Incurable Illness and Obama Care Insurance Complaints – Story
My husband recently lost his job due to eliminating his position therefore we lost our health insurance. Cobra was offered but extremely expensive for two disabled people (I’m permanently disabled due to incurable diseases and my husband came down with an incurable disease).
My husband could not afford the high price of cobra for both of us. He called ehealth and signed us up for Blue Shield of California. We have had blue shield of California in the past through employers and we recently had blue cross blue shield of Michigan. However the representative at ehealth failed to explain that privately paid individual and family plans are treated differently then employer paid plans. We had already paid monthly premium of $708 (with no Premium discount or help from the government) for a PPO plan. we discovered that no doctors take this type of insurance. Basically this health insurance company doesn’t pay for any of my medical claims and refused to pay for my most expensive prescription for a autoimmune disease I was diagnosed with 16 or 17 years ago. I have been on this specific medication for 15+ years and there is no other medication approved or helpful for this condition. The insurance company states they don’t feel the medication is medically necessary, even after my doctor says it is. Who gave these insurance companies the right to play GOD and decided that I don’t need a particular medication, that has always been covered before. If I didn’t need the medication I wouldn’t get it but it is medically necessary for me and my condition. I now have been in excruciating pain for multiple days due to not being able to get my prescription which in turn will create more medical appointments to have 16 week treatment poured in my bladder with a catheter. Don’t ever purchased this health insurance and Obama care should be terminated. It’s a scam that says they will give you health care but the insurance companies just take premiums and deny all claims. Obamacare is worthless and should not be offered. This is not health care for all, government makes healthy people pay premiums for nothing and extremely sick people pay premiums and still not receive healthcare.
Lisa Schuljak
You are free to post this anywhere. I am one of many victims of Obamacare’s “bait and switch” fraud. I came to Riverside in May 2014 to see to my folks last detail. I came down with a complete medical history and instructions from the faithful doctor who kept me fit for duty through 8 tours. Obamacare “specialist” insisted on doing his own “testing”….Result was infection 1800mg rounds of antibiotic/antibacterial drugs can’t shake and the worst MS relapse I have experienced in 30 yrs…….MS relapse has degraded my hearing past the point that “aids” are of any real benefit. Vision is following.
Last MRI of brain shows “lesions” on the pituatary gland. Water weight gain of 30lbs. now driving my blood pressure up, stressing prolapsed mitral valve and leaving me as perfect candidate for heart incident and diabetes. My case is Not an exception, but the rule for most patients who intend to use insurance only as truly necessary….In/ out..back to work….Well since these frauds are getting paid for every person enrolled in plan whether they are seen by a doctor or not….why wouldn’t they stall and give dangerous false “treatment” to bring in even More revenue straight to their pockets….These people are criminals….Honest, hard-working seniors and veterans not able to access timely, competent care are Suffering and Dying. I have the “hard” copies of all my testing….When and if I am able it will show one of two things…..I am Seriously ill and they denied me treatment to the point of Permanent disability or my condition Could have been resolved quickly by USING MY DOCTOR’s TIME_TESTED PLAN!
ObamaCareFacts.com
This is obviously a very sad story, but a few things don’t check out here. There is no “ObamaCare doctor” for one. All insurance is private in the private market, so at most a private insurer sold a narrow network plan that, paired with traveling, resulted in you having to see a new doc in a new town.
It is sad, and perhaps even something to bring to a legal expert, what happened… but it is hard to see how the Affordable Care Act is related to this?
The doctor is not really connected to the insurance network, and the insurer is private, while meanwhile the ACA is a law that regulates insurance. So there is just a lot of steps in between your care and the law that you are trying to make direct connections in between.
Thank you for sharing your story, but it seems like (agin) more something to bring to a lawyer than to spread on the internet. In the interest though of being open, I went ahead and approved this comment for discussion and debate.
Amy
I agree. My father was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer 2 months ago and is still awaiting approval to see an oncologist (cancer doctor). No treatment for TWO MONTHS thanks to OBAMA! What a waste.
