Blue Cross / Blue Shield Health Insurance Consumer Reviews - Page 4

ATLANTA, GEORGIA -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia has some of the worst customer service I have ever dealt within my life. To speak to someone, you have to first go through the robot representative hell then wait for another 5-10 minutes to be connected to a person. Once you get to a person, they generally have a terrible attitude and are completely clueless about even the most simple of issues. You are passed from one call center to another to find anyone that might remotely be able to help you out with your problem.

This company does not care at all about their customers. Unfortunately, I have a pre-existing condition so I am stuck with them for now. At least in 2014, I will be able to shop for new health insurance, and I intend to drop this company as soon as humanly possible. Thank God that Obamacare will finally allow me to dump this loser company.

QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS -- 6 years ago, my wife had a brain tumor. After surgery, she had severe cognitive and motor impairment. She needed rehab but BSBC and their desktop physicians denied coverage, and 4 days after coming home, she fell down the stairs and required further hospitalization because of their stupidity and inability to put care before cost and deciding a patients fate using Dr. who only practices with a calculator.

Now, my wife a severe reaction to medication which aggravated the injury from the brain surgery and she is impaired mentally and physically. Can't walk without a walker presently and can't tie her shoes, and hospital and Drs. say she needs rehab before they can release her from the hospital, and again, they deny coverage.

I sued last time after they put her in harms way and found out they are protected by congress and ERISA. They are above the law and when my company decides who will be our insurance carrier next year, BCBS will not be one of the choices. Bad company, terrible customer service and health insurers should not dictating health care. The national health care changes are going to make it even worse.

NORTH CAROLINA -- After 2 years of an undiagnosed illness, I was referred to a University Hospital. First visit was basic - previous history, getting new bloodwork done, etc. Second visit, doctor starts me on an infusion of drug Infliximab or "remicade". I had never heard of it, but went ahead with the process. Tiny bag - 400mg, no big deal, it was just a slow drip, that was all. Went back again next month for another dose, same amount. Doctor said bloodwork looked good. I was feeling much better. Doctor says I have an immune disorder. Go again 3rd month. Feeling like a human being again. Doctor is glad I've improved. New bloodwork looks really good.

BIG problem. Blue Cross sends me statement for "pharmacy" charges it will not cover for $38,000 for (2) Remicade infusions. And they still have one more bill for about $20,000 yet to send me!! Found out the hospital failed to get a pre-approval from insurance company before using this medicine on me. Several hospital officials told me, since it was the hospital's fault, I would not have to pay. The drug would just be replaced by the drug representative. Not so. My statements are now in collection agency hands

And I have to find a lawyer. I am at my wit's end. Insurance company paid for everything but the medicine. Oh, I checked with a local pharmacy to see if I could buy "remicade" if I had a prescription. Yes, I can, but it would be in a 100mg vial at a cost of approximately $825.00 to me. Multiply that times four and you still don't get $20,000 like the hospital was charging my insurance company for 400mg.

I have Health Insurance through work. I have paid all the premiums. My kids went to regular health/well-being visits with vaccinations. We even called ahead of time to make sure we were OK visiting these doctors, and got verbal oks from BCBS. One month later, all claims were denied. The explanation was preexisting coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western NY - a policy that ended a year before. I spoke with BCBS (20 attempts at calling, avg wait 15 min, and 50% of the calls resulted in being disconnected). They looked into it, apologized and told me it would be corrected. One month later, another collection notice.

I called again to BCBS (more problems reaching a rep), they said they had no record of any phone conversation. They asked me to fax in documentation of termination of coverage. I did. This time I requested written documentation the problem would be fixed. THEY REFUSED TO SEND ANY WRITTEN CONFIRMATION that they corrected the error, would not give an explanation. They assured me it would be corrected.

One month later, more Collection Notices. Faxed in documentation again to BCBS, they claimed to have no previous records of conversations. Followed up again one week later to check. The person handling my claim is “out of the office this week.” Another representative claims that there is no record of any conversations and asked us to fax in the documents again. This cannot be incompetence. The only plausible explanation is that this is a CRIMINAL practice of repeatedly refusing to pay.

GEORGIA -- I truly hope that this message makes it to at least one person who is considering purchasing BCBS health insurance. If I can help one person avoid the headaches that have resulted from dealing with this company, it will be worth the time I took to submit this review. BCBS is a deceptive, dishonest, manipulative company that couldn't care less about members' healthcare as long as they collect the premium each month. They will raise your premium and simultaneously deny more and more of the claims that they are responsible to pay. You will pay unbelievable premiums each month, and most of the claims (be it routine office visits or prescriptions) will be denied.

Trying to reach customer service is almost impossible and, when you do, you will be given a vague and nonsensical answer with no resolution. You will be left with a simple response... "no exception." Take my word - if you are considering BCBS as your health insurance carrier, reconsider.

