For many people, health insurance premiums take a sizable bite out of their paychecks. Which would be somewhat tolerable if insurance companies did anything to ease the process of actually receiving medical care. Heck, most of us would tolerate the pricey payments if insurers just did the bare minimum of what they are supposed to do and didn’t put up roadblocks to getting the proper care. And yet that simple concept appears to be too complicated for some insurance providers to grasp. [More]
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Cancer-Stricken Student Convinces Aetna CEO To Pay Off His Medical Bills Via Twitter
By 8.2.12
Talk about the power of social media — one graduate student battling Stage IV colon cancer in Arizona found out his Aetna health insurance plan had exceeded his $300,000 limit.He took to Twitter to express his frustration as his medical bills continued to grow and it turns out someone very influential was listening — the CEO of Aetna, who has subsequently agreed to pay “every last penny” of the man’s medical expenses and agrees that the healthcare system is broken. [More]
Aetna Says Doctor Made Billing Error, But The Patient Is The One Who Owes $6K For MRI
By 6.1.12
The wonderful world of medical billing, where not up is down, left is right, and the patient is somehow the one left with a hefty bill if their surgeon screws up on the paperwork. [More]
Aetna Hikes Health Insurance Rates For California Small Businesses
By 4.6.12
Health insurer Aetna has raised its rates for California small business clients considerably, making for an average increase of 8 percent, with some businesses seeing increases of as much as 21 percent. The California State Insurance Commissioner called the hikes “excessive.” [More]
Would You Pay $20 At An Electronics Store For A Fitness Progam Offered By An Insurance Company?
By 1.10.12
Riddle me this: Where can you buy into an online fitness program run by an insurance company? Why, at an electronics store, of course, and more specifically, Best Buy stores in certain Chicago locations. [More]
Health Insurance Companies Really Hate Your Sick Children
By 9.23.10
The health insurance industry is generally known for its efficiency, generosity and — of course — for its customer-first attitude. That’s why it comes as such a shock that several of the more beloved insurance institutions like Wellpoint, Aetna, Cigna and United Healthcare have decided to stop selling you insurance policies for your sick children. [More]
Aetna Will Never Forget You – Or Your Old Policy Number
By 5.28.10
D. has a warning for people who are attending college after a stint in the grown-up workforce. She tells Consumerist that if you had health insurance through Aetna at your job, and your university provides student insurance through Aetna, this change will confuse Aetna’s system so thoroughly that everything you do will be billed to your old account number, forever and ever. [More]
California AG Investigating 7 Insurance Companies For Illegal Rate Hikes
By 2.26.10
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]
Two-Thirds Of Insurers Share Faulty Database That Lets Them Overcharge Patients
By 6.26.09
Earlier this week, a Congressional investigation revealed that several insurance companies rely on a database from Ingenix that deliberately underestimates the cost of medical services, reports the Associated Press. The result is that “American consumers have paid billions of dollars for health care services that their insurance companies should have paid.”
Reach Aetna's Executive Resolution Team
By 6.6.09
Having problems with an Aetna Health insurance claim? After you’ve exhausted all other options, call the Executive Resolutions Team. 800-872-3862 x15075 will get you team member Tara Sinclair. (Thanks, Matt!)
Aetna Underpaid Students, Settles For $5 Million
By 2.9.09
If you’re a student and think Aetna underpaid the reimbursement for your out-of-network care, you may have some money coming to you. The insurer has settled for $5 million plus interest and penalties.
Aetna Fires You From Your Job Without Your Company's Permission
By 1.24.09
Richard O’Connor, the Vice President of Marketing for Aetna, might want to rethink how his department handles its customer retention program in this economy, particularly when it comes to telling people that they’re still valued even though they’ve been let go. Chris received just such a letter today, and now the VP of his company’s HR department is trying to figure out why Aetna fired Chris.
Aetna: Instead Of Approving That $113,000 Life-Saving Brain Operation, We're Going To Cancel Your Coverage. Sorry!
By 7.19.08
Meet 19-year-old Caitlin Jackson. Caitlin was recently diagnosed with Chiari Malformation, a potentially fatal brain disorder that interferes with motor control and memory. Immediate brain surgery is Caitlin’s only treatment option, but her insurance company, Aetna, took its sweet time approving her operation, and then reversed itself claiming her benefits had expired.
Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna: Sorry, Your Pregnancy Is A Pre-Existing Condition
By 5.29.08
Katlyn is having trouble getting health insurance because she just graduated from college and is 15 weeks pregnant. She’s found herself in an expensive situation.
Blogobitchin!
By 8.11.06
• Aetna doesn’t feel like paying for this baby’s Tay Sachs treatment. [Dear Aetna]
Interviewing The Victims Of Identity Theft
By 5.2.06
The Dayton Daily News has a good article up interviewing the victims of identity theft and describing how their lives have changed because of it. Although we’re all concerned by the murky underworld of Eastern European hackers that prey upon badly secured financial records, the article is a good reminder that most identity theft actually originates with people close to you: friends, relatives and (natch) employees of the very institutions you trust to keep your financial details safe.
Aetna Loses Laptop With 38,000 User’s Personal Info
By 4.27.06
month not to leave our laptops in the car. Also, we have to sign the “Code of Conduct” every year, part of which says ‘I promise not to leave my company laptop in the car.’ “