ObamaCareFacts.com
The rationing of healthcare isn’t something anyone would take lightly, but it isn’t something that the Affordable Care Act invented. The uninsured rate has decreased under the Affordable Care Act, and access to care has generally increased.
Mark
Since beginning of 2016 in Arizona health insurance companies Exodused from the state. Doctors dropped insurance companies faster that I could get to the appointment I got approved referrals to. Constantly fighting coverage and bills getting paid. After 3 insurance companies and getting cancer diagnosis it just got more frustrating. I moved to Texas because at the time they had more choices for 2017. Well that didn’t materialize only 2 choices for coverage and it’s back to on the phone everyday fighting for appointments and prescription denials. Democrats really got their head up in you know what. It’s a complete failure. I am now under the boot of applying for disability after working solid 34 years, multiple injuries and cancer. Healthcare has imploded.
Tammy
This is bull said suppose to help and didn’t also make it mandatory to have and yet could of paid penalties and still had refund now I have no refund and paid all year for little use of insurance as healthy thanks obama for putting me more in the hole as did fine before love it
Lauren
The market place is pathetic, their website it not user friendly, its very disjointed and when you try to sign on it sometimes accepts your password and sometimes it doesn’t, even when answering correctly to security questions, which you know are correct, it still doesn’t let you in. The worst part is I got health insurance for two months during the end of 2016 due to turning 26 and my employer wouldn’t let me get insurance until Jan. and I had already been without insurance for 2 months and didn’t want to get penalized or worse, have a accident without insurance. I got on the market place in Oct. and managed to sign up for Nov. and Dec. In late November, I got back on to see what the cost would be if I continued and of course it would have doubled! So I clicked do not reenroll, so, here’s a shocker…..I received a bill for January, when I tried to email or get on the website, either no one answered, or I couldn’t log in, I finally reached them on Jan 14th and they said theres nothing we can do, you have to pay the bill, we can cancel as of Feb 1st! Well thats ridiculous, because I already have insurance that Im paying for through my employee and just because of incompetent people that designed a website that doesn’t even function properly, I have to pay the price!
The customer service department keeps saying, “Im sorry for the inconvenience, but when you pressed the button it didn’t take.” “Im sorry for the inconvenience, but theres nothing we can do.” Are you kidding me, so for your stupidity and a website that only functions properly half the time, it’s my fault! I don’t want to ruin my credit, but I’m not paying this bill. Thats how they get you, the people that are trying to do the right thing, they screw you over, and then act like they can’t do anything about it! WORTHLESS!
janel tierney
We”ve had Obama insurance in Lake Havasu AZ. Blue cross / blue shield. I have not been able to find a doctor and I’ve contacted ALL doctors listed. None are taking new clients! How can we let ourselves be charged, or get fined when BLue Cross /Blue shield CANNOT even provide us with a doctor. This works out once again great for Blue Cross. Get paid for nothing. Obama quit patting yourself on the back, and GO HOME
Erin
We’ve had many complaints about BC/BS poor customer service, but it’s not the only insurer that people have had problems with. Not having a large enough provider network has also been a problem for a while. The HHS was attempting to ensure that insurers had enough providers in the regions they sold insurance starting in 2015. This was a response to the complaints from consumers about plans lacking providers in network. The current administration, however, has just released its plan to end the oversight of insurers’ provider networks altogether. This change is not likely to help. The GOP has also repeatedly suggested that people should be able to purchase insurance from other states, but again, it’s hard to imagine how this will address the issue of insurers offering insurance that people can’t actually use because there are no network providers where they live.
