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Review: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield |
Comments
These are comments left by site visitors who have completed a survey for this company. The comments are unedited and shown in the order the surveys were received. If you would like to participate, just click the "Take a Survey" button at the end of these comments. |
"Our health insurance policy with Anthem Blue Cross had an annual limit of only $300 for "diagnostic services". My wife's treatment for breast cancer consisted mostly of diagnostic services, which cost more than the surgeries and hospital stay. We were "out of pocket" $20,000 even though the policy supposedly had a $6,000 annual out of pocket limit. We feel the company deliberately crafted a policy to severely limit their liability, even for a serious illness such as ours. "
2007-10-19 22:30:07 EST
"Blue Cross has lost a number of doctors in the las vegas valley because of thier cut rate to the doctor. and thier lab provider is terrible"
2007-11-07 22:35:13 EST
"I am insured through my employer and don't have a choice or renewing. They use any excuse not to pay a claim meanwhile the premium has gone up every year. Premium is over $600 for family coverage and doesn't cover dental."
2008-01-06 09:43:47 EST
"Many doctors are no longer participating because of the poor payments. If I cannot find a good doctor that participates, why pay the premiums?????"
2008-01-06 19:19:15 EST
"Deny, deny, deny, need more information, excuses, excuses, excuses. In four months, only one claim has been paid. How can a company with a name like Blue Cross Blue Shield be allowed to operate with such underhanded business ethics, especially in a medical field. Their license to operate should be terminated. "
2008-02-06 05:01:29 EST
"Anthem is the worst possible "insurance" you can have & still be paying premiums. They deny claims without giving you any information--not even a code--& make you WRITE BY SNAIL MAIL to appeal a denied claim. Their obvious, fondest hope is that you'll give up & they'll keep their money.
Look on their site--they're obviously ashamed to even list their executive management. Or else the management are afraid they'll be contacted by actual, you know, "members". Or "victims", to be more accurate.
One reason I'm looking for a new job is so I can get real health insurance."
2008-02-18 15:02:18 EST
"Beware their high deductible plans, they MIGHT be satisfactory for those who have a decent savings account but are a complete disaster and ripoff for those who don't. I'm not so sure that you wouldn't be better off without insurance. With a $6000.00 deductible and a sizable monthly premium we can hardly afford to go to the doctor. I consider this insurance in name only, their executives should be ashamed of themselves."
2008-03-06 16:20:44 EST
"Blue Cross has rarely denied a claim for me, though the payments always fall far short of what I'd expect. My main complaint is how high my premiums are. I'm a 43 year-old male in good health with no major medical problems, and I'm paying $430 per month for a PPO with a $500 deductible! I tried to switch to a cheaper plan, but Blue Cross denied me, citing every line of the medical history I entered on my application. Apparently unless you neither have, nor have had, any medical problems, you don't qualify for insurance with these people."
2008-03-25 02:15:24 EST
"My husband had Anthem group coverage through his employer for 13 years. We started an individual family policy when he quit work and joined me in our family business. The high deductible plans are remotely affordable, but those plans don't cover much. Our premium increased in excess of $50/mo., even though our plan was "under-used.""
2008-03-31 22:56:46 EST
"I am a diabetic. I was turned down for an insulin pupm for what appeared to be non medical reasons. Trying to get through the bank of phones and prompts to talk to a real person almost has me thinking that this company does not want to talk to their paying customers. While I have no problem with a company making money, making it at the expense of their customers health is not acceptable. "
2008-04-08 12:53:01 EST
"HAVE TO HOLD FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME W/CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHEN YOU DO GET THROUGH TO SOMEONE THEY EITHER HAVE NO CLUE OR DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH. SOME OF THE CLAIMS GET DENIED FOR NO REASON WHAT SO EVER, THEY JUST SAY COVERAGE TERMED, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS NOT."
2008-05-16 11:28:41 EST
"processing of a dental claim through Anthem took inumerable (lengthy) phone calls and multiple submisions by dentist's office - very unprofessional, antiquated systems which do not communicate with each other. Am used to poor customer service but this off the charts!"
