Who is your Health Insurance Co?

[StoneHeartFarm]

Which Health Insurance Company is everybody using?

I'm looking for a provider and need advice. Lots of different plans out there. Which ones have you had good luck with and which ones have bummed you out?

Anything I need to be wary of?

SHF

 

[Thomas]

My employee offers us Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield.
So far over the years they have been pretty on claims.

 

[PitbullMidwest]

I have First Health through my employer. Every bill submitted, and I mean every single bill, exceeds the average cost for my "geographical area". It doesn't matter which doctor, hospital or clinic, it always exceeds the average.

I submitted a bill last May and my doctor still hasn't received payment because First Health payed the wrong provider. They say they can't pay my doctor until they recover their money from the other hospital.

I don't know if First Health is in your neck of the woods, but if they are I would recommend you avoid them.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Insurance!! Thems fighting words!!!!!

 

[scruffy]

Mostly for the past 7 years or so, we have used Aetna, but it is only the Administrator for the insurance....which is self insured through the Corporation I work for. I've no complaints about them, but for a year and a half, my sons medical bills were rejected as he was 'not covered'. They somehow goofed and said he was a 'daughter', so would not cover his claims. Every claim was a battle!
Overall rating, specially after this past year, would have to be a very satisfactory rating.

 

[DVerbarg]

SHF,

Insurance can be such a touchy subject. In addition to good customer service in paying valid claims you will probably want to know how many providers (physicians) and facilities are covered for each plan. Health plans can vary but I might be able to help give you some basic help and info regarding the networks behind the plans.

What I mean by network is the organization that signs up docs and hospitals and negoitiates discounts with them. The network can then sell their network, for a monthly fee, to a health plan. Sometimes, as is the case with Aetna, the company owns the health plan and the network. Aetna can sell their services either bundled (fully insured), or just network access with administration services for large companies (like Scruffy's example where the employer takes the risk and pays the bills but utilizes the discounts Aetna has negotiated with docs and hospitals).

If you were to e-mail me your zip code I could tell you which "networks" are the strongest in your area. The data available to me does not have all networks but has enough that it covers 90%+ of the insured population. Then when shopping health plans you could ask which network the health plan is using and know how that network stacks up in terms of count of docs (Primary Care Physicians and specialists) and hospitals. If you have favorite docs or hospitals you would also want to ask if they are in the network as I would not be able to tell you that.

 

[TerryinMD]

We have USHealthcare/Aetna as our company provider.

For the most part, they have been pretty good. Now occassionally, you need to badger them to get them to pay for services. I had a Colonoscopy screening done last year and it took us a couple of months to get it all straightened out. The year before my wife had to get some cysts removed and the same thing happened. But with a little persistence, they paid for most of the services.

My guess is that the insurance companies will try to weasel out of paying they bill if they can. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Terry

 

[ronjhall]

Steven
My company has a plan administrated by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois. Doctors and Hospitals try to send bills to Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Michigan even though my card says Illinois. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif They do get paid after they try to bill me and I remind them they need to send bills to Illinois. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif
They have covered me for over 30 years without any complaints. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[frank_f15]

i don't care which hmo u use thay all have their good and bad points(mostly bad) . my hmo even sent me a notice that if i am traveling and have need to visit an emergency room out of state i MUST CALL FIRST FOR an ok! questions? call this no. so i did and asked if i was visiting my son in las vegas and thought i was having a heart attack do i have to call first for ok? and the reply was of course not sir, just make sure u are having a real heart atack! for anything else call first! I KID U NOT. where do they hire these people?

 

[bgott]

I use the VA. They won't kill you any quicker than any other doctor and they're [censored] sure cheaper.