Dec 07 2009
Carolinas Allow Domestic Violence to be Pre-existing Condition
WASHINGTON — Eight states and the District of Columbia don’t have laws that specifically bar insurance companies from using domestic violence as a pre-existing condition to deny health coverage, according to a study from the National Women’s Law Center.
The states are Idaho, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming. The study by the nonpartisan, nonprofit center focused on individual coverage, not group coverage.
Some of the states, particularly North Carolina, argue that other statutes on their books address the issue.
I can see the reasoning here. If you are in a violent relationship and continue to stay with the abuser and end up in the hospital time and time again for abuse related injuries, at what point are you bearing as much responsibility for your situation as the person inflicting the violence on you and why should the insurance company have to keep paying for it?
Take note that I am not saying that is necessarily how I feel, just that I can understand that argument being made.
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But that argument only makes sense if all victims of domestic violence “stay” in the relationship.
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