2008-05-16 12:45:32 EST
"Their billing practices are ridiculous. I can't believe they're still in business. I purchased a six month policy from them and wanted to pay up-front with Discover. I gave my number to the agent and started receiving statements in the mail. I called my agent who promised to take care of it. Then she called me back and said that I had to be the one who called them with my Discover number, so I did. That paid for one month and I started receiving statements again AND they were charging my $10 per month for this honor. I called my agent and requested that she get the $10 monthly charge waived and find out my balance so I could write a check and be rid of them. My check sat in their mailroom for two weeks before processing it, so they cancelled my insurance. Rather than return my check, however, they cashed it and held onto it for two months "to make sure it cleared" AND "in case I wanted to get another policy from them." Seriously? I finally received the refund check a month ago and today I received a bill from them for THIRTY CENTS. I'm sure I'll have to pay it or they'll turn me over to a collections agency. It's too late for me, but save yourself and go elsewhere."
2008-05-31 11:01:23 EST
"Insurace company is terrible...Have no choice because I am ona group plan. If I had all the money to afford good Health care Insurance.It would not be with B/B shield. Terrible organization"
2008-07-23 17:45:51 EST
"Rates are OUTRAGEOUS! $991.00 per month with $4500.00 deductible PLUS $12,000.00 out of pocket annuallY, for only 2 people ages 43 and 50. PLus high co-pays of $300.00 per visit to general practice and $50.00 to specialist. EOB's are impossible to read and understand. Being ripped off with no alternatives found yet."
2008-07-20 17:24:00 EST
"Where to start... Well, the latest fiasco is I've sent my claim in five times so far, and each time they have claimed they have received it, and each time I call in a couple weeks later to check the status and they have no idea what I'm talking about. Today, the rep I spoke with "promised" she would forward it to the claims department herself, and happily told me it should be processed within 60 days, from today... I have never had this much aggravation in my life about anything, they are terrible, and terrible customer service."
2008-07-30 13:15:16 EST
"Due to a recent hospitalization, the fees for hospital services and physican services were more than I expected. The office visits are based on a co-pay which is fine. "
2008-08-10 20:34:31 EST
"I am supposed to regularly have and MRI every 6 months of my abdomen to ensure my cancer does not grow back. However, my claim was rejected where the doctor said this was not "medically necessary". Let me guess, you are also going to deny me treatment when my cancer grows back and requires additional care because it was not detected early? How is it that my MRI was approved after my surgery and is now not necessary? Oh I'm sorry, it is just business right? Becuase Anthem has a responsibility to add to the bottom line vs. providing adequate medical care? or is the explanation that you are just trying to monitor costs so the pricing of the group plan does not increase? What is the deal here? I love the business model, collect premiums and then try to limit what actually gets paid out. "
2008-08-25 13:39:58 EST
"I would never recommend Anthem BC/BS to anyone. Everytime I have needed pre authorization for a hospital stay they deny my claim stating it is MEDICALLY UNNECESSARY. I don't believe they would say that if it were their family member needing an operation. You pay your premium every month and when you need them....where are they? When given the chance to change companies believe me I WILL. "
2008-09-10 13:10:34 EST
"I've never had a problem with Anthem other than the skyrocketing rates. We have a $2400 deductible HSA with 100% paid after our ded. And let me tell you, they PAY every dime after the ded. is met. I'd love to stay with them but the rates are too high for me, but the coverage is amazing!!!"
2008-10-23 09:10:32 EST
"We have Anthem Lumenos Health Insurance. To me, it isn't an insurance, it's a Health Savings Account. That means we are picking up the tab for most of our own health care. Coming up with 2,400 yearly to pay our deductible is tough. We find ourselves putting off necessary health care to avoid a bill. I'm looking to getting another job with better health care."
2008-10-24 10:48:49 EST
"high premiums minimal coverage on claims
"
2008-12-07 06:47:55 EST
"Very unsatisfied with Anthem. Their claims processing is slow to non-existent. Filed a claim with the Cincinnati office only to find out they "throw away the paperwork with no action taken". This came from one of their claims personnel! All claims are processed in Indianapolis, IN. They also give you the runaround with no action taken. Calls, letters, and emails requesting a response are not acted on. They play the game of "we're waiting on additional information from the doctor" as justification for not completing the claim. Stay far away from this company."
