life insurance company definition regards CLL.

[Tonnross]

guys have only just joined this group I see many posts regards Life insurance companies and the limitation re six months terminal small print. This is born in no small way by the lack of definition by the medical profession / BMA. In basics if an illness cant be cured as in the case of CLL then is this not classed as terminal. Its a label I hate to use but its the reality of where people like us are at. The benefit system is also as I am informed doing the same as insurance companies. I am wishing to have this changed and get the definition into a zone of total clarity. I intend to start a petition and lobby the said bodies regards this matter. Never having undertaken anything like this before but then again I never had cancer either and iam foked if either of the above will beat me without a fight.

[Newdawn Administrator]

Hi Tony,

I responded on your other thread on this subject. I'm not sure why you've started a new one on the same subject.

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo....

Just to understand your goals Tony, is your petition to have CLL classed as a 'terminal illness' in all cases for the benefit of all insurance and welfare benefit claims? If that's the aim then I honestly believe you'd struggle for support because it's defying the reality. Each person has to be assessed on a case by case basis based on their unique presentation of CLL, bio-markers and level of disease aggressiveness, co-morbidities and the way it impacts. Your aims are laudable and I totally get why you're hacked off with your treatment but there's so many variables and players here (hundreds of insurance companies and benefit agencies) that the remit is too wide for a petition. The CLL spectrum is wide and each insurance policy is different.

(However, we are in the midst of an election race so no harm in making your concerns known to your prospective political candidates.)

Can you clarify who the petition would be sent to.

Regards,

Newdawn

[Tonnross in reply to Newdawn]

thanks for your input. I feel your being a tad negative and this wont detract myself form proceeding. There is absolutely nothing to lose buy starting down this route. Regards they types of CLL and stages, its the classification thats the issue here and thats the starting point for myself. As i said theirs nothing to lose by this and if nothing else it will raise awareness of whats going on generally.

regards tony

[Newdawn Administrator in reply to Tonnross]

I'm sorry you feel I'm being a bit negative Tony because in reality I'm trying to be realistic and bring some specific focus to your aims. I've fought this battle and it was a hard fought war believe me which is why I urge you to be more focussed in what you're aiming for. I'm the person who contacted the Insurance Company every day for 4 months. I'm no quitter but I understand the issues because I've been through them.

Just be aware that by classifying CLL as a terminal illness, we'd no longer be able to access travel and other insurances once diagnosed. This is a double edged sword.

However, I'll leave others to comment and it will be up to the CLLSA whether you'd be allowed to promote your petition on here.

Regardless of all this, I wish you well with your CLL and would suggest you fight your individual case through the Ombudsman to see if you can overturn the decision.

Regards,

Newdawn

[Newdawn Administrator]

Tony, I'm not sure if you've seen this but it's worth a read and may be worth you taking your individual case to the Insurance Ombudsman.

You'll see from the list that in insurance terms, 'terminal' usually relates to a life expectancy of less than 12 months.

financial-ombudsman.org.uk/...

Regards,

Newdawn

[AussieNeil Administrator]

Hi Tony,

Your main difficulty with your proposal is that you are talking about Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia. If you take the time to search online for the outdated survival times they are better now) for someone with a CLL stage IV diagnosis, they are far far longer than 12 months. The problems with determining life expectancy even when a patient is approaching end of life are outlined here: healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

While I admire your determination to improve the insurance situation, may I suggest you'd achieve more by focusing on other more pressing needs? With insurance, that may be improving the likelihood of having a successful income insurance claim as a result of fatigue, which for CLL is often not recognised by doctors and even specialists if they aren't familiar with CLL.

Neil

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero in reply to AussieNeil]

I agree with Neil there is much to be done to improve people's understanding of CLL and it starts with your GP, frankly.

Wikipedia, has a very good definition of Terminal Illness worth a read perhaps

Terminal illness is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer or advanced heart disease than for trauma. In popular use, it indicates a disease that will soon progress until death with near absolute certainty, regardless of treatment.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ter...

[Tonnross in reply to AussieNeil]

Hi, you guys been dealing with all this far longer than I have. I am not knocking anybody here far from it but how come nobody has pushed for clarification on definitions before. It seems even the BMA shy away from this very subject. By promotion of and or highlighting the subject their is nothing to lose.

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