Friday, March 5, 2010

Insurance Craptacular

The past two days my stress level has been at CODE RED level status due to insurance craptacular insurance company issues and major FAILS on every level.

First, my mother was in a car accident on Wednesday morning and totaled her 1992 Cadillac De Ville, which only had 45,000 miles and was her dream car. She's fine and so is the other person who was involved in the accident, (thank GOD) but the car insurance company craziness has made us both crazy.

I'm fielding calls from her company and reporting the info back to her while trying to work. She's sad she lost her car, frustrated about the accident and what it will do to her premiums, and nervous about learning the ins and outs of another car.

Second: My own health insurance company is putting me through the mill so to speak. Since the whole "1 in a million" incident, my insurance company has audited and made me switch policies.

I did and am now paying twice as much per month for the premium, and a specialist co-pay of $50 verses my old policy rate of $15. As of Monday they still hadn't issued me a new policy number, and I was forced to cancel my follow up eye appointment that had been scheduled for today.
I rescheduled for Tuesday and will go whether I have a policy I.D. or not.

My Insurance Rep called me this morning and told me that the reason it was taking so long- it's been 3 weeks since the check was written & and the application filled out and sent via registered letter.

The letter was signed for and then forwarded to the wrong office - YES, I'm serious. Then said registered letter had to be sent back (via snail mail) to the original address it had been originally sent to.

It arrived (and the check was cashed) and the application was left sitting on a desk of the only person (apparently at Horizon Blue Cross, only 1 person in the entire north east can process the application and issue an insurance I.D number) and she happens to be at a seminar all week.
My insurance rep has been great. he's driving to Newark on Monday and come hell or high water, will have a new insurance I.D for me.

Why am I telling you all this? The reasons are simple. I'm angry, frustrated, stressed, and annoyed and wish this country could get their proverbial sh*t together as far as insurance was concerned. I payed my bill 3 weeks early, my policy started on March 1, and I still don't have an insurance I.D. number. Insurance companies need to be held accountable for their mistakes and errors instead of doing whatever they want, whenever it suits them.

They make us pay a HUGE penalty for being a person with diabetes and hold us accountable on every level because of our faulty pancreas. Insurance companies need to held accountable for their faults as well - and they need to start paying the price!

BUT there are silver linings folks, you just have to look for them.
A. My mom is OK
B. My insurance rep will have an insurance I.D number for me by Monday - he even gave me his home number in case I needed it
C. Diabetes has been playing extremely nice as of late. My blood sugar numbers have been great all week- even during the most stressful of moments. I am so GRATEFUL For that!

Did I mention the fact that I'm SO HAPPY it's Friday?

And a big shout out to Bennet at Your Diabetes May Vary, for taking all of our insurance frustrations to heart after listening to my complients via twitter yesterday! http://www.ydmv.net/2010/03/declaration-of-reauthorized.html

6 comments:

Katie from SF said...

Uggh I hear your Kelly! Hang in there... and enjoy the weekend (don't think about the following week!!!). =)

Bennet said...

Happy to pass on a laugh. I know you needed one.

Penny said...

Glad your Mom is OK, that;s the best part.
Sorry about the insurance craptacular, that's the worst part.
But it was Friday, again, the best part.
Best 2, Worst 1
Best wins :0)

Scott K. Johnson said...

Major Suckage.

I'm sorry to hear about your mom, but I'm glad everyone is Ok.

Seems like there's always extra crap to shovel, and lord knows we already have enough.

George said...

I just happened to fall onto your blog (I have hit 4 consecutive diabetes blogs by hitting next blog) and am so very thankful that I live in Canada.

My insurance through work pays for everything, including pump supplies and CGM sensors. Doesn't cost me a cent. If you are retired, you pay $100 for 1 year coverage and again, everything is paid for. If you are unemployed, the government will help. The government also gives me $200/month to help pay diabetes releated costs.

As I am sure you know, medical care, doctor appointments, hospital stays, surgeries, cost nothing.

Yes, there are problems with the system but nothing that I can't live with.

I have been watching a couple of TV shows regularly over the past couple of months on A&E ... I am astounded at the number of commercials for drugs and insurance that are on TV. Drug companies in Canada are not allowed to advertise.

George said...

PS ... the government give a pump to every T1 in the province.