2008-12-04 08:58:29 EST
"This company steals is what they do. I am for a company making a profit but not at the expense of others as thievery. I have paid out a fortune to them, hardly used their insurance, yet they dropped me like a bomb. Ceo making 36 mil and more and people starving to make such enormous payments!!
They will be praying when their day comes."
2008-12-10 15:36:50 EST
"I reduced hours at work for my young daughter and switched to my husband's employer sponsored plan- his President is a cheap SOB. It's one of the very cheapo plans - doesn't even cover any kind of preventative care. I am out of pocket $500 for routine annual physical exam and lab work. Am healthy but now too afraid to go to anymore doctor appointments and need follow up for prevention of breast cancer and heart disease. No wonder America is getting sicker. Customer service was rude. Hate calling and finding out how I will get robbed. My job has Aetna but all reviews so terrible. Don't know what to do now, terried, hope nothing bad happens to us and we don't get sick. Everyone, PLEASE write your local legislative representatives - We NEED universal health care, even us working professionals can't afford all this robbery."
2008-12-15 00:51:51 EST
"I have had a lot of headaches because of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. The headaches began six months after I received this insurance. The monthly price for the insurance kept increasing about every six months. To keep it affordable I would have to reapply for less coverage. If you have situation where you need to speak to someone at Anthem, you will be on hold, transfered, and given the run around for hours. Often you will also be disconnected or transferred to the wrong department due to employee error. I think the employees are frustrated too. They make a lot of mistakes that end up hitting the insured in the pocket book. The best part was when my primary physician sent me a letter saying that the will no longer accept Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield because Anthem does not pay the doctor's enough. So now I have to pay completely out of my pocket to see my doctor and Anthem??? I am keeping my doctor and dropping Anthem."
2008-12-17 13:16:26 EST
"We have had Anthem for over 17 years, each year it goes up...but in 2009, my premiums will go up almost TWO HUNDRED dollars a month! They expect us to pay $850/month for a $2500 deductible per person for a family of four. My family is going to become one of the many uninsured families in 2009."
2008-12-20 23:34:15 EST
"Anthem has gotten into the habit of denying EVERY claim. Then, it takes no less than 10 phone calls and six months to get a legitimate claim paid. They hope that you will just give up and pay it yourself; if I were wealthier I would just pay it myself because the phone calls, paperwork and run-around is a huge pain-in-the-butt!! For example, my child went for a doctor's visit one time this year (2008), and they denied the claim because we "had exhausted the funds available for this service already." It was her first and only doctor visit, so unless the funds available for this service is zero, that is not possible. Also, it was a doctor's office visit...isn't that what health insurance is for?? How can they tell you that you can't go the the doctor?? We pay $600 per month and Anthem doesn't want to cover a $100 bill?? No one else in our family goes to the doctor anymore because of the difficulty in getting Anthem to cover what they are supposed to cover-legitimate claims. So, most of the time everyone in our family just suffers when they SHOULD be getting medical care. Thanks alot Anthem. I can only imagine how many other people have done the same thing and have delayed much needed medical care or testing only to find out later that earlier intervention may have saved their lives."
2008-12-26 11:58:27 EST
"I need to have surgery for medical reasons. If I don't get this surgery I will have this condition all of my life. They (Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield) denied me saying its cosmetic, not medical. They are wrong it is a medical condition. I have severe mixed incontinence the medicine did not work for me. My Urologist said this surgery will help me. My husband pays dearly for our health insurance and ABCBS denies me. They are greedy and do not care about people. This is my life I'm talking about, they don't care they just want money. They will say anything to keep from paying for my surgery. They are crooks!!! I may not be able to get the surgery I desperately need. If you are considering getting Blue Cross Blue Shield don't do it save yourself from stress like it is causing me. Get insurance somewhere else. "
2009-01-15 19:13:53 EST
"Better and reliable customer service"
2009-01-16 21:52:08 EST
"I actually hate them now but as a policy holder, they were great. I switched from an individual plan to a group plan and recently tried to switch to an individual plan when we no longer qualified for a group plan. BIG MISTAKE! If you are on an individual plan already, I say STAY ON IT!! I now have "pre-existing" conditions and was denied for individual coverage! They know what their rights are and once you are on the "outs", you find out just how little compassion they really have for you. I am still trying to find insurance, 1 1/2 months later. I had been with Blue Cross practically "forever" but there is no compassion or morality in their policy. They have the big lawyers and we can't afford one..."
