So we are paying for my wife's health insurance through CalCOBRA (keeping her insurance plan after Federal COBRA ran out.)
With her recent health issues, we decided to keep her old coverage through Anthem Blue Cross, as it was a pretty decent plan. My insurance through work is free for me, but it sucks and would cost $600/mo if my wife came on the plan.
Anywho, Anthem had sent us a letter on March 3 to opt-in to Cal COBRA beginning June 1. The letter included the new premium as $860/mo (10% increase from Fed COBRA). It also listed a different plan then she had. I called in Anthem in April to confirm that the plan and coverage had NOT changed and that the premium amount was correct. I was told that the plan would remain as always and the premium was indeed $860.
A few days ago I get a bill from Anthem for nearly $1200/mo in premiums. WTF!?!?
I call 2 days ago, spend 30 minutes with customer support on and off hold until I need to leave for a meeting. Rep asks when to call back and I say in 2 hours at this #. Never received a return call. I call today and tell another rep the situation. So this cranky lady keeps telling me to speak up and then talks over me telling me that she cannot talk to me without my wife's permission. I tell her I spoke with several reps before with no problem as I have all of my wife's information. Eventually I hang up on her.
I call back and get another rep who acts the same way so I hang up again. Text my wife to call Anthem and give them the okay to speak with me about her policy. I then a call from Anthem and get placed on a three way call with my wife and customer service. The rep puts us on hold for 15 minutes to "investigate" our situation then comes back to say that the $1200/mo premium is correct and not the $860/mo premium, even though the lower premium was previously confirmed as correct by Anthem.
Lots of hemming, hawing and stammering by the rep who keep repeating things as if I pulled a cord on her back over and over. Then she tells me that because of the error, Anthem will only charge us $860/mo until September, at which point the premium goes up to $1200/mo.
I tell her that's good for now, but I will be calling back to speak with a supervisor/manager because this all sounds very fishy.
Rep then tells me that I cannot EVER speak to Anthem about my wife's policy unless my wife is on the phone with me! I say can't my wife give you me verbal approval to discuss her policy, submit a request in writing or ROI form? Nope. Anthem does not allow this because of HIPPA. What?!
I tell her thanks for wasting 30 minutes of my life, nothing personal but she doesn't appear to know very much about her job and her company stinks.
Is it legal for an insurer to forbid me to discuss these matter even with my wife's permission?
With her recent health issues, we decided to keep her old coverage through Anthem Blue Cross, as it was a pretty decent plan. My insurance through work is free for me, but it sucks and would cost $600/mo if my wife came on the plan.
Anywho, Anthem had sent us a letter on March 3 to opt-in to Cal COBRA beginning June 1. The letter included the new premium as $860/mo (10% increase from Fed COBRA). It also listed a different plan then she had. I called in Anthem in April to confirm that the plan and coverage had NOT changed and that the premium amount was correct. I was told that the plan would remain as always and the premium was indeed $860.
A few days ago I get a bill from Anthem for nearly $1200/mo in premiums. WTF!?!?
I call 2 days ago, spend 30 minutes with customer support on and off hold until I need to leave for a meeting. Rep asks when to call back and I say in 2 hours at this #. Never received a return call. I call today and tell another rep the situation. So this cranky lady keeps telling me to speak up and then talks over me telling me that she cannot talk to me without my wife's permission. I tell her I spoke with several reps before with no problem as I have all of my wife's information. Eventually I hang up on her.
I call back and get another rep who acts the same way so I hang up again. Text my wife to call Anthem and give them the okay to speak with me about her policy. I then a call from Anthem and get placed on a three way call with my wife and customer service. The rep puts us on hold for 15 minutes to "investigate" our situation then comes back to say that the $1200/mo premium is correct and not the $860/mo premium, even though the lower premium was previously confirmed as correct by Anthem.
Lots of hemming, hawing and stammering by the rep who keep repeating things as if I pulled a cord on her back over and over. Then she tells me that because of the error, Anthem will only charge us $860/mo until September, at which point the premium goes up to $1200/mo.
I tell her that's good for now, but I will be calling back to speak with a supervisor/manager because this all sounds very fishy.
Rep then tells me that I cannot EVER speak to Anthem about my wife's policy unless my wife is on the phone with me! I say can't my wife give you me verbal approval to discuss her policy, submit a request in writing or ROI form? Nope. Anthem does not allow this because of HIPPA. What?!
I tell her thanks for wasting 30 minutes of my life, nothing personal but she doesn't appear to know very much about her job and her company stinks.
Is it legal for an insurer to forbid me to discuss these matter even with my wife's permission?
