Huh?!

So I was out running errands with Mom today, dropping off and picking up mail. Mostly junk mail and bills, as usual. However, one piece of mail my mom opened immediately. It was from our health insurance company, stating that we had been dropped because of nonpayment. Whoops.

Except that Mom remembers paying, and the check has cleared. So she calls them up, expecting it to clear up, no problem.

Now, tell me if what they have done makes sense to any of you. They have 2 months of credit on our account, but we've been dropped because of nonpayment. They'll call us on the 28th to talk to us about it. Until then, no insurance. But...we have a credit. A TWO MONTH credit, Mom explained to the dude on the phone. Too bad, apparently, because he won't put us back on.


o.O


Methinks a trip up there is in order. But this is weird.

Sure wish Dad could find another job so we could ditch this company. They keep dropping us for oddball reasons. *sigh* Does no one use common sense anymore?

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Better Business should hear about these folks.

I'm also curious if they are local? In our community, our TV News Station has a segment of the news called "Six on Your Side" devoted entirely to investigating and reporting on suspicous business practices by less than honorable stores and companies. The bad press alone often makes the company own up to their shoddy practices if nothing else does. Wonder if you have something similar in your community?

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"Spider sense....tingling."

What type of insurance is this?

If it's a combined life insurance and saving plan, then the credit might be in another part of it. Matter of fine print, but I know the ones we have, it automatically draws from the savings plan.

If it's life insurance, and it was Canada, then they can't drop you for non-payment, not easily. Too many did that during the big depression. You have to actually ask to cancel the policy. Not sure what's in place to protect the company from intentional non-payers.

But, it sounds like it's a health plan, and in the States you need it even more than you do here. (Don't get me on about governments who cut services below safety levels -- cutting out lots of preventative checks, like glaucoma tests -- and then implements a "health tax").

Definitely call. Definitely complain. Get a copy of that cheque now (rather than racing to the bank at the last minute).

Yep, just about every local station has a help feature. Sometimes, it's a matter of misunderstanding, or the wrong product. But it'll be someone who isn't intimidated by fine print and such.

Might be worth having your lawyer write a letter. Even if he says nothing other than "they asked me to write and ask you what's up", the letterhead often scares them.

IBM's personnel department and the union / employee rep are also places.

And ask others on the same plan -- if they're all having problems, you've got more evidence that IBM should get a new insurance company.

Also, for the interim, do you have any other plans? Credit cards often include small plans (for a fee -- and they're usually overpriced, but...). Schools often have plans for their students, usually for a good price. The Canadian Association for Retired Persons, the Professional Engineers Association, and the Canadian Automobile Association have all offered to insure us.

Best of luck!

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In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

- Viktor E. Frankl

Elvin,

best of luck to your parents in sorting it out wish I could add something to above but not versed on consumer rules and contract legislation in the US, though seems to me the advise you have should hopefully aid in sorting out the problem.

Would say one thing though. People on the phone maybe working a call centre but they can make notes on files and that includes one insisting on a callback from a supervisor.

Good luck!

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