Author Topic: Health Insurance Woes  (Read 2346 times)

use2betrix

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Health Insurance Woes
« on: October 20, 2017, 03:04:54 PM »
I’m at a loss for what to do health insurance wise. Here’s my situation:

I travel all over the country doing contract work. I don’t own a home. Live full time in a 5th wheel. We just spent 4 months in SC, a few months on the road, a few months in Arizona, a few months in Louisiana, etc.

My previous employer offered a PPO health insurance plan that I have. Being PPO, I have nationwide coverage. In many states, you can’t even purchase PPO plans. This plan under cobra is $560/mo with me.

I elected cobra October 3rd of this month and paid $1123 for two months of coverage. They told me it’d be 7-10 days to activate. Today is 13 days and I still have no active insurance. I’ve called both the third part company filing the cobra and BCBS a dozen times, and it’s a stupid bullshit “he said/she said” situation. Third part company is saying they sent the request to BCBS, and BCBS is saying they haven’t received anything.

I’m just so fed up and stressed out with all this. Even worth, third party company basically said this will happen each month unless I pay months in advance. They have to send info to BCBS, etc. I’m tempted to just ask for a refund of my $1123 but dunno what other options will work.

My drivers license is in South Dakota and our vehicles are registered in Texas. Literally no one even offers a nationwide plan that will cover me on the road unless it’s “life threatening.”

I could get a catastrophic plan, but then the penalty would be $3000-$4000 a year since they don’t meet ACA requirements.


ACA did a lot of good things for a lot of people with low income and pre existing conditions (some of which I have) however this whole BS situation where I can’t even buy insurance, for no amount of money, that will cover me nationwide is utterly ridiculous.


Would love suggestions, but I feel like I’ve exhausted them all and thus am just venting.

Zamboni

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Re: Health Insurance Woes
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2017, 04:23:15 PM »
This sounds like a drag, and you have my sympathy.

BCBS sucks . . . I've had all kinds of issues with them. Just keep really good notes every time you call, so the next time you can rattle off all of the names and dates you have already called about this. At some point you might have to mention that you have made a "good faith effort" to get this resolved, so now you are contemplating a step of filing a complaint with the whatever-state-you-are-in department of insurance.

"Good faith effort" . . . . "filing a formal complaint with the DOI"  . . . . those key phrases seem to really get their attention. Good luck!

terran

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Re: Health Insurance Woes
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2017, 07:36:35 PM »
Came across this with a bit of googling: http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/insurance-affordable-rv-healthcare. Includes some links that might be helpful.

Gin1984

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Re: Health Insurance Woes
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2017, 09:33:24 PM »
Send it in writing, then call your old employer.  There should be someone in HR that works with the insurance company and can help.

use2betrix

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Re: Health Insurance Woes
« Reply #4 on: October 26, 2017, 09:36:21 AM »
Just thought I’d update this thread. First of all - thanks for all the suggestions. It caused me to keep thinking this over.

I decided to cancel/refund my cobra insurance and selected a “multi state plan” from the market place. This saved me about $270/mo, which I should come out ahead over the year.

I had an insane amount of problems with this cobra. Had it of gone smoother, I would’ve kept it. Most worthless company I have ever dealt with.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!