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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by zipnull on July 16, 2001, at 22:31:38
I was told by a friend that worked in our (Fortune 200) inhuman resources group that they always check your medical history before offering employment. If you have any history of long-term illness (such as depression), they would not offer you a job. The only exception occurred when the hiring organization wanted a particular person and made a stink. HR would never admit that they withheld a job offer on medical grounds. There are a million reasons that they can use to buffalo the both the hiring organization and the poor sap that's looking to for a job. Later, I asked a casual acquaintance that was at the time a vp in another large firm, if this was true. He got defensive and claimed that it wasn't true. I kept pressing and finally he started explaining how young, healthy, unmarried individuals lowered their staggering insurance costs and therefore they needed to "weed out" the more expensive individuals when making hiring decisions. I just laughed and said I understood, but I was sick inside, because I'm one of those weeds.
I've felt insecure for several years, and so when I started seeing a p-doc, I never filed a medical insurance claim. I was hoping to keep my medical records clean. It's expensive ($180/session) so I keep my visits down to a minimum. However, I was going broke paying for the meds. One day my pharmacy assumed that I would use the co-pay plan and charged me $15 instead of $280. I didn't want to explain why I wanted to pay full price, and the difference in cost is amazing, so I just wrote a check for $15. For the past year I've been using the co-pay for my meds.
Well, now, my fears have come true and I was just "surplused". I'm out of here soon and I'm worried about finding a job. The country is flooded with overqualified people. As I search for a new position, will I get all the way through the selection process and then find out that they have 'mysteriously' changed their mind? Will I ever work again? Have I reached that age, when you must settle for being underpaid and underemployed? Why must I pay double, once for medical insurance coverage, and again because I'm afraid to use the medical insurance? Am I nuts, will HR departments look at my prescription history and withhold job offers? Isn't there some way to keep some of this stuff private?
-zipnull
Posted by AKC on July 17, 2001, at 8:14:54
In reply to Re: Insurance Mental Illness Hiring Practices, posted by zipnull on July 16, 2001, at 22:31:38
You have in a nutshell hit the heart of the privacy regs debate - and whether such regs really will work to keep medical data private. If you read the many, many pages of debate on the net, you will get the gambit, from one end that employers will have complete access still to such information to that doctors will not be able to get needed information to properly treat their patients.
The privacy regulations are a result of HIPPA -- a law passed by Congress in 1996 that has vexxed employers since its enactment. These regs don't generally go into effect until May of 2003 (I know - you need work way before then). The idea behind the regs - if they work as planned - is that employers, etc., will not have access to your medical treatment - that is, they cannot access your past treatment in making a hiring decision. You would have a "clean slate" in essence.
But as I noted above, there is debate if this really is going to happen. I personally think it is more likely the case in a new hire situation than a current employer/employee situation - for reasons much too complicated for this board - or my brain this early in the morning!
And unfortunately, these medical privacy regulations will not protect you at all right now. Your only hope is that the company you apply to is not using this practice. Not all companies do this - I have worked at some that do, and at some that do not. It is definitely a top down thing. Good luck in the hunt.
Posted by AKC on July 17, 2001, at 8:20:13
In reply to Re: Insurance Mental Illness Hiring Practices » zipnull, posted by AKC on July 17, 2001, at 8:14:54
If you are interested (or just seeking a glutton for punishment) in more information on the medical privacy regulations, go to www.benefitslink.com and type "privacy regulations" into the search box - you will get several hits and can read all about it. This web page (relied upon heavily within the legal community by benefits attorneys) is more focused than a general web search.
Posted by mist on July 17, 2001, at 21:49:56
In reply to Re: Insurance Mental Illness Hiring Practices » zipnull, posted by AKC on July 17, 2001, at 8:14:54
Don't you have to sign something before they can check your medical history? How do they check it?
-mist
> You have in a nutshell hit the heart of the privacy regs debate - and whether such regs really will work to keep medical data private. If you read the many, many pages of debate on the net, you will get the gambit, from one end that employers will have complete access still to such information to that doctors will not be able to get needed information to properly treat their patients.
>
> The privacy regulations are a result of HIPPA -- a law passed by Congress in 1996 that has vexxed employers since its enactment. These regs don't generally go into effect until May of 2003 (I know - you need work way before then). The idea behind the regs - if they work as planned - is that employers, etc., will not have access to your medical treatment - that is, they cannot access your past treatment in making a hiring decision. You would have a "clean slate" in essence.
>
> But as I noted above, there is debate if this really is going to happen. I personally think it is more likely the case in a new hire situation than a current employer/employee situation - for reasons much too complicated for this board - or my brain this early in the morning!
