"Health" Insurance

I hate CIGNA HealthCare.

We are insured through my husband's job. And, we pay premiums every stinking month to the tune of about $4000 per year for family coverage.

So ... I think that CIGNA has a lot of nerve, when they send us a letter asking for "additional information so they can process our claim". They want to know if we have any other health insurance. No! We do not have other health insurance and, furthermore, what business is it of theirs anyway? We're paying premiums and they should pay the benefits! Aarrrrgh! It really ticks me off.

In February, I responded to a similar letter and told them to keep the information in their records so that I wouldn't have to waste my time, envelopes, and stamps responding to their stupid letters. But, of course, I get another letter whenever one of our providers files a claim.

I never had this problem when we were insured by Big Blue. Those were the good old days.

You know just recently I suggested that all of us women (and there are many of us) could be eligible for a health insurance plan at a reduced group rate. Some people made jokes and laughed BUT I was dead serious ladies.

Yeah. insurance. BLAH!

AARP has prescription insurance for $20 a year, also life insurance but I'm having trouble finding health insurance...affordable, that is.

Chatty may very well have something on the group Boomer insurance. Lord knows there's need, past need, for such an animal.

It's tough as nails to find health insurance IF one doesn't want to sell their lives/souls to a cubical for 30+ years.

Amen sister...I for one can tell you that IF I didn't have to have the insurance, I WOULD NOT be sitting in my cubicle every day...no way hosea.

JJ

I'm not sure that I want universal health insurance because there are some minuses to that system, but I don't believe that medical insurance should be tied to a person's job. It originated as a perk to attract people to companies, but it's time for a change.

Health issues get me nuts. I beleive it is the one issue that can destroy our country from the inside out.
The financial impact of medical care for an aging population combined with the legal costs of liability suits is bankrupting our country and our quality of life. The more we try to legislate healthcare and insure ourselves against the horrible costs, the worse it gets.
Medical insurance is just "false assurance" and to a great degree insurance is responsible for the escalation of health care costs.
I was a in nursing school when changes were being made to accomodate Medicare as a universal insurance for seniors.
Suddenly health care changed from a 'mission of charity' to a "lucrative business" and the incredible increases in health care costs began. Pills that previously cost pennies suddenly cost several dollars. Everything bought and used by healthcare facilities increased in price a hundred fold. Doctors who previously provided care in exchange for farm goods suddenly began to charge astronomical fees. And patients who had successfully treated chronic conditions at home for years saw the doctor and many became addicted to prescription drugs that destroyed their quality of life even more.
Before insurance, the "public" rationed care. People only went to the hospital to be born and to die. Now we live longer, but we don't live better. Everyone is taking a ton of prescriptions and feeling worse. And the only way to get any treatment at all is through a healthcare system that holds us hostage.

I have no solutions. I just hope something changes before our country is bankrupted not only financially, but physically, socially and spiritually.
smile

I've had Cigna, know how you feel!As of mid November, we will join the uninsured, losing our coverage through COBRA. Glad I had my heart cath this month.

We will likely have to get a high deductable policy to use in case of emergency, Our daughter is still on Texas Childrens Ins.

Since both hubby and I have chronic conditions, I don't know how we'll get health care, I guess use the "plastic policy", credit cards, to pay.

When I look at Countries that have government healthcare, I don't think that its the answer, after all, those that have money often come to the U.S.A. for their treatment.

Keep praying for our Gov't to find a solution that works.

Have you ever seen the movie Rainmaker. It's about an insurance company who had a policy of rejecting every claim the first time it was submitted. They figured people would give up and go away. I learned recently that many insurance companies actually do this. they bury you in paper and many people just give up....it saves the insurance companies billions, yes billions a year.

No question that insurance companies do everything that they can to avoid paying on a claim. After all, they are in the business to make money, not to pay it out.

I know that I've let "small claims" go unchallenged just because I don't want to spend my life on the phone arguing the validity of a claim. I pick the battles I'm willing to fight.

The company where my husband works only contracts with CIGNA so unless we want to get insurance on our own (let's see, we pay about $6K per year for group insurance ... do you think we might have to pay more outside of group?!?!?!) --- we're stuck. :-)

I don't like CIGNA but I'm glad that we're lucky have some insurance.

Anyone know anything about the Natl Assoc of Self Employed? They have insurance but can't get an answer w/out giving them lots of personal information...which I don't want to do.

Thistle try typing the name into your browser and what comes up...