Obamacare/Trumpcare Horror Stories

[mtangelsfan]

This is always the way it is.  The libs complain about class warfare and the diminishing of the middle-class.  What they won't admit is that their own policies have as much to do with the eradication of the middle-class than the cons policies do.

 

The middle-class is always the ones to takes it in the ass.

[nate]

Obamacare is a gigantic burden on the middle class.  They were and still are the majority paying for health insurance, now they just pay a lot more.

 

It has been a while since I posted so here are some updates.  The federal exchange has yet to build an audit process.  Meaning they do not have a good way of comparing what we have with what they have.  This includes everything from name and address to plan and premium.  They were supposed to have the first file to us on 12/15.  From the sound of it, it will be months before they finally do.

 

The Federal exchange does not have the ability to make changes to active enrollments.  Get married?  Have a baby?  Change of address?  Name incorrect?  DOB incorrect?  Too bad.  Submit a ticket and wait for a database admin to fix it... and even when they do, they cannot send us the change over any automated process (the way it is supposed to work are daily maintenance files) because that has not been designed yet.  Instead a case worker will notify us that it has been changed on the exchange and we can update our system, also here is the new plan and premium information.  This will take at least a week but probably much longer because they are so swamped.

 

We cannot just do these changes in our system on the members request because increases in premium mean increases in premium credit from the exchange.  If their system is not updated we do not get the updated payment from the exchange.

 

The data they send us is still a gigantic mess.

 

Basically all of the requirements and specifications they gave us to start working on over the last three years were crap, they aren't able to stick to any of it.  We already bent over backwards and built our systems and processes around what they wanted.  This is the only customer we do this with.

 

It is totally pathetic from top to bottom how it is being run.  DC which is its own exchange is even worse.

 

The amount of resources my company is dedicating to this, along with the price increases, I wouldn't be surprised if they are also considering exiting the segment.  I just hope that means I have a job in another year after working my ass off on this.

Edited January 22, 2014 by nate

[Adam]

Maybe a little tinfoil-hatty of me, but my guess is all these problems were intentional to make the move to a single payer, government run program a faster process.

[fan_since79]

I'm already mentally prepared for my policy to be cancelled on March 5th because Covered California still will not have recognized that I was born in the U.S. 59 years ago and have had a valid Social Security number since I was 16. 

 

They have not taken any action on the various documents I faxed, emailed, and snail-mailed a month ago. "Unverified" is all I get when I login to my account on the state exchange. I have a conditional 90-day enrollment until I prove my citizenship. 

 

This is a crazy nightmare, really.

[fan_since79]

Maybe a little tinfoil-hatty of me, but my guess is all these problems were intentional to make the move to a single payer, government run program a faster process.

 

You're not tinfoil-hatty at all, just perceptive.

[Angel Oracle]

And then there's this staunch Republican who likes Obamacare.   Let the RINO jokes begin.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-m-republican-love-obamacare-153017542.html

[Adam]

I don't see how an F up of this magnitude could be unintentional

[Angel Oracle]

And more ObamaDON'Tcare goodness 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/01/22/target-joins-home-depot-walmart-others-in-dropping-health-care-for-part-timers-citing-obamacare/?partner=yahootix

[Guest]

I'm already mentally prepared for my policy to be cancelled on March 5th because Covered California still will not have recognized that I was born in the U.S. 59 years ago and have had a valid Social Security number since I was 16. 

 

They have not taken any action on the various documents I faxed, emailed, and snail-mailed a month ago. "Unverified" is all I get when I login to my account on the state exchange. I have a conditional 90-day enrollment until I prove my citizenship. 

 

This is a crazy nightmare, really.

Wow, what a mess. I hope everything works out for you, though.

Obamacare is definitely a logistical nightmare, and it's so unnecessarily complicated. I am impressed with some of the plans, however (upon further inspection). Single-payer is the only way to fix healthcare in this country.

[Guest]

I don't see how an F up of this magnitude could be unintentional

You underestimate the ineptitude of government.

[Jay]

Doubtful that this disaster is a diabolical plan to justify a single-payer system. Obamacare has to work in order for Obama and the Dems to survive near-term elections. If the entire health insurance industry fails because of Democrat policy, they may never recover.

[arch stanton]

When the idiot Republicans are your opponents you will only stay down for so long.

