Hi Seth - Sure glad you found this site. Re the the insurance, recently my own dental insurance handled thru COBRA after I retired did lapse for about a month just because I didn't pay attention to the date and when I called them, they did reinstate me without charging a sign up fee. It would not hurt to ask about the reinstatement. I'm sure there are others here who can give you more informed suggestions re insurance and the pre-existing condition thing. You should definitely get to the ENT and get a biopsy, especially with the risk factor of dipping. Some cancers spread faster than others. And the sooner you get there, the less amount of time you will have to be anxious about it. You could check out to see if the ENT is associated with a "Comprehensive Cancer Center" which has a board or team of doctors that all get together and consult on the best treatment. The "Resources" link from the home page of this site has info on hospitals throughout the country - one is in Chicago but I'm sure someone from Wisconsin can give you more specific information. In the meantime, try not to stress too much until you know for sure what is happening. And keep posting so we'll know how you are doing.