"Turned down" for being overweight
originally posted: 11/22/2006 reposted: 2/18/2011 This post has not been recently reviewed or revised by the author and may be out of date. If in doubt, please send a new question or ask for an update.
Q: You suggested Secure STM as a source for health insurance for overweight people. However, they do ask the question, 'Have you been turned down for health insurance within the last 12 months?' The probable reason that most prospective clients have found Secure STM is that yes, they have been turned down (due to weight issues). Will having been turned down preclude one from Secure STM insurance?
A: Actually the application asks if you have been "declined". Being excluded from eligibility or "turned down" as you stated is legally different than being "declined". The word "declined" has a specific meaning in this context. I am not aware of any health insurance companies that decline applicants due to weight. (It is possible, but I am just not aware of any that do this. None of the policies on FreedomBenefits.net do this). Please see http://asktony.tonynovak.com/questions/not-accepted-vs-declined.htm for an explanation of the important difference.
Summary
More resources:
FreedomBenefits.net"Not-accepted" vs "Declined"