Thousands of American Airlines employees unknowingly became the targets of a multi-million dollar insurance fraud scheme carried out by a father-son duo who claimed to provide the airline workers with free hearing aids for simply taking a test. [More]
blue cross blue shield
Over 10M Consumers’ Personal Info Stolen In Latest Health Insurer Data Breach
By 9.10.15
For at least the fourth time this year, millions of consumers are being faced with some bad news: health insurer Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield has announced the discovery of a major data breach in their systems. Over 10 million subscribers to Excellus and their partner services now have their most personal information — including medical claims records and social security numbers — stolen. [More]
Health Insurer CareFirst Latest Hack Victim
By 5.21.15
More than 1.1 million current and former members of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield are among the latest victims of a cyberattack, the health insurer confirmed this week. [More]
Health Insurer Premera Blue Cross Latest Hack Victim, 11M Consumers Affected
By 3.17.15
Just a month after tens of millions of consumers’ personal information was breached in the hack of health insurance firm Anthem, another U.S.-based insurance provider says it was the victim of a cyber attack affecting as many as 11 million customers. [More]
Anthem Says Data From As Far Back As 2004 Exposed During Hack, Offering Free Identity Theft Protection
By 2.13.15
A week after health insurer Anthem announced that it was the latest victim of a security breach, the company revealed that hackers had access to tens of millions of customers’ data going back as far as 2004. [More]
“Tens Of Millions” Of Personal Records Stolen In Hack On Health Insurance Company Anthem
By 2.5.15
Any data breach is bad, but the more personal they are — and the more widespread — the worse. And by both metrics, the hack just announced by major health insurer Anthem is particularly terrible. [More]
Blue Cross Blue Shield Says Man Should Pay $2,306 To Avoid Dying In His Sleep
By 11.3.11
Jason has sleep apnea. When he sleeps, if it can be called that, he stops breathing up to twelve times per hour. His body’s reflexive response is that his jaw shoots around wildly, chipping and grinding his teeth, and then he wakes up for a second. A dozen times every hour, every night, he wakes up to his teeth clanging around his mouth. As if that wasn’t fun enough, of the $2,400 the mouth guard his doctor prescribed prescribed him, his insurance plan is only going to cover a max of $94. [More]
Woman Loses Insurance Because She Paid With Credit Card
By 9.21.11
Andrea has been a customer with Anthem since 1995, paying her bill all the time and never submitting any claims. So you can see why they canceled her coverage. [More]
Elderly Couple Thought They Canceled The Insurance, End Up Overpaying Anthem $5,000
By 8.1.11
By the time the couple in their 80’s noticed the monthly auto-billing on their bank account, they had overpaid Anthem $5,000 for insurance they thought they had canceled two years ago. That’s money these two living on pension could have been using to fix their crumbling front walkway. It was until they beseeched their local consumer reporter and he took an interest in their story did Anthem retroactively cancel their policy and refund their money. [More]
Illinois Blue Cross To Pay $25 Million After Denying Coverage To Sick Kids In Need Of Nursing Care
By 2.24.11
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, the largest health insurer in the Land of Lincoln, has agreed to pay $25 million to settle allegations that it denied coverage to sick kids who needed nursing care. [More]
New Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan Steers Patients To Cheaper Hospitals
By 2.10.11
If you live in Massachusetts and have Blue Cross Blue Shield health coverage, you may end up paying more if you want to go to certain hospitals. [More]
Justice Dept. Goes After Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Michigan
By 10.18.10
Crimefighters at the Justice Department put on their antitrust capes today, filing a lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. The DOJ alleges the insurance company violated antitrust laws by asking hospitals to sign contracts that precluded other insurers from offering a better discount. [More]
1 Out Of 5 Medical Claims Processed Incorrectly, Says AMA
By 6.14.10
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]
Email To Wellpoint CEO Gets Account Issue Fixed
By 5.3.10
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]
5 Questions To Make A Doc's Head Explode
By 12.2.09
Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield has a microsite game called “Resist The System” where if you ask too many questions the health care receptionist’s head explode. [More]
"This American Life" On Health Insurance's Fine Print
By 8.12.09
A recent episode of This American Life-the fine, fine public radio show-has an excellent piece on the health insurance industry’s use of “rescission.” This is when people with individual insurance policies come down with an illness (or get pregnant) and the insurance company denies coverage by claiming it was a preexisting condition.
Blue Cross Blue Shields On Twitter
By 4.29.09
A few Blue Cross Blue Shield divisions recently started Twittering, talking about health issues, saying nice things about their company and proactively reaching out to patients complaining about their services: @BCBSIL, @BCBSNM, @BCBSTX, @BCBSOK.
Secret Phone Numbers And Email Addresses To Reach Executives At 101+ Companies
By 11.7.08
Inside, email addresses, phone numbers, and addresses for over 100 different companies to inject your customer service complaints into their corporate executive offices, and get it well on the way to success.
