Dear Senator Warren: we love our private insurancd companies [View all]

[question everything]

Granted, both are classified as non-profit. Not listed on the stock exchange, no shareholders to be satisfied. And both are locally located.

I had an individual policy for many years before Medicare and was quite satisfied. It was a "Blue" though it recently has started adding conditions.

Spouse chose the same company from the former employer, and after an expensive COBRA, for Medicare.

Spouse was using many brand name drugs so looked at a plan that would cover the drugs while in the "donut hole," and that would be more expensive.

Spouse was going to start in June. And then the sales rep said: listen, you start in June thus if you do end in the "donut hole" it would be at the end of the year. So sign now for the cheaper one and then you will see. And this is what we did. Imagine - a sales rep pushing for a cheaper product.

I then joined the same company but then Medicare, yes, the "beloved" Medicare, had to intervene. We had a supplemental plan that was called a "Cost" plan. But last year Medicare ruled that it had to change to "Advantage," which, essentially, would replace Medicare. No problem except that I found out that one of my network of providers was out of network for them. I don't see that many specialists but my primary physician, located only five miles away was out. So I changed carrier.

I get allergy shots on a regular basis so the first provider to be presented with the new card was that clinic. My mistake, not realizing that Medicare was now out of the picture, was to give the receptionist both cards.

And they have been submitting the claims to Medicare, again and again, being rejected, of course, and then charging me. And twice I visited the billing office and was promised that it would be taken care of and... nothing.

So a helpful rep of the insurance company - yet, that "horrible corporation" - called the office and found out that they continued to submit to Medicare and finally cleared it.

Another interesting point. I had my annual visit about my allergies and I always see the nurse practitioner (from my experience, they are preferable to the physicians, a different topic). I paid my copay but was surprised that the insurance company did not require this. How come? I asked. Because you saw a nurse, not a doctor...

So, yes, Senator Warren. No, not UnitedHealthCare that is promoted by AARP where the CEO's compensation was once $100 millions! But some of us do like and appreciate our private insurance. More so than Medicare.

Respectfully.



P.S. I posted it early on the Senior group. The accounting dept. of the new carrier messed up after the first payment. And I had records of everything. I could not talk directly to the billing dept. but the rep promised to look into it. But I was pissed and did my usual - fired a letter to the president. Within two days the president called me at home, thanked me for joining, apologized for the mistake and promised to look into it. That afternoon we had a message on our phone from the accounting person who took care of it. The company did open a "complaint file" and I told him to close it, that it was resolved.