[alphacat]

So I've decided - after much deliberation - to go legal and become compliant with 215.

But my biggest concern now is something called the Medical Insurance Bureau... Yes, that's right. The M.I.B.! They might as well be men in black too, because their sole purpose is to be a clearinghouse of information for the insurance industry... i.e. if it's paid for with insurance, it's logged there.

What this means in practical terms is that you're disclosing info that will turn up should you, say, decide to apply for life insurance. And in many cases, being a cannabis user means anything from outright coverage denial to paying jacked-up rates for cigarette smokers and high risk applicants.

That said-

Which referring doctors in SF do not ask to see your records? Feel free to PM me if you don't want to advertise, that's fine. I don't mind doing a physical for them or anything, just... no records.

Thanks ahead of time!

[alphacat]

[bump............]

[quadracer]

Any legitmate Doctor will ask to see some medical history, becuase in California we have a thing called the Medical Board. They are much scarier than the "M.I.B" and any doctor that wants to keep his or her license to practice medicine will ask for medical history in some form or another.

A doctor that will not ask for any history will probably not show up to support you in court.

That being said, do not admit to any insurance company that you use marijuana. Even the NYTIMES Ethicist says its okay to lie to insurance companies about marijuana use:

January 17, 2010
The Ethicist
Smoke Screen
By RANDY COHEN

My son was dropped from our family’s employee-sponsored health insurance shortly after graduating from college in May. While filling out the application for a new policy, he asked me how to answer a question about his marijuana use in the past year. I said, “Honestly.” He checked a box indicating he smoked very occasionally and was denied coverage. Now he is uninsured while countless pot-smoking liars have coverage. My husband thinks I gave our son foolish advice. Do you agree? M.H., MONTCLAIR, N.J.

In this situation, there is no good advice. Some problems are simply not amenable to an honorable individualist solution, offering a choice only between disheartening alternatives.

Honesty may not always be the best policy — and, by the way, do these pants make me look fat? — but we rely on the trustworthiness of those we do business with. Were your son to lie on that form, he’d do his small part to erode that trust. And yet it’s hard to see how he’d harm the insurance company. Few dire health consequences result from sporadic youthful pot-smoking or even occasional adult pot-smoking. It is impertinent of the insurer to act on information that is medically insignificant.

And so, were I filling out that form, I’d lie without remorse. (All right, with some remorse. Accompanied by resentment. I blame my upbringing. And my inept, albeit imaginary, therapist.) But I could not advise my child to lie — even an older child, even to an insurance company. I would feel a parental duty to teach integrity and encourage civic engagement. So I would urge him to supply an honest answer on that form and write an urgent letter to his elected representatives, particularly those working on health care reform. The real solution here is to guarantee access to medical care to all people, not just those pot-smoking liars.

UPDATE: The son appealed the decision. The company remained adamant but said he could reapply in a year. M. H. says she believes it was giving him a nod and a wink, hinting that next year her son should simply lie. The parents were able to get him back on his father’s policy for $500 a month.

[DoobieDuck]

Originally Posted by quadracer

Any legitmate Doctor will ask to see some medical history....A doctor that will not ask for any history will probably not show up to support you in court....

I agree with Quad here..I/m not sure about your statement "you're disclosing info that will turn up" I have never heard this before, and that it actually will turn up? How do you think this MIB will be getting your personal information? DD

[Muleskinner]

Your new MJ-recommending doc is not allowed to give your records up under the HIPAA law, don't worry about it.

Just pay for the appointment yourself (self-pay, not using your health care insurance) and no one will ever know you've even been there except the doctor.

[alphacat]

Originally Posted by Doobieduck

I agree with Quad here..I/m not sure about your statement "you're disclosing info that will turn up" I have never heard this before, and that it actually will turn up? How do you think this MIB will be getting your personal information? DD

I have employment experience in the Insurance industry (doing I.T.) and it's well-known within the biz: basically, every rate change or denial of coverage based on undisclosed medical history comes from M.I.B. records.

My concern is not over voluntary disclosure, since in the end it's all about what's on paper: if you have no paper history (i.e. arrests, treatment, etc.) associating you with cannabis, they have nothing on you period.

But if you're going to a see a doctor that's a known cannabis consultation provider and who is also requesting your medical records, I don't see how that won't create a paper trail.

Muleskinner - thanks for the clarification there. If I provide records myself and do self-pay I think that should keep me off the radar.

Again, thanks for the input folks. Any other thoughts are welcome too.

[kno3brock]

Most every MM only Dr accepts only cash or credit cards. I don't know any that accept insurance. If insurance is not paying for your MM consultation or paying for your meds then MIB or any of the other companies that work with insurance companies will not have access to your medical records due to HIPAA laws.

If you disclose that you are a MM patient to your regular insurance co then it is a entire different story.

My own personal philosphy is that having a script and growing is something that only me and my Dr need to know about.

[Lazyman]

MediCann didn't even ask to see my medical records, and there is no centralized database in the state that lists who has a rec and who doesn't. only those that get the state/county cards are tracked, but most don't bother. Sonoma county only has like 226 registered cardholders, hahaha! There are probably 100 times that many rec holders.