Nearly five months ago, Anthem Blue Cross of California and parent company WellPoint put their names in the running for Biggest Dickheads of 2010 by trying to raise rates upward of 39% for individual policyholders, a move that put the entire insurance industry under the legal and legislative microscope. In a move to seem like only a huge dickface, the insurance giant announced yesterday that it’s now proposing less grandiose rate increases. [More]
WellPoint/Anthem BCBS Decides Not To Be Completely Evil To California Policyholders
By July 1, 2010
WellPoint Security Breach Exposes 470,000 Credit Card Numbers & Medical Records
By June 29, 2010
Health insurance giant WellPoint has already annoyed its customers by trying to jack up their rates and dropping breast cancer patients’ coverage after they’d been diagnosed with the disease. But now they really have some explaining to do, after a security breach exposed medical records, credit card numbers and other information of 470,000 customers. [More]
POLL: Do You Have Health Insurance?
By June 21, 2010
Health care reform has been one of the biggest hot-button topic for quite some time and it looks to only get hotter as both sides make their arguments on the White House’s plan for national health care. Leaving the pros and cons of the plan to the side for the moment, we just want to know how our readers are fixed for health insurance. [More]
1 Out Of 5 Medical Claims Processed Incorrectly, Says AMA
By June 14, 2010
Maybe you’re reading this on your iPhone while sitting in your doctor’s waiting room. If so, look around you. Because one out of the five of you in the room will have your claim processed incorrectly by your insurance company. [More]
Report: Growing Number Of Doctors Adding A La Carte Fees
By June 7, 2010
Lest you think nickle-and-dime fees for services that were once free is the sole purview of the airline industry, a new report in USA Today claims that the more and more physicians in the U.S. are going the route of charging money for services they say aren’t covered by health insurance. [More]
Email To Wellpoint CEO Gets Account Issue Fixed
By May 3, 2010
I don’t know what health insurer Wellpoint’s problem is but it seems, judging from the stories our readers keep sending in, that lately you have to email the CEO to get simple account problems fixed. What’s going on in your call centers, Wellpoint? Maybe all the workers have rebelled and decided the best way to promote health care reform is to get all your customers to hate you. Zach was able to get his deductible rolled over, but only after he emailed the very top of the Wellpoint power pyramid, Angela Braly. Here’s his story: [More]
Report: WellPoint Targeted Then Dropped Breast Cancer Patients
By April 22, 2010
Is it too late for WellPoint to get into the Worst Company In America competition? A new report says the insurance giant and its subsidiaries have been deliberately targeting policyholders recently diagnosed with breast cancer and going to great lengths to have their policies nullified. [More]
California AG Investigating 7 Insurance Companies For Illegal Rate Hikes
By February 26, 2010
The showdown over skyrocketing insurance rates in California got even nastier yesterday. The state’s Attorney General’s office announced that it has subpoenaed financial documents and launched an investigation into allegations of illegal premium hikes and wrongfully denied claims by seven separate health insurance providers. [More]
Anthem Blue Cross "Wasting Time" Waiting To Raise Your Rates
By February 24, 2010
Last night, the selfless executives of California insurance behemoth Anthem Blue Cross (and parent company WellPoint) took time away from their usual Tuesday evenings volunteering at the soup kitchen to appear before those pesky members of the State’s government who just won’t stop harping about Anthem’s plans to raise rates on individual policy holders as much as 39%. Anthem’s answer: Let’s stop all this nonsense and just raise rates already! [More]
Anthem Blue Cross/WellPoint Makes Early Bid For Worst Company In America
By February 12, 2010
As the United States continues to struggle to pull itself out of the current economic quagmire, it’s good to know that not all American companies are behaving like times are tough. Take Anthem Blue Cross of California, who announced this week that individual policy holders will see an average premium increase of 25% with some rate hikes set to reach 39%, prompting Congress and the White House to demand an immediate explanation. [More]
Tonik Insurance Sneaks 20% Premium Increase On Customer After Approval
By October 13, 2008
Tonik is the rad, x-treme! lifestyle health insurance for young people who can’t afford regular insurance—sort of the Poochie of health insurance, except it’s not going to go away. Aasma wrote to us to let us know that when she signed up for it over the weekend, she got a nasty surprise after she submitted her credit card information.
Worst Company In America 2008 "Sweet 16": Wal-Mart VS WellPoint
By June 16, 2008
Here’s your fifth “Sweet 16″ match-up: #3 Wal-Mart VS #51 Wellpoint
Round 42: Home Depot vs Wellpoint
By May 20, 2008
This is Round 42 in our Worst Company in America contest, Home Depot vs Wellpoint!
Zagat Ratings For Your Doctor?
By October 24, 2007
Due to a fairly awesome article in Smart Money awhile back, we’re now under the impression that Zagat ratings are sort of a scam to sell plaques, but we’re apparently in the minority. Now WellPoint is adopting the Zagat method to rate doctors. Yes, doctors.
Wellpoint Says Anesthesia Unnecessary in Colonoscopies
By December 30, 2005
We’re posting this not simply because it involves the wistful dream of the CEO of a major medical insurance company taking it up the can, but also for the remarkably vivid lead-in: “Mr. Insurance Company CEO … when you get your colonoscopy, are YOU going to go without the sedative?”
