What To Do When Your Medical Records Aren’t Accurate!

I know from personal experience that keeping tabs on what is said in your medical records can be as critical as making sure information in your credit records is accurate. Possibly even more important.

Just a few examples from my own records that have had an effect on life insurance applications in the past. Several years ago I had applied for a term policy and everything came to a screeching halt because the insurance company said that, according to my records, I had a “mass” on my left leg and had never done anything about it.

It took some digging, but we determined that the “mass” was actually referring to a small hard bump on my shin that I had asked a doctor about when I was in for a regular visit. It wasn’t bothering me. I was just curious. He poked and prodded and decided that it was a calcium bump from one to the thousands of times I had been kicked playing soccer. He said not to worry about it unless I noticed some change. The note in the medical record said something to the affect, “Patient was seen with mass on left leg. Possibly due to injury. Will follow up”. I went to the doctor and spent $250 getting the bump x-rayed so that he could conclude exactly what he concluded before. This time he put in my records “no followup needed”.

Another instance I mentioned in a post just recently has to do with my records being ambiguous about whether I have Raynaud’s disease or phenomenon. As it turns out there is a huge difference between the symptoms and what the life insurance underwriters are concerned with, the mortality risk. The disease is not a big deal. Cold fingers and toes, and unless you plan on sitting on one of our beautiful Colorado peaks buck naked, definitely not a mortality issue. Phenomenon on the other hand is generally accompanies by some systemic auto immune thing like Rheumatoid arthritis or Lupus. After visiting with the doctor recently I had the diagnosis of “disease” solidified.

Bottom line. There have been a lot of clients over the years that have been impacted by record inaccuracy. An occasional review is a prudent move and can save headaches and ultimately a lot of money on life insurance premiums.