blue-cross-blue-shield

Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield Thinks Smoking And Depression Are Basically The Same Thing
Wellbutrin is an atypical antidepressant used to treat patients with depression, but it's also effective when used short-term to help people quit smoking. As far as Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield is concerned, then, if you're using Wellbutrin, you're a smoker. For people whose health insurance comes from their employers, this isn't as much of a problem. But the individual health insurance market is a cruel, unforgiving place where smokers pay higher premiums. And so reader Elizabeth's husband, who quit smoking more than four years ago, is slapped with the smoker's rate because he has a prescription for Wellbutrin, which they consider an "atypical tobacco product." More »

Blue Cross Blue Shield Says Man Should Pay $2,306 To Avoid Dying In His Sleep
Jason has sleep apnea. When he sleeps, if it can be called that, he stops breathing up to twelve times per hour. His body's reflexive response is that his jaw shoots around wildly, chipping and grinding his teeth, and then he wakes up for a second. A dozen times every hour, every night, he wakes up to his teeth clanging around his mouth. As if that wasn't fun enough, of the $2,400 the mouth guard his doctor prescribed prescribed him, his insurance plan is only going to cover a max of $94. More »

Woman Loses Insurance Because She Paid With Credit Card
Andrea has been a customer with Anthem since 1995, paying her bill all the time and never submitting any claims. So you can see why they canceled her coverage. More »

Elderly Couple Thought They Canceled The Insurance, End Up Overpaying Anthem $5,000
By the time the couple in their 80's noticed the monthly auto-billing on their bank account, they had overpaid Anthem $5,000 for insurance they thought they had canceled two years ago. That's money these two living on pension could have been using to fix their crumbling front walkway. It was until they beseeched their local consumer reporter and he took an interest in their story did Anthem retroactively cancel their policy and refund their money. More »

Illinois Blue Cross To Pay $25 Million After Denying Coverage To Sick Kids In Need Of Nursing Care
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, the largest health insurer in the Land of Lincoln, has agreed to pay $25 million to settle allegations that it denied coverage to sick kids who needed nursing care. More »

New Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan Steers Patients To Cheaper Hospitals
If you live in Massachusetts and have Blue Cross Blue Shield health coverage, you may end up paying more if you want to go to certain hospitals. More »

Justice Dept. Goes After Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Michigan
Crimefighters at the Justice Department put on their antitrust capes today, filing a lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. The DOJ alleges the insurance company violated antitrust laws by asking hospitals to sign contracts that precluded other insurers from offering a better discount. More »

1 Out Of 5 Medical Claims Processed Incorrectly, Says AMA
Maybe you're reading this on your iPhone while sitting in your doctor's waiting room. If so, look around you. Because one out of the five of you in the room will have your claim processed incorrectly by your insurance company. More »

Email To Wellpoint CEO Gets Account Issue Fixed
I don't know what health insurer Wellpoint's problem is but it seems, judging from the stories our readers keep sending in, that lately you have to email the CEO to get simple account problems fixed. What's going on in your call centers, Wellpoint? Maybe all the workers have rebelled and decided the best way to promote health care reform is to get all your customers to hate you. Zach was able to get his deductible rolled over, but only after he emailed the very top of the Wellpoint power pyramid, Angela Braly. Here's his story: More »

5 Questions To Make A Doc's Head Explode
Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield has a microsite game called "Resist The System" where if you ask too many questions the health care receptionist's head explode.

"This American Life" On Health Insurance's Fine Print

—>A recent episode of This American Life-the fine, fine public radio show-has an excellent piece on the health insurance industry's use of "rescission." This is when people with individual insurance policies come down with an illness (or get pregnant) and the insurance company denies coverage by claiming it was a preexisting condition.  More »

Blue Cross Blue Shields On Twitter

—>A few Blue Cross Blue Shield divisions recently started Twittering, talking about health issues, saying nice things about their company and proactively reaching out to patients complaining about their services: @BCBSIL, @BCBSNM, @BCBSTX, @BCBSOK.   More »

Secret Phone Numbers And Email Addresses To Reach Executives At 101+ Companies

—>Inside, email addresses, phone numbers, and addresses for over 100 different companies to inject your customer service complaints into their corporate executive offices, and get it well on the way to success.  More »

Reach 19 Blue Cross Blue Shield CEOs
Here is the full contact information for 18... More »

Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Georgia Sends 202,000 Letters Containing Personal Information To The Wrong Addresses

—>Well, if you're having a bad day at work, rest assured that someone in Georgia is having a worse one. The Journal-Constitution is reporting that 202,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia customers had their personal information exposed, including (in some cases) their social security numbers, thanks to an error in the computerized mailing system. The system was apparently used before it was tested.   More »

Worst Company In America 2008 "Sweet 16": Bank of America VS Blue Cross Blue Shield

—>Here's your seventh "Sweet 16" match-up: #7 Bank of America VS #23 Blue Cross Blue Shield  More »

BCBS Double Copay On Thyroid Meds

—>Mary is freaking out because BCBS of Maryland just doubled the copay on her thyroid meds. Times are tight, and Mary doesn't have a thyroid. The insurance companies have been telling her for years that Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs is a generic, now BCBS has classified it as not being generic. She's pretty ticked, and considering getting married to her fiance early just to get on his insurance. Her letter, and how she might save $200.32 a year, inside.  More »

Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna: Sorry, Your Pregnancy Is A Pre-Existing Condition

—>Katlyn is having trouble getting health insurance because she just graduated from college and is 15 weeks pregnant. She's found herself in an expensive situation.   More »

Round 46: Blue Cross Blue Shield vs Sprint

This is Round 46 in our Worst Company in America contest, Blue Cross Blue Shield vs Sprint!  More »

BCBS Of Florida Only Sends Reader 12% Of What They Owe Him

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