Obamacare/Trumpcare Horror Stories

[DowningRules]

I can't keep all the deadlines and deadlines extensions, etc. straight.  What deadline is the 10th?

 

I don't know what's what with the ACA anymore. 

 

Stay after it FS79.  The deadline is the 10th.

[fan_since79]

Stay after it FS79.  The deadline is the 10th.

 

Well, at least they told me last week they have my payment. Why it's taking so long to process it is a mystery. I'm not going to make a duplicate payment, because that might screw things up even more. I'm just going to sit tight and hope I don't get sick enough to see a doctor.

[nate]

It is weird that it hasn't processed.  The fact that your enrollment doesn't seem to be active is a concern.

 

The 10th is the payment deadline but once that passes it will be that much more difficult to get your enrollment straight for 1/1.  In the insurance biz, retroactive changes/activation's are a challenge.  They create a risk so it will be a hassle.

[fan_since79]

"I'm sorry, but due to heavy call volumes associated with the Affordable Care Act, we are unable to connect you with a service representative at this time...please call back later."

 

Word for word, that's what I just got after navigating through the maze of the automated calling system at Anthem Blue Cross.

 

I give up. I'm just going to wait for my ID cards to arrive, whenever that might be. I'll carry the online payment receipt with me that I copied if I have to go to a doctor. I paid on December 20th, and I'm going to sue everybody I can if they refuse me medical care.

 

 

 

 

[Tank]

"I'm sorry, but due to heavy call volumes associated with the Affordable Care Act, we are unable to connect you with a service representative at this time...please call back later."

 

Word for word, that's what I just got after navigating through the maze of the automated calling system at Anthem Blue Cross.

 

I give up. I'm just going to wait for my ID cards to arrive, whenever that might be. I'll carry the online payment receipt with me that I copied if I have to go to a doctor. I paid on December 20th, and I'm going to sue everybody I can if they refuse me medical care.

 

i think this might be a good reason to call your congressman/woman and bring to their attention what a difficult time one of their constituents is having with this.

 

the squeaky wheel gets the oil, fs.

[Crampknees]

i think this might be a good reason to call your congressman/woman and bring to their attention what a difficult time one of their constituents is having with this.

 

the squeaky wheel gets the oil, fs.

Tank, have someone I know running for congress.  I gave some money and put the sign in the yard and he says going to make changes.   I really should have just reminded him that once he gets there he will be rendered useless, stay home with your family and get in some golf. 

[fan_since79]

The Anthem Blue Cross phone system is incredibly bad. They simply hang up on you now, and that is after you've gone through two layers and a maze of options to get in line.

 

Twice this morning I've tried to get in. They put you on hold and then hang up. "Click", and that's it.

 

This is turning into a nightmare. My payment was made THREE WEEKS AGO and still no action on my account. No payment cashed, no ID cards, no policy, nothing. Just an internet receipt that I made my payment on December 20th, and a confirmation number to that effect.

 

 

 

 

[nate]

FS79 that is really concerning.  Are there any email customer service options?  Maybe a web form?  They should have activated you as soon as they got your payment.  The fact they haven't tells me there are issues.

[fan_since79]

A glimmer of good news...I finally got in to my Anthem account online, and they have my new benefits and policy listed. 

 

There's another problem, however. When I looked at my bill online, they have me DUE for my first premium payment. The billing date in January 7th, for a due date of January 1st.

 

BUT I MADE MY PAYMENT IN DECEMBER!!!

 

I am calling them once again, and will probably waste most of my morning trying to talk to a real person.

[Blarg]

Tank, have someone I know running for congress. I gave some money and put the sign in the yard and he says going to make changes. I really should have just oreminded him that once he gets there he will be rendered useless, stay home with your family and get in some golf.

He obviously wants to play better golf courses, on someone elses tab.

[fan_since79]

After 35 minutes on hold, I got through to a young woman in India whose grasp of English was shaky. She assured me that Anthem has my payment and will send it to my bank "soon". She then told me to expect my ID cards, etc 7 to 10 business days following my bank cashing the check. So by the end of January I may have proof of enrollment in my hands. Or maybe not.

 

I asked her why it takes three weeks or more to send an online payment to a bank, and she said "there are many people applying, sir". What's the matter with their computers? It should take only seconds to send an online payment to a bank.

 

She said if I have any trouble at the doctor's office, to have them call Anthem. Right, and wait an hour to speak to someone in India. I'm sure any doctor would be more than happy to do that.

