A few weeks ago my Health Insurance company cancelled me for lack of payment after I signed up for their recurring auto payment feature on their website which is how I pay 99% of my bills given my travel schedule.
It worked just once then stopped working and I never was made aware. Turns out their website had an option to pay the bill on the actual day it was due which I, like a dummy, checked off because, you know, it was 1 of 2 options (the other was to pick a date out of thin air and plug it in manually).
Turns out that particular “pay on due date” option doesn’t actually work (never did get an explanation to the logical question: If it doesn’t work then why was it included on the website?). Their website is like a sadistic game of Healthcare Roulette, choose the wrong payment option and you could lose your insurance.
Since they never sent me a bill (neither via USPS or Email or carrier pigeon), I had no idea my healthcare premiums weren’t being paid until I was cut off. Ironically, I DID receive the cutoff notice promptly.
After a fumbling, circus like comical adventure that would have made Moe, Larry and Curley very proud, I was finally reinstated after paying back premiums and jumping through hoops like a trained schnauzer. Lucky for me, no buses hit me during my multi-week, no-insurance adventure.
Despite my complaints and half a dozen requests, I still don’t receive bills or notices (they claim they are being mailed) and only receive the same “Welcome Aboard” Packages (3 of them so far, 1 every couple of months, which makes me even more concerned) and the big aforementioned “you are hereby cancelled” notification.
However, today, I finally received some actual mail correspondence from my “healthcare provider” (AKA My “If I get hit by a bus” policy). It was a form notice of non-discrimination as required by New York State Law. At least this mass mailer of legal gibberish made it to the mailbox, which maybe means I’m still insured… for the time being.
Why did I waste my time writing this long screed, I have no idea.. but thanks for indulging me.
