We are not COBRA. For specific contract details about your current company policy, contact your health plan administrator.
My previous employer transfered my cobra coverage to a benefits handling company inSeptember
2003. When I got a bill it was way more than I had ever been paying. I called the benifits
handling company (ADP) and they said that it was because my health insurance rates went up,
plus they now added a dental and vision insurance onto it. I said I didn't want these other
insurances, and wondered that I had not been offered them previously. They told me that if I
didn't want these other new insurances, to just not pay for them. During this transfer of
handling I ended up making a late payment and recieved another letter from ADP to get my
payment in, post marked by such n such date. So I did that. And only sent the money for the
health insurance.
Then I recieved another letter from ADP saying that my cobra elegibility is going to expire
on 11/30/03 And that I could get my own independant insurance at this point. I called to get
information about what to do when it expiried and had to go through their automated
information before getting to an operator. The automated information told me that my last
payment had been postmarked too late and that my coverage was already cancelled in September
2003. When I spoke with the operator about this, she noticed that this was an error and told
me that it would be corrected, that the information is wrong, and that I am indeed insured
up till 11/30/03. And as for the information about getting my own insurance, I was only told
to just contact the insurance company of my choice.
So the end of November approached and I decided to wait till after Thanksgiving and give
Blue Cross a call. But I got a letter in the mail from them explaining to me that my cobra
elegibility expires in Feb 2004. Well, that is certainly different than the letter from ADP.
So I called ADP to ask about this, and discovered that the previous error had not been
corrected. I spoke to the operator again and she told me that it is not an error. The reason
my health insurance was cancelled in September is because I didn't pay for my dental and
vision insurance. And she informed me I have a credit balance now, for the health insurance
I did pay for.
So here I am, two months without insurance. Yet, blue cross has been paying for things, so
that can't be true.
The operator at ADP told me if I want to appeal this I can send a letter to them explaining
why I didn't pay for the dental and vision insurance. But that even if I do so, doesn't
garantee they reinstate it. So I don't think I should do that and then just sit around and
wait till I get an answer from them because a lot of time can lapse then and I will be
without insurance during this time.
So I made a call to the previous employer to explain to them what is going on, and I think
they should really be the ones who are responsible for all of this and take care of it. But
of course, no body is there, to answer the phone from human resources. So I left a message.
Since I have had this cobra insurance coverage, I have had about 4 or 5 occasions where my
insurance was suddenly cancelled for no reason. I would call the previous employer and could
not get ahold of human resources. I would call the insurance company, and they told me they
couldn't help me, that I have to get in touch with the previous employer. It always took a
few days to get it straightened out. In the meantime I have to pay cash and get reimbursed
later. Thank God nothing really expensive has happened to me in this time.
At one point I phoned the California Healthcare Foundation and they said that what this
company was doing was not right, and that if this happened again, I should contact the
department of labour. I was getting ready to. I sent one last e-mail to the previous
employer stating that I would do this. And I got immediate response and a pile of
appologies. Hmmmpf!
Well, I don't want to have to contact the department of labour. I guess I should. I just
fear ending up with a huge hassle. Does anybody have any tips for me. First, does this sound
right to you with this current situation: them cancelling me for not paying to this other
new stuff? It just doesn't seem right.
Your input is greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Michelle McMullen
it.curious@verizon.net