 

I may make a duplicate payment online if my bank doesn't cash the previous one. The deadline for payments has been extended again, to January 15th.

 

 

[nate]

If you make a duplicate payment they should credit you toward the Feb bill.

 

By the way, this whole process has been messy but my company has not had anywhere near those kind of issues.  Customer Service wise we have been able to fulfill our commitment.

[Tank]

fs, just sign up with nate.

[fan_since79]

If anyone is trying to reach Anthem Blue Cross on the phone, forget about it. They hang up on you after "apologizing". A "Goodbye" and a "click", and the line is dead.

They have extended Saturday calling hours, but it's useless. They just cut you off, AFTER you've gone through several layers of their automated calling system. I've never heard of anything like this. It's a nightmare, really.

 

Long story short...I'm making a duplicate payment online, since the payment I made online THREE WEEKS AGO is sitting there, in limbo. The deadline for payment is January 15th, and it looks like I'll need to make a double payment just to be sure I'm in under the deadline. Who knows when I'll get my ID cards and benefit package.

 

I hope I stay healthy until the time I'm eligible for Medicare, because this current system is hopeless.

 

 

 

[fan_since79]

fs, just sign up with nate.

 

He's in a different state. That's not permitted under Obamacare. I'm stuck with the California companies.

Edited January 11, 2014 by fan_since79

[fan_since79]

LOL, Anthem has once again extended their deadline for payment, this time to January 31st.

 

It's still impossible to get through to them on the phone, however.

Hopeless. As you navigate through their automated system, they hang up on you. "Click".

Edited January 14, 2014 by fan_since79

[Jim]

He's in a different state. That's not permitted under Obamacare. I'm stuck with the California companies.

Wait, I thought one of the more popular parts of Obamacare was that you could purchase insurance across State lines?

[nate]

Wait, I thought one of the more popular parts of Obamacare was that you could purchase insurance across State lines?

 

Nope.  If you live in a state that has their own exchange you purchase from them, otherwise you purchase from the federal state.  Each state and even county has providers that do and don't offer coverage.

 

If you live in LA county and have family that lives in say SD county, you would each be offered different options.

[Jim]

Nope.  If you live in a state that has their own exchange you purchase from them, otherwise you purchase from the federal state.  Each state and even county has providers that do and don't offer coverage.

 

If you live in LA county and have family that lives in say SD county, you would each be offered different options.

Oh and here I thought it was all about purchasing across State lines so as to spawn competition and drive down the costs. I will be having to deal more closely with the ramifications of Obamacare come 2015 when my employer based insurance takes on inevitable changes. 

[fan_since79]

There's less competition under Obamacare, and rates will inevitably rise as the government is now controlling more of the insurance business.

 

There will be bailouts, but at the end bankruptcy for the companies. Then comes single-payer, government run health care.

[Schildog]

healthcare is a oligopoly as it is. there's not really competition to begin with. 

[fan_since79]

Anthem Blue Cross customer service: 99.18% NEGATIVE comments.

 

http://www.customerservicescoreboard.com/Anthem+Blue+Cross

 

Reading some of these stories, I can see my problems are not all that bad.

Of course, I still have no ID cards, yet have made THREE payments so far. And forget about getting through to them on the phone. Impossible.

 

I just hope I make it to 65 without having to see a doctor. Then I can transfer to Medicare and out of this nightmare.

[arch stanton]

So it appears that the real prize for military retirement is the TriCare Prime coverage.

[fan_since79]

FS79 that is really concerning.  Are there any email customer service options?  Maybe a web form?  They should have activated you as soon as they got your payment.  The fact they haven't tells me there are issues.

 

They finally cashed my payment today, which I made on December 20th! The only problem is, they applied it to my previous policy which expired on Dec 31st. So now I'll probably have to wait on the phone for an hour or two in order to try to get this money applied to my new policy, which it was intended to do!

 

I've now made THREE premium payments, supposedly covering me through the end of February, and still have no ID cards or contract with a statement of benefits. I have a policy number which some lady on the phone gave me (when I was lucky to get through to a real person) and told me to copy down on a piece of paper.

[fan_since79]

Aetna CEO says his company may be forced to leave Obamacare. Their 2015 rate increases might be double-digit.

 

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101354183

 

It's going to get very interesting if Americans get slammed with more large rate increases next year, on top of the enormous premium hikes many have already been hit with.

 

Many middle-class families simply can not afford these monthly premiums. The poor will get their subsidies, but millions of Americans do not qualify.