2009-02-09 18:46:59 EST
"You put in way more than what you get out of it. Dental Blue 200 is a colorful branding term to make you feel that you have reputable dental insurance."
2009-02-09 16:45:57 EST
"Doctors and hostpitals do not accept PPO ."
2009-02-05 22:14:50 EST
"I am stuck with Anthem Blue Cross because it is the cheapest insurance my employer can find. The cost goes up every year and the value and quality of the services goes down every year. The only thing that can save this country is a single payer system that eliminates the insurance companies which eat up more than 30% of health costs."
2009-02-18 07:12:35 EST
"It is simply impossible to reach them to ask questions or obtain information. They do not respond to e-mails and their telephones are never answered. "
2009-03-30 19:32:01 EST
"I paid into this ins. company for me and my son for 19 years because of a divorce i moved and the ex didnt tell me thet sent my bill to him so the ins. lapsed and i lost everything i paid into it. I could never get in contact with anyone regarding this."
2009-03-31 12:36:50 EST
"Account was canceled without any warning. Letter to notify me that there were problems was sent a day after the 60 day period to be able to reinstate. Took a payment 7 days after they canceled my account. I have NOT gotten a refund and its been 3 months. "
2009-04-06 17:49:12 EST
"very difficult company to work with"
2009-04-09 20:37:55 EST
"The only reason I use this company is because it is the only company my work place allows. Their customer service staff is not knowledgeable; they do little to look into problems -- it's between you and your doctor to straighten out and they are slow. Do not use them if you live in NY; everything then goes through Empire. When an error is made, you're left in limbo"
2009-04-10 11:38:27 EST
"Didn't reimburse the doctors very well and the result was it was hard to get into a doctor who would take it. It was like paying for a premium for Medicaid, because they only reimbursed the doctors slightly above what Medicaid does."
2009-04-23 16:49:13 EST
"Anthem disputes charges from doctors endlessly, and did all they could to sabotage my policy to be able to cancel it. Was never even notified that my account was being canceled. "
2009-05-14 12:46:43 EST
"Premiums are skyrocketing"
2009-06-19 23:04:39 EST
"After I provide all requisite info for a claim Anthem then places additional requirements on my provider and does not inform m. No action on the claim."
2009-07-29 04:33:38 EST
"claimed a broken wrist was a preexisting condition and would not pay. "
2009-08-13 23:57:05 EST
"very expensive"
2009-08-18 15:04:57 EST
"Review is for Anthem Blue Cross/California PPO - Avoid them like the plague!!! Claims are denied every time whether they are filed from a member or provider. When asked why they are denied, Anthem gives false reasons, such as that they never received the claim or a co-insurance exists. "Show us the existing co-insurance Anthem!!!" "What is the name of the co-insurance?" "When did it start?" We call customer support and ask them these questions, but they have no answer, because none exists. Listen Anthem, I know times are tough and lots of companies are experiencing budget cuts, but this is not the way to save money. Oh wait, there is one thing they do well. They accept payments for their monthly premiums. You suck Anthem and I hope the bad economy puts you out of business!!!"
2009-09-05 21:59:53 EST
"On a high level doctors visit for almost $2000, Anthem paid 183. Pure bull.."
2009-09-27 00:11:52 EST
"They seem to bring our costs down on all medical bills"
2009-10-24 09:56:07 EST
"Good health insurance."
2009-10-24 16:11:23 EST
"Payment of claims delayed up to 3-4 months on a regular basis"
2009-11-03 14:38:06 EST
"These guys will change your policy on you w/o telling you. They will also deny anything and everything the first time! Will also fed you misinformation....WATCH OUT!"
2009-11-04 17:42:52 EST
"Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork ... and more paperwork."
2009-11-17 21:44:27 EST
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