Insurance: Domestic Violence, A pre-existing condition?
For battered women in DC, Idaho, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming, state laws allow insurance carriers to deny coverage to victims of abuse because domestic violence is a pre-existing condition (Source: A one-two punch, Pasadena Weekly page 7, 10.01.09 edition).
So let me get this right? A man or a woman (women hit each other too) can beat another woman AND then the victim can be denied insurance because she was beaten or abused?
I’d love to here your thoughts about this…
- Mama
Domestic Violence is not a pre-existing condition. The state laws that say it is are very damaging. These laws could discourage women from reporting domestic abuse. If women stop reporting domestic violence for fear of not being able to get insurance, considerable ramifications may follow:
- The number of domestic violence incidents may increase the attacker knows he/she will not be reported and reprimanded
- Funds allocated to domestic violence programs will decrease because statistics will show that the programs are no longer needed
- children of abused mothers will not receive mental and physical help
- the number of domestic violence shelters will decrease
- children may begin to believe domestic violence is OK because Mommy or Daddy fight all the time.
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I am disgusted with such movements. I spent the first nine years of my life protecting my little sister from my paranoid schizophrenic mother trying to kill us. I grew up, went to Univerisity, obtained a BS in Criminal Justice, minor in psychology, and graduated with High Honors, just to give a little background about myself. I had a child, and found myself with a man exactly like my father and mother, PTSD stricten from the military, and beat up on atleast four occasions. I am a substance abuse counselor constintently looking over my shoulder terrified that one day I will turn around to find the man who has abused every drug you can think of. Now, trying to pick up the pieces, I’m leaving for the Navy to run and hide from the fear, anxiety, and my own Post Traumatic Stress.
Although domestic violence is not a pre-existing condition, people, not just women, but people who have spent there lives consistently being abused don’t know any different. As educated as I am, I never would have believed this to be my life, and for insurance carriers to deny battered women insurance due to something they had NO control over is disgusting.
My prediction, the domestic homicide rate will increase, suicide by victims will increase, and child abuse will increase if this trend continue. Lets use our heads here. Look at the research, we know, the likelihood of homicide for a battered women increases when she leaves her abuser, we know the likelihood of her return to her abuser can be correlated to many different, changeable things, all of which require counseling, sometimes medication, or hospitilization simply for the emotional damage, and now we’re talking about revoking abused peoples access to insurance, the one thing almost necessary to succesful relief from a vicious cycle of abuse.
Yes, I feel strongly about this, as the whole country should!
Domestic violence is considered a sickness not only to the abused but to the abuser. We’re a nation that do not take domestic violence serious. To try and attach this as a pre-existing illness is a good example of not taking this illness serious. Labeling domestic violence as a pre-existing condition is an excuse for the insurance carriers to turn their backs on so many individuals that are mentally and physically unstable.
Many abused individuals will suffer unnecessarily. They will not report the abuser or go to their physician for treatment. The fear of losing their insurance altogether or not being able to apply for it if needed would have a great impact on their lives.
The insurance carriers need to rethink this decision to deny anyone coverage for domestic abuse.
Blaming the victim once again. Insurance companies have been ripping us off. This is another way for them to do it. Those states that allow insurance companies to do this need to be boycotted. If this is the case then why did my son go off to war for a country that allows this type of bull to happen? Its is sicking!
I have been a victim of domestic violence in virtually every relationship I have had, all long term. I am presently, at the age of 47 still living in a ’safe house’after being in a 5 year relationship with a man who constantly abused me and eventually drove me to the limit where I finally took a stand to my detriment where he nearly killed me,assaulting,raping me and setting his trained to kill pitbull on me.I have had guns held to my head, repeated assaults and rape. This particular man had murdered before, which I was initially ignorant of. I was ignorant to so much I feel incredibly stupid that I did not see the signs. He,as in other relationships appeared to be so charming, in other words, a ‘con’. I have had councelling throughout my life and I do understand that being a victim of abuse as a child has a definit connection. I sometimes wonder if I feel I deserve the abuse I get and maybe that is because as a child I could never do anything right and alright felt guilty. I now live on my own.I became very ill throughout my last relationship, and was ill as a child.As is prevalent in most violent relationships you become isolated and that is exactly where I am today.Although lonely at times I have become quite comfortable with my own company, although I know it is not healthy to be completely isolated. It simply makes life so much easier.To this day I still worry that my abuser could possibly be standing outside my bedroom window, but I have learned to live with that and realise if confronted with him again, it is either his life or mine.I will never allow him to take my life and know if this happens I will not be the one to die.As for support. There is none.Protection Orders do work, as long as you use them. But there is always the chance as I discovered that the police just my not get to you in time, re the Pitbull attack, had the police turned up a minute later I would have been dead. I do not have faith in the police in this department.My feelings are that you, yourself are the only one that can save yourelf in the end! If that means being on guard until your abuser is six feet under, then so be it.That is reality!!