On April 20th, a letter was written to me to advise me that my Medical Coverage with Blue Cross Blue Shield under Cobra was cancelled as of March 1, 2010. As you can see, this is 6 weeks later! In the last six weeks, I have had several expensive tests at the hospital and have seen two specialist for a medical condition. All of the tests were pre-approved by Blue Cross during the past 6 weeks.

I was not aware that my coverage was cancelled, even though they accepted my payments and cashed my checks, and now I will be responsible for thousands of dollars in medical bills. This is an atrocity! Something must be done about Blue Cross Blue Shield and they need to be held accountable for their lack of service to their customers. I lost my job a year ago, and having insurance has been critical to my survival. What now?

MINNESOTA -- So I have had health insurance with Blue Cross for about 10 years and have had no major health problems. Last year, I found out I needed minor surgery. It cost BCBS about $10,000. I figured I finally got about 3 years of premiums back - so to speak. I take it they didn't like that because just after my surgery when my premiums were due, they didn't send me a bill. I called when I realized it was 2 weeks late and they said that "somehow" their computers had "lost" my city and state, so when they mailed my premium bill, the post office sent it back to them. Yeah right.

The customer service person asked me my city and state, typed them in, and said "hmmmm that's weird, the computer says that address is fine". Duh, you have been sending me bills to that address for 2-1/2 years with no problem. Somehow after I had surgery, they "lost" part of my address. How convenient for them it would have been if I had been one month late to pay.

They would have cancelled my insurance and not allowed me to reapply for 2-3 years. They blamed it on the post office, yet no one at BCBS tried to contact me to tell me my bill had been returned. I would like to know how you get the job of the person at BCBS who goes through the computer erasing parts of the addresses of people who have too many claims. Betcha he/she gets paid a lot of money.

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY -- We have paid for TWENTY FIVE YEARS for Blue cross Blue Shield (Anthem) insurance plan through my husbands work. Our adopted son was diagnosed with very early onset schizophrenia paranoid type with homicidal intentions (he repeatedly has tried to kill us and 7 other adopted sibs). He was admitted to residential facility and evaluated by the state of Missouri mental health that found him to be SO DANGEROUS that they state he is legally NOT ALLOWED to return home, yet Blue Cross says after ONE VISIT with a psychiatrist, in which son denied visual/auditory symptoms (he always does so that he can get out and try AGAIN to kill us), that son "no longer meets medical need".

BCBS refuses to accept statements son made to his roommate that he "is going to get out to kill his mom" as evidence son is still medically/psychiatrically unstable! This insurance is defrauding the public, they will directly cause the deaths of NINE people so they can keep your money. Think of the mental anguish a schizophrenic endures and that they will deny care that is covered in their policy!

NORTH CAROLINA -- After my husband was laid off his job in late June, we were told we would go into state continuation insurance instead of cobra. My husband dropped his plan, but as his spouse, I was allowed to keep the policy. They kept raising my price on my policy until I could not pay it, I was told by BCBS that I could go on a federal plan that started on September 1st. I said great because I would have to pay only 35%.

Well, now they say that I do not qualify because my husband stopped his policy too soon. But they don't tell me until two months later. Now, I cannot get any insurance so I am extremely upset with BCBS. For one person, I was paying 734.49 monthly. There is a lot more complaining I could do but I just hope this helps someone to use a better insurance company.

FORT WORTH, TEXAS -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas accepted me for health insurance in January and attached a rider for a nonexistent condition. To appeal the rider, I had to submit my medical records. Four days before the policy was to go into effect, the rider was removed, but the policy was cancelled for another nonexistent reason. Again, I wrote an appeal, 3 pages with 13 attachments including a letter from my doctor. My appeal did not ask for acceptance of insurance. I wanted, and still want the denial of insurance, to be removed from my record. In addition, I filed a complaint with the Texas Department of insurance.

Blue Cross again responded with a denial of coverage. I DO NOT WANT COVERAGE WITH BLUE CROSS! I WANT THE UNWARRANTED DENIAL OF COVERAGE REMOVED FROM MY RECORD! It is obvious that Blue Cross never read the appeal, looked at the attachments, most specifically the letter from my doctor.

After reading the numerous complaints regarding Blue Cross, I feel that I have somewhat "dodged a bullet" as apparently they are infamous for late payments and refusal of claims. In addition, my complaint with the state insurance board yielded this, "cannot compel them to change their decision to extend your coverage". Again, I don't want their coverage!

Sad isn't when the insurance company is allowed to ruin your chances of quality health care and even override your doctor's diagnosis? What's more, the government lets them do it. I will be posting my story wherever possible and I encourage anyone else to stay away from Blue Cross.