[Adam]

Doubtful that this disaster is a diabolical plan to justify a single-payer system. Obamacare has to work in order for Obama and the Dems to survive near-term elections. If the entire health insurance industry fails because of Democrat policy, they may never recover.

 

The Republicans (in power) are only against this shit in rhetoric. 

[Jay]

When the idiot Republicans are your opponents you will only stay down for so long.

 

Fair statement; but it won't take very long to repeal Obamacare.

[Jay]

The Republicans (in power) are only against this shit in rhetoric. 

 

This is a bit tinfoil-hatty.

[fan_since79]

Consumer complaints about Anthem Blue Cross are flooding in. Over 99% negative results.

Horrible company, and I'm going to try to get another provider as soon as possible. 

 

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

 

One of these stories is the exact same as mine: three payments so far, and no ID cards or indication of when they'll arrive. Impossible to get through on the phone, and that's really the only way to reach them. When I tried to print out a temporary ID card today on their website, I was informed "This functionality is not available at this time. Please call customer service."

 

"This functionality"...classic bureaucratic language. 

 

FUnction them!!!

 

[Adam]

This is a bit tinfoil-hatty.

 

Neither party gives up power or control when they inherit it. The government does not shrink. 

[Vegas Halo Fan]

An aside on this: Someone at the Nevada Health Exchange, the entity charged with signing people up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act, has started giving out my personal office number as the number for people to call to enroll in Medicaid. The first call yesterday I dismissed as a wrong number. When I got the second call, I talked to the guy for a while to first make sure that he was given my exact number (he was) and to find out where he got the number. Unfortunately he didn't recall who he talked to in the office.

 

I hope that my efforts to fix this work - and quickly. Otherwise my office will be paralyzed with irrelevant calls.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Vegas Halo Fan

[Tank]

I don't see how an F up of this magnitude could be unintentional

 

the overlords at bohemian grove aren't going to be very happy with you when they meet this summer.

[Angel Oracle]

Neither party gives up power or control when they inherit it. The government does not shrink.

This +a billion million

The whole lot of them have it too easy with the salaries and the quirks that come from having big money in their pockets.

Future electors might actually go Monty Brewster on these fools one day. But I won't hold my breath.

Edited January 26, 2014 by Angel Oracle

[Amazing Larry]

a billion million

 

 

Who's more famous to the billion millions?

[fan_since79]

I actually got through yesterday to a nice lady who spoke English very well and told me she doesn't know why my ID card and enrollment packet have not yet been sent. She assured me she would send in a request to get this done. I'm not expecting anything. When asked if Anthem makes a notation in a policyholder's account of the date when enrollment materials are mailed, she said "No".

I can hardly believe that they fail to make a simple note as to when ID cards are mailed. What kind of penny-ante company is this?!

 

I still can't get the site to print up a temporary ID card, even though it invites me to do so. She gave me a number for tech support. Great, another 30-60 minutes on hold to look forward to.

 

I've made three premium payments and they've all been cashed. I'm paid up until April 1st, but have no proof of coverage. This has cost me a lot of money and hours of time on the phone.

Edited January 31, 2014 by fan_since79

[fan_since79]

Anthem also sends you a blizzard of paper statements and "payment due" mailings. It doesn't matter if you make an online payment. You'll still get at least two paper statements dealing with that payment, which has already been made.

 

I'm not going to sign up for their automatic deduction service, because I've read several horror stories of people who can't get it to stop when they wished to go back to the old way of paying each month. There are even cases where Anthem has continued to deduct payment for expired policies from their checking account, so these people are now paying twice each month. 

 

I'm thinking of looking into another company at this point, but am afraid of the chaos that might ensue trying to get out of Anthem.

I just want my ID card, is that too much to ask?

 

[Blarg]

I am sure the President's state of the union address calmed your nerves.

[fan_since79]

Anthem is raising premiums by as much as 25% on older policies not affected by Obamacare.

 

For one family quoted in the story, their premium went up to $1,822/month. A 25% increase for them on top of a 53% hike since 2010. Premium increases are wildly outpacing inflation.

State regulators are looking into this closely.

 

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-anthem-health-rates-20140131,0,5252164.story#axzz2rzxQcgFo

Edited January 31, 2014 by fan_since79