My name is Lorrie Harper, I am not a victim of domestic violence I am a survivor. My story is posted on a blog that I wrote. http://steeltrapped.blogspot.com/2009/04/seriousdomestic-violence.html
DV is not a pre-exsisting condition. Women who read this will be more afraid to make a complaint.
Domestic violence is definitely not a pre-existing condition. I wrote this blog post to raise awareness, not to make women afraid to report abuse.
- Mama
Interesting that you say that “A man or a woman (women hit each other too) can beat another woman”, while ignoring the fact that Men can also be the victim of domestic abuse.
If the only opposition is based on the notion that the victims of domestic violence are not at fault and therefore shouldn’t be penalized, I have to wonder whether you consider cancer victims to be at fault. What about the victims of the many other diseases and pre-existing conditions that insurance companies use to deny coverage? I’m sure most of them aren’t caused by any fault of the people involved. Statistics are clear that incidents of domestic violence are very rarely one-off, so people who choose to remain in a relationship after the first occurence are effectively choosing to remain vunerable. If Ellen Snortland feels so strongly, she should start her own insurance company and do things ‘right’. I think we all know why she won’t.
Oct. 10 Cynthia wrote the following: My prediction, the domestic homicide rate will increase, suicide by victims will increase, and child abuse will increase if this trend continue. Lets use our heads here. Look at the research, we know, the likelihood of homicide for a battered women increases when she leaves her abuser, we know the likelihood of her return to her abuser can be correlated to many different, changeable things, all of which require counseling, sometimes medication, or hospitalization simply for the emotional damage, and now we’re talking about revoking abused peoples access to insurance, the one thing almost necessary to successful relief from a vicious cycle of abuse. Cynthia, YOU ARE SO RIGHT. These were my predictions in 1991 and since that time we have seen an explosion in child and spouse abuse. In the later part of 1985 and through today, the court system still treats victims as poor white trash even if they are rich, and seeking protection of their children or themselves from abuse. I am an attorney who was relatively successful in help “some” victims. Victims are not respected by courts, nor the community and to have the insurance industry then kick them further into the gutter is really outrageous. But what amazes my is how strong some of them rise above it all, people like you Cynthia you are a gem. When many are so discouraged you are still fighting the battle.
I have spent a large part of my life being abused by men. I know the humiliation and guilt that accompanies the abuse. I know the difficulty in “getting out”. I know how it feels and the recovery is nearly impossible to get through. I am a very strong woman and have made it to the age of 52 after getting through 4 abusive relationships, one of which was my father who sexually abused me for many years. I have spent many years in counseling and on medication and am now free from it all. This is very rare for a victim and I wish I knew how I did it so that I could free every victim from their own abuse. I am now in a healthy emotional relationship. That is not the case for most victims who will spend the rest of their lives afraid and choosing the wrong spouse. We need to find a way to empower each person and denying a victim insurance is just about the most ignorant thing I have ever heard. Please, STAND UP AND FIGHT!
I was abused for 22 years while married to a physically,verbal and mentally abusive man.We have been divorced for years now,and he still abuses me at a distance by using my adult children,grandchildren and family situations. Abuse sometimes never stops and they enjoy every moment of it. Having said this,I feel that its not my fault that someone can and will abuse another person and the insurance company that will not insure an abused person is just way out of line on this. How dare them to say that its a preexiting conditions. What will they come up with next? I am stunned.
Tracey,
You, like many of the other women who have posted here, are amazing. You have been through so much and are a survivor, for sure. I hope that someday you will find at least a couple of friends you can really trust.
I live in Ms.My husband is a alcoholic and were merried.The alcohol drives him to beating me and breaking everything in the house and picking up glass and throwing it at me we have a kid together she’s young can I legally leave the state with my child sience I’m under domistic violence? Please somebody awnser
First, get yourself and your child to a place of safety. Then, find out what the laws are in Mississippi about leaving the state with a minor child. Do not return home under any circumstances. This man can kill you and your child in a fit of rage. A protective order can be gotten from the court; but, I must warn you, this won’t stop hom if he is determined to find you. If there is a battered women’s shelter in Mississippi, go there. It is a place of shelter where he cannot find you. They can help guide you toward what you must do…I know, I have been there.
