What Not to Tell Your Doctor

If you have ever applied for life, health, or disability insurance, you know the insurance company is going to want to know what’s in your medical history.  They will base their decision to offer you insurance on what they find.

I am in no way suggesting you keep legitimate health issues to yourself.  Your physician will be able to diagnose, treat, and hopefully cure many ailments that you experience.  What I suggest is you become aware of what is in your medical records.  If you are feeling stressed out because you are overwhelmed at work, or a little sad because your dog just died, you might want to get through it without the help of your doctor.  Once you mention stress, depression, or anxiety to your doctor it will go in your permanent medical record (even if there is no formal diagnosis).   If an insurance company sees any of these keywords in your record, you can be sure your policy will have an exclusion for mental/nervous claims.

Another common problem we have seen is when a dentist is getting chiropractic treatment or massage therapy.  Even if you don’t have a problem with your back, you might like to get the occasional adjustment from your chiropractor, or massage from your favorite massage therapist.  The insurance company has no way of knowing if there is something wrong with your back, and since your spine is vital for practicing dentistry, they will likely exclude your spine at least for the first few years of your policy.

You should always feel comfortable discussing your health with your physician.  Just be aware of what he/she is writing in your chart.