personal horror with scumbamacare

Discussions about our lives, families, jobs... things may get a little personal
Post Reply
Precision
Posts: 5268
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:01 pm

personal horror with scumbamacare

Post by Precision »

As you all know, my wife died on Aug 06, 2016.

As a result of that, I have to do certain things. One of which is cancel her healthcare insurance. Long story, but she was forced into the exchange when her job canceled her COBRA, illegally and without notice. So she figured out a plan that would allow her to see the Gamma Knife doctor in Miami and away we went (at a 50% increase $600 to $900).

Yesterday, I called the insurance company to cancel. They looked up the information and saw she was an exchange customer and declared, there was nothing they could do for me. All interactions on plan changes have to happen through the exchange. The transferred me over to a lady for the exchange. Five minutes later, my call gets picked up. Again, long story short. They want all MY information. I don't mean to prove I am who I say I am. They are giving me an entire database questioning, to include MY social. I made that stop butt quick.

After about 3 minutes of hassle, she admits, well we can do this by you snail mailing us a death certificate. Then after we receive it, we will call you in 30-45 days to BEGIN the process of closing the account. HUH. 30 - 45 days. Well you can at least stop the mandated auto billing of my account, right? No. Until the account is CLOSED, you are responsible for the payments. So I will get a speedy refund for the time after my wife died, RIGHT. You do realize healthcare is worthless to a DEAD PERSON, right. I can not guarantee a refund sir. There is a process...

I started to get uncivil at that point, but was able to reign it back in. She was of course only a drone. I think I almost brought her to tears and that is unfair to the drone.

Mother Fucker that infuriated me.
"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not." ~Thomas Jefferson
My little part of the blogosphere. http://blogletitburn.wordpress.com/
User avatar
Termite
Posts: 9003
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 3:32 am

Re: personal horror with scumbamacare

Post by Termite »

Precision wrote: Well you can at least stop the mandated auto billing of my account, right? No. Until the account is CLOSED, you are responsible for the payments.
First: condolences on your wife's death. I'm trying to imagine how you feel, and failing. :(

Next: Snail mail a copy of the death certificate via registered mail.

Next: After confirmation that the letter was received, give them 10 working days. Then, if you are auto-drafting from a checking account, go to the bank and stop the auto-draft. If the bank refuses to do that, transfer your money to another account and close the other one. Yes, changing accounts might be a PITA, but who knows how long it will take them to stop billing you.

Just telling you what I would do, YMMV.
"Life is a bitch. Shit happens. Adapt, improvise, and overcome. Acknowledge it, and move on."
Precision
Posts: 5268
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:01 pm

Re: personal horror with scumbamacare

Post by Precision »

Termite wrote:
Precision wrote: Well you can at least stop the mandated auto billing of my account, right? No. Until the account is CLOSED, you are responsible for the payments.
First: condolences on your wife's death. I'm trying to imagine how you feel, and failing. :(

Next: Snail mail a copy of the death certificate via registered mail.

Next: After confirmation that the letter was received, give them 10 working days. Then, if you are auto-drafting from a checking account, go to the bank and stop the auto-draft. If the bank refuses to do that, transfer your money to another account and close the other one. Yes, changing accounts might be a PITA, but who knows how long it will take them to stop billing you.

Just telling you what I would do, YMMV.
Agreed on all of the above. But DAMN that I would have to do that. Technically my parents as they refused to let us pay that bill. So now THEY are on the hook to .gov.
"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not." ~Thomas Jefferson
My little part of the blogosphere. http://blogletitburn.wordpress.com/
User avatar
randy
Posts: 8334
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:33 pm
Location: EM79VQ

Re: personal horror with scumbamacare

Post by randy »

Is your local congress-critter worth a damn? With an election coming up they might take an interest in an obviously BS policy to hammer on, assuming they aren't an advocate of Government Health Care [strike]Reform[/strike] Control.
...even before I read MHI, my response to seeing a poster for the stars of the latest Twilight movies was "I see 2 targets and a collaborator".
Cobar
Posts: 1513
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 6:23 pm

Re: personal horror with scumbamacare

Post by Cobar »

Last year the IRS held on to my refund for 7 months claiming that I got advances to pay for Obamacare crap that I never had, applied for or recieved any kind of advance for. The IRS said I had to get the exchange to tell them that I didn't get any advance. . The advance said they never heard of me and had no clue how to tell the IRS that.

After tons of phone calls and letters they just eventually gave me my money back.

This year they did the same thing to my stepson.

Your situation makes that seem pale by comparison.

Rusty chainsaw and all that
User avatar
Rustyv
Posts: 332
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 1:02 am

Re: personal horror with scumbamacare

Post by Rustyv »

Had something similar when dad died.

Tried calm reasoning, tried spittle flinging rage, tried asking for managers until I got to the call center manager. "We're sorry sir, it will be at least 90/120/180 days before we can cancel X".

In the end I called them up, told them the person they were charging had died and, as part of the estate, I was notifying companies he was doing business with and closing accounts. I was willing to put a death certificate in the mail for their records, but that all of his accounts would be closed in 30 days, including the checking account they were drafting, and they could try collecting on a dead man.

Mom and I then walked over to the bank branch next door to the one mom and dad did business at, opened an account in her name only, and less some bills that dad did owe, transfered every last cent to the new account. Turned off overdraft protection and 30 days after notifying everybody I closed his bank accounts.

Got some rather interesting phone calls for a few months after the bank accounts closed demanding money for something or other. After letting them threaten to sue my dad, throw him out on the street, put a lien on his paycheck and checking account, take his tax refund, and shit in his yard (only joking, but barely) I would politely ask if they received the death certificate, wait on hold for 30 minutes while they go check, then got the "sorry for your loss <click>".

Now, you're dealing with the .gov and their private industry reps. They may have more recourse and legal means to suck you dry than the scum sucking bottom feeders I had to deal with, but the first thing I would do is change banks and move every dime you have.
Welcome to the internet: Where men are men, women are men, and children are FBI agents.

Dance like it hurts, Love like you need the money, Work like people are watching - Scott Adams
User avatar
Windy Wilson
Posts: 4875
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:32 am

Re: personal horror with scumbamacare

Post by Windy Wilson »

This is BS. Have a lawyer write the letter saying the account is closed effective immediately.
USPS has overnight and two day delivery, snail mail can be pretty quick now, without going to FedEx and others like it.
The use of the word "but" usually indicates that everything preceding it in a sentence is a lie.
E.g.:
"I believe in Freedom of Speech, but". . .
"I support the Second Amendment, but". . .
--Randy
BDK
Posts: 1698
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 11:14 pm

Re: personal horror with scumbamacare

Post by BDK »

Talk to your banker - depending on their policies, some do not recognize auto drafts on the departed
Post Reply