>
> And unfortunately, these medical privacy regulations will not protect you at all right now. Your only hope is that the company you apply to is not using this practice. Not all companies do this - I have worked at some that do, and at some that do not. It is definitely a top down thing. Good luck in the hunt.
Posted by AKC on July 18, 2001, at 18:22:21
In reply to Re: Insurance Mental Illness Hiring Practices, posted by mist on July 17, 2001, at 21:49:56
> Don't you have to sign something before they can check your medical history? How do they check it?
>
> -mist
>
You would think so, wouldn't you? But in this age of instant information, stuff so easily gets passed around - While paranoia is not one of my many symptoms of my mental illness, I am certain health insurers are all in constant communication - I don't worry about space aliens - I worry about health insurers! And you might never know why you were not hired (or fired for that matter).That's the reason for the extra protection of these new regulations - that are going to be a bear to implement - we were just discussing them again today at work. Lots of confusion, to say the least. The idea is to protect the little folk, but who really knows.
Well, I could write forever on this - it is truly an area I tend to tilt at windmills. You just have to hope that you run into what is I believe the majority of people - those with good hearts.
Your resident hounddog.
Posted by mist on July 19, 2001, at 1:53:11
In reply to Re: Insurance Mental Illness Hiring Practices, posted by AKC on July 18, 2001, at 18:22:21
AKC -
Do you know if employers have access to employees' (or prospective employees')driving records and credit reports? I read somewhere that they do but that doesn't seem right either. I can't believe an employer can run a credit check, which reveals personal information, on an employee without their permission and without even telling them.
This whole thing is incredibly creepy to me.
-mist
Posted by AKC on July 19, 2001, at 6:46:21
In reply to Re: Insurance Mental Illness Hiring Practices » AKC, posted by mist on July 19, 2001, at 1:53:11
> AKC -
>
> Do you know if employers have access to employees' (or prospective employees')driving records and credit reports? I read somewhere that they do but that doesn't seem right either. I can't believe an employer can run a credit check, which reveals personal information, on an employee without their permission and without even telling them.
>
> This whole thing is incredibly creepy to me.
>
> -mistWithout doing some research, I think with credit reports, you do need a person's consent (I think that is now governed by federal law, so it is consistent from state to state). However, I think on driving records, that varies from state to state - some states, those records are still a matter of public record - hence, no permission is needed, while in other states, those records are still private, so permission is needed. I agree, it is kinda creepy.
A private employer may have a right to condition employment upon access to certain records such as driving records. That makes sense if you are going to be a over-the-road truck driver, for instance. The government is more constrained, but also can do so if it make logical sense.
It is funny, I don't think of myself as very paranoid - not one of my many symptoms. And I have a basic core belief in that most people are good hearted. So I think there are very few people that go about trying to track down personal information of others just for the hell of it. But those who do - talk about a mental illness - and talk about needing to be locked up!! Those are the ones I worry about. But I wouldn't get too caught up on this. If a potential employer is into this - I don't know if I would want to work for the creep - I would want to move on to a better employer. Obviously, this doesn't apply if you are already employed and you are in fear of losing your job - no one wants to be out of work. It is a mess. And one that we should not have to put up with.
Your resident hounddog.
Posted by mist on July 21, 2001, at 21:59:09
In reply to Re: Insurance Mental Illness Hiring Practices » mist, posted by AKC on July 19, 2001, at 6:46:21
AKC,
Thank you for your response. I appreciate your sharing what you know about this. It's a disturbing issue because privacy rights are being eroded in society in general, and employees are particularly vulnerable.
-mist
> Without doing some research, I think with credit reports, you do need a person's consent (I think that is now governed by federal law, so it is consistent from state to state). However, I think on driving records, that varies from state to state - some states, those records are still a matter of public record - hence, no permission is needed, while in other states, those records are still private, so permission is needed. I agree, it is kinda creepy.
>
> A private employer may have a right to condition employment upon access to certain records such as driving records. That makes sense if you are going to be a over-the-road truck driver, for instance. The government is more constrained, but also can do so if it make logical sense.
>
> It is funny, I don't think of myself as very paranoid - not one of my many symptoms. And I have a basic core belief in that most people are good hearted. So I think there are very few people that go about trying to track down personal information of others just for the hell of it. But those who do - talk about a mental illness - and talk about needing to be locked up!! Those are the ones I worry about. But I wouldn't get too caught up on this. If a potential employer is into this - I don't know if I would want to work for the creep - I would want to move on to a better employer. Obviously, this doesn't apply if you are already employed and you are in fear of losing your job - no one wants to be out of work. It is a mess. And one that we should not have to put up with.
>
> Your resident hounddog.
This is the end of the thread.
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