I am studing to become a paralegal and I have to write a two-page paper on a man who is an alcoholic and abuses his wife. I have to pretent that I am the police and go to the house. When I supposly arrive the wife is badly bruised and bleeding, cowering in a corner. The husband is drunk, and I supposovely ask the wife if her husband has been beating her, she shakes her head. Bascially I have to analyze the situation. I came across this website by acident and ready all the story;s it has actually help me to understand my assignment a little better. But, I feel so bad for allof you who have gone threw this.
I too am a survivor of domestic violence. I think it is a disgrace for insurance companies to use this as another scapegoat for not paying on treatment that victims of domestic violence need. What has our society come to? Honestly, it is ridiculous. Think about all the abused children/adults that will be refused service and made to feel as if they are to blame. This is not the OUR fault. WE should NOT be punished for something WE had no control over.
I coincidentally came across this page when i was looking for symptoms of iron deficiency. I am also a victim of abuse. My partner has a temper problem and is violent. He has extreme mood swings n many times i don’t understand why he got that angry. I have been pregnant twice and on both occasions, he had assaulted me. And when i lost my babies, i had to put up with the verbal abuse as well. The beating never stops.. its just a matter of time. And many times i was at the mercy of his hands. I was in n out of the hospital, with countless bruises and some fractures. I have broken off the relationship 6 months ago, in the meantime i feel so messed up and m trying to recover. I got ill from the stress and anxiety. It doesn’t help when we have a business that i’m currently completing before i can leave. Sometimes i don’t know if I’m sane.. i feel so much pain n anger in me. But it helps when i read that I’m not the only one.
reading these stories made me think of my current bf and my question of, will things ever change. we became friends in late 06 and finally became official in mid 08. I loved the fact that we were friends first. he is honestly my first real relationship and I am 28 years old. about a month into our “official” relationship he put his hands on me. I have to honestly say the first time I was shocked, but each time after I fought back, he always got the better of me but I always fought back. it was the sixth time that we fought that I ended up in the hospital bc I thought my shoulder was dislocated and I had split my wrist from punching a glass door in anger. when I went down to the hospital they asked “who did this to me” but I cried and told them I couldn’t tell them and begged my family member not to give his name. i’ve often thought of this incidence while applying for jobs and they do medical background checks, I feel like if I wouldve gave them details then it wouldve went against me in the future. bc of the way laws change im glad I didn’t report it but at the same time, im still in it…we broke up for about 3 days before I went back to him and about 3 weeks later he ended up in jail(not for dv) and has been for a year. while I go visit him, he always mentioned that he would smack me for something or always “threatens” me in type of way. I tried to tell him that he makes me uneasy by saying those things but I honestly don’t think he care. I guess im just at wit ends that I need to walk away now bc I don’t know if it’ll happen again. but its hard bc our friendship. being in a abusive relationship is a confusing experience, I really don’t know what to do.
If domestic violence is a pre-existing condition, prove it.
I say I was not a victim of domestic violence before this happened, so it didn’t exist when I paid for coverage.
This is a stupid law. By these standards, a speeding ticket could prove a ‘pre-existing condition of rash driving’, so of course, such people dying in accidents couldn’t be covered.
Aren’t possible mishaps what insurance is about?
Why in the world would I buy travel insurance if it would invalidate at the “pre-existing condition” of travelling to some place where pickpockets exist or an airlines that has had a crash in its history?
How is this different from health insurance invalidating at domestic abuse?
I was in a violent relationship from a young age. I finally left him a few months after my 20th birthday, after he tried killing me while I was holding our baby. He got 6 months in prison, but only served 3.
I am lucky enough to live in the UK, where we have free medical care, but my heart goes out to all the women and men (domestic violence is an issue for men too, please don’t forget this) whos insurers refuse to pay for their treatment. These people suffer enough, and the likelihood is they will return to the abusive relationship many times after treatment (I know I did) and the cost of their medical treatment will only enrage their partner further and lead to more abuse.
I hope that there is the possibility of changing the law in these states. Victims of domestic violence often lie about how they got their injuries, because they are embarressed and scared. If they feel as though they have to lie so the insurance will pay for it, they won’t get the help they need to get out of the relationship.
The insurance providers who refuse cover for victims of domestic abuse, and the heads of the states that allow this disgusting act to continue undoubtedly already have the blood of many men, women and children on their hands. I personally hope they all rot in Hell.