pretty. The private hospital/clinics system has vastly differing services and quality of care, at a cost.
The major issue is accessibility of care, specifically care in rural areas where recourse can be very limited.