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Any advantages to formal diagnosis?

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siuan
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14 Jan 2008, 12:02 am

I dunno, that doesn't make sense. I mean, people with bipolar and depression and anxiety aren't being denied medical coverage, so why autism and AS?


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Wolfgang
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14 Jan 2008, 9:05 am

Thanks, everyone, for the invaluable input.

I'm tending towards not continuing formally diagnosis - I've been scrutinized and screwed over horrifically by insurance companies and Social Security, and generally feel I'd rather be the captain of my own ship rather than be cargo on someone else's.

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Odin
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14 Jan 2008, 10:12 am

2ukenkerl wrote:
Odin wrote:
My AS made me eligible for Social Security disability welfare payments (SSI), Section 8 housing assistance (rent subsidies), and access to disability services at my university.


WAIT A SECOND! You can get section 8 housing assistance EVEN if you make more than you are supposed to for it to otherwise take effect?

Section 8 is only supposed to come in if you don't make over a certain amount. Of course, MOST on SSI don't make more than that, and qualify, even if they DON'T have other disabilities.


Gah, what I meant was that IIRC people with disabilities are given higher priority on the waiting list, not that they don't have to be low income. :oops:


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beau99
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14 Jan 2008, 10:18 am

siuan wrote:
I dunno, that doesn't make sense. I mean, people with bipolar and depression and anxiety aren't being denied medical coverage, so why autism and AS?

There's a legal loophole regarding disorders listed in the DSM.

Some companies will cover ASD's, but they are not obligated to.


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Living_in_Gin
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14 Jan 2008, 10:28 am

Orwell wrote:
siuan wrote:
8O Denied insurance!! !? Because of Asperger's!! !! !!??????????

Just denial of coverage for behavioral health services or things related to AS, or all medical insurance in general?

They can use it to deny medical insurance entirely if they want to. Insurance companies are evil.
sophist wrote:
It's generally better to have a private diagnosis (i.e., not through the insurance company) so that it's up to you whom you reveal the dx to.

Your insurance company can dig through your records, and if they find out that you were "hiding something" they can retroactively cancel your insurance, take their money back from doctors that had already been paid (even for things utterly unrelated to AS) and leave you with a lovely bill.


Agreed, but note that some states have laws prohibiting insurance companies from denying benefits or coverage based on pre-existing conditions. New York is one such state (thank God), and I think there are others as well. You'll have to look into what applies in your own locale.


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Spokane_Girl

14 Jan 2008, 2:32 pm

2ukenkerl wrote:
Odin wrote:
My AS made me eligible for Social Security disability welfare payments (SSI), Section 8 housing assistance (rent subsidies), and access to disability services at my university.


WAIT A SECOND! You can get section 8 housing assistance EVEN if you make more than you are supposed to for it to otherwise take effect?

Section 8 is only supposed to come in if you don't make over a certain amount. Of course, MOST on SSI don't make more than that, and qualify, even if they DON'T have other disabilities.




I thought anyone could get section 8 if they don't make enough.