Last November I got insurance through my employer and on the form, I listed any medical issues or conditions I have or have had, any prescriptions I take and so on. Based on that information, anything I was taking or had issues with they considered pre-exsisting and would not cover anything related to those issues for a certain amount of time. For me, those were Acid-Reflux and Anxiety, both of which I had been seen for and took prescriptions for - so I was told they would not cover any doctor visits or prescription costs related to those two things.

Well, a month later (dec. of last year) I went to my new doctor for a physical and mentioned to her that for the past year or so I had been having these horrible pains that a previous doctor diagnosed as panic attacks (thus prescribing me anxiety medication). I had a few really painful attacks which I thought were panic attacks, because that is what the doc told me.

One time in particular I was out of both my prescriptions and had a really bad "attack" and ended up going to the E.R. The E.R. doc never VERBALLY told me, but put on my discharge sheet that it was suspected gallstones and recommended I get a ultrasound, which I never did. Later, the doc that told me I had panic attacks just told me that if it happens again, MAYBE i should get an ultrasound, and that was the end of that. I had no insurance at the time, so I did not get the ultrasound and didnt believe I needed to as I never had another attack and figured that I had the last one because I was out of my meds.

So when I went to my new doc and told her about all of it, she didnt even ask - she TOLD me and made the appointment for me to get an ultrasound to make sure it wasnt anything serious. WELL, it WAS gallstones and a few weeks later I had my gallbladder removed.

That was almost a year ago and the insurance company has already issued quite a few checks in large amounts for the surgery. Then yesterday I received a couple letters for a couple of charges (about $2000 worth) saying they were not going to be covered due to them being a pre-exsisting condition. The only pre-exsisting conditions I really had were heartburn and supposed anxiety - neither of which were related to gallstones as far as I thought. So really, I DID have the gallstones before beginning coverage with them, but it was NEVER actually diagnosed! I am so stressed out about this!! I was not trying to screw anyone over or anything!! I feel screwed over by the doctor who insisted I was having anxiety attacks when really it was gallstones causing the painful "attacks"!! Do I have a fighting chance or am I going to be stuck paying for whatever they deny? Since they already paid some of it, what basis do they have just now telling me they think it was pre-exsisting? I would call my insurance agent, but she NEVER calls me back and has never done anything to help me and the customer service number down-right insulted me and didnt tell me anything other than I can appeal it. PLEASE HELP!! I am a young mother who works full time and am trying so hard to make ends meet, I just dont know how I can do this!!