Suspicious in Michigan writes:
I am really upset. Our ACA coverage was cancelled without my knowledge or permission. When I contacted the help line I was informed that I had cancelled the policy myself, which is ridiculous! During a conference call with BCBSM and the marketplace, I was told that only a consumer could cancel a policy. Since neither myself nor my wife would have cancel I inquired what proof did they (the marketplace) have to verify it was in fact one of us that cancelled the policies. They don’t have that capability in their system. … The Market Place needs to be able to document who, when and where and the phone number used in canceling a policy. I can assure you we never had anything to do with effecting a policy cancelation. This needs to be investigated. Has anyone else experienced the Healthcare Marketplace canceling their policy especially with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan? Please respond.
Categories: Uncategorized
No, Marketplace cancels policies.
In early March I upped my income to avoid being dumped into the Medicaid bucket on April1. I was under the impression that my subsidy would be adjusted but my policy could not be changed. But no, it was processed as a Special Enrollment Period and I had to go through the entire enrollment process again. (It took Homeland Security 3 months to verify my immigration status–I’ve lived in Michigan since 1960 and I’m lily white and atheistic; it would take 9 months this go-round. But I digress.) So while I did not change policies, the Marketplace canceled my initial policy effective March 31 and created a new policy effective Apr 1.
I was fit to be tied: It took from Nov 1 until Dec 28 when I hand-delivered my check for Jan 1 coverage for BCBS to process my policy and now they were canceling it??? And what if it took BC another 2 months to process the new policy number???
I was solumnly assured by numerous Marketplace folk that BC did indeed have the new policy, were probably behind on processing, but nothing could be done until I was canceled by BC at which point I could begin the disputation process.
BC, OTOH, insisted they had neither the new policy nor the canceled policy.
So with those two continually pointing past each other, I gave up at the end of May. BC billed me for the entire year for the original policy; I paid. Oh, and that new policy? At about mid-year my Marketplace account suddenly showed that it too had been canceled — effective 12/31/2014. Can’t wait to see what the tax reconciliation process has in store for me.
So, yes, the Marketplace does cancel policies.
Note to uninitiated visitors: THCB founder and titular overlord Matt Holt favors an ‘inclusive’ post moderation policy, which means you have the rare opportunity to enjoy the very “suspicious”, very random charges of the original poster here, and the ‘dirty stuff’ bulletins of “Dr” Leo Holm.
Isn’t the internet fun?
Lots of dirty stuff going on right now. Just today had a very sick post operative patient dropped like a rock. Had a little old lady baited and switched. Her premiums went down, only to have her out of pocket costs become unaffordable. That was just today. Just because you are not breaking the law, does not mean you are not a criminal. The payer situation has gone from bad to disgusting.