Linda Wysocki
I live in Florida. I am on SSDI I do not qualify for Medicaid I make $100.00 too much to qualify. I have to wait 2 yrs to get Medicare. United Health Care has been my insurance for the past 2 yrs. They were not that affordable but I managed. They pulled out of the Marketplace in Florida. I signed up with a Blue Cross and Blue Shield Florida plan. It starts Jan 1,2017 today. I need surgery on my neck or else I will be paralyzed if I get hit by a car, or fall. I made sure that all my doctors were on my plan before I paid my first premium. My surgeons, and orthopedic doctors were on it. My primary was on the list and the list I got at his office in November. When I went to make an appt for a referral for my surgery consult on Jan 6th the primary dr. office told me that they were not participating. I thought I wouldn’t lose my doctor but I did. I have put in over 7 hours of my time calling BCBS and Healthcare.gov looking for a primary within my 10 mile radius. NO DOCTOR is taking this plan.I called over 25 doctors. BCBS hung up on me 4 out of the 7 times I called. They said they assigned me a primary which was not on my insurance card. She does not participate. The last thing BLUE CROSS told me was there was nothing they could do to make a doctor participate!! I could travel over 20 miles they told me. I take medication that keeps me homebound and rely on Uber to take me to appts so that would cost me a lot of money to travel there and back. The offices are not in safe areas of the county. I need help and would like to start a petition against the ACA because if I do have to change my insurance to get a primary I would lose my specialists and cost me 2 times more a month for premiums. I have to postpone my much needed surgery until I either find a local doctor that takes my plan or get another plan that would start in February. HELP!!
Erin
Quite a few providers have stopped accepting Blue Cross Blue Shield and it is true that providers have the right to choose which insurers they accept reimbursement from and this has always been the case (even before the ACA). While it’s frustrating, you’ll need to talk to the provider about it or find a different provider who does accept the insurance you have.
Sandy
My ins will be around 11 thousand dollars next year. Won’t be able to afford the deductible to use it. Good thing churches give free flu shots
Texas Belle
In 2010, the cost of my insurance was $188 per month. Great coverage.
2011, insurance increased $208. Still not bad. 2012, increased to $268, 2013, $289. 2014, 305, 2015 $400 and 2016, 535.00. I worked 30yrs with the same company and suddenly doors were closed. Due to age, I am to young for Medicare and to old for the job market now. I am now employed part-time. I’m working to pay for my insurance. No extra’s, no frills everything goes to cover my insurance. This is very sad, How is a family to survive on these cost. Are we to work 2 and 3 jobs just to cover our premiums, roof over our head, water and electricity and some food? We haven’t enough thought about gas prices to get to and from work. ObamaCare has driven the cost of insurance up for the people. If you go with a lesser program, one can’t afford to go to the doctor because they want their money upfront. Forget it if the doctor wants to run test, you haven’t met the $10,000 deductible and can’t afford to pay. AND prescription, well we know how that is going, copays of $300 – $500 dollars. I’ve had to many times say put it back on the shelf! I was on a drug that I had been taking for 5 years, all of a sudden it is not on the plan anymore and its either find a generic or take nothing. Our government and insurance companies are now playing GOD with our lives. It’s a game to see if the person will die first before having to cover any cost. You tell me how is this affordable health care?
Lisa
I’m experiencing health insurance problems outside the realm of frustrating or anger inducing. I’m a responsible and hard-working RN, yet for the first time find myself jobless and in poor health at the same time. Like many of my peers, my own health problems emerged after years of pushing myself to care for others, with all levels of illness, in understaffed hospital settings with greedy goals.
I’m finding out there are so many scams trying to get hundreds of dollars from me monthly. I don’t even think some of them are real health insurance companies. It’s a happy time for white-collar Crime, ‘yeah’ to making millions and doing nothing. Just a fake product electronically taking people’s money, yet they don’t dare call themselves criminals. The government has set up a program where AGAIN…white collar crime is flourishing and human kind to die away, leaving only the ruthless, along with other unsavory traits, to survive.
I feel such empathy for real people’s terrible situations. Most are on a tight budget (or NO money incoming), yet monthly premiums are hundreds of dollars. The insurance companies brazenly refuse coverage or change/hide/add rules knowing all the way government is going to back them up so it can call its healthcare program successful.