When sending a complaint letter to an insurance company, it can be handy, or necessary, to cc it your state’s Insurance Commissioner. The Patient Advocate Foundation has a big list where you can look up insurance commissioner’s mailing addresses and phone numbers by state.
insurance
Sample Letter For Appealing Claims Denial Based On Out Of Network Benefits
By 9.18.07
Bankrate has a good example letter you can use if your health insurance company denies your claim for being out of network. It’s in “Madlibs” style, so you’ll need to replace all the items in red with your personal information. The argument is based on the premise that the out-of-network provider is the only one within a reasonable distance who can effectively perform the procedure you need. There’s no guarantee of its success, but it can at least serve as an initial salvo before escalating your issue elsewhere.
Make Credit Card Companies Your Bitch
By 9.16.07
Blueprint for Financial Prosperity reminds us that savvy consumers can take advantage of credit card companies hellbent on turning a profit. Most credit card companies will go to great lengths to keep their customers happily spending away. Use these tips to make them cater to your every financial desire:
Don't Be Fooled By "Limited Benefit" Insurance Plans
By 9.14.07
If you’re a freelancer, temp worker, or hourly worker, you may have already been exposed to the “limited benefit plan,” a rotten insurance scheme which is designed to rake in more profits for insurance companies by offering low cost plans that provide almost no worthwhile coverage for the consumer.
Uninsured? New Service Lets You Pay Off Medical Bills Without Interest
By 9.14.07
A reader pointed us to a recent article in the WSJ abut CarePayment, a new financing option that provides a way for the uninsured to pay off their hospital bills in monthly installments, without incurring interest rate charges or finance fees.
What To Do When Your Luggage Is Hopelessly Totally Completely Lost
By 9.13.07
Here at Consumerist we get a lot of complaints that go something like this:
6 Tips From An Insurance Claims Adjuster
By 9.12.07
One of our readers is an insurance claims adjuster, the guy who comes out to inspect damages, and he sent in 6 tips to help consumers through the claims process.
Insurers' Secret Tactics For Cheating Customers
By 9.11.07
In a damning 18-page report, Bloomberg exposes how the insurance industry’s systematic use of sleazy scare tactics cheat vulnerable policyholders.
How I Lost 14.6 Pounds Sitting In Front Of A Computer
By 9.9.07
After a year-and-a-half of blogging out of the comfort of my apartment, I was out of shape and overweight. I’m 5’11” and I weighed 220 lbs. Pants weren’t fitting. I learned that buttons popping off pants didn’t just happen in the cartoons. My family noticed my doublechins, my dad worried I had diabetes.
American Cancer Society Says Broken Health Care System Will Be "Bigger Killer" Than Tobacco
By 8.31.07
“I believe, if we don’t fix the health care system, that lack of access will be a bigger cancer killer than tobacco,” Mr. Seffrin [chief executive of the cancer society] said in an interview. “The ultimate control of cancer is as much a public policy issue as it is a medical and scientific issue.”
Medical Records Are The New Credit Score?
By 8.30.07
Just like an error on your credit report can affect your score, an error on your medical records can have an impact when you’re applying for insurance, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Nationwide To Drop 39,000 Homeowner Insurance Policies In Florida
By 8.29.07
With each passing hurricane it becomes more difficult for homeowners in the gulf states to secure howeowner insurance policies. Now Nationwide has announced that they are dropping 39,000 policies in Florida. This follows announcements from Allstate and and State Farm that they were dropping 156,000 policies due to the 2004-2005 hurricane season.
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company Fires Call Center Reps For Routinely Hanging Up On Customers
By 8.27.07
Nationwide Mutual Insurance fired five Iowa call center workers for regularly hanging up on customers in an attempt to boost their stats, but one of them contends that the practice is widespread and they were only fired so Nationwide could deny their upcoming paid and unpaid leave, reports the Des Moines Register.
Progressive Insurance Lies Its Way Into Church Support Group To Dig Up Lawsuit Dirt
By 8.24.07
Just when you thought insurance companies couldn’t get any sleazier, Progressive Insurance got caught sending private eyes to infiltrate and secretly record an Atlanta area church support group in hopes of digging up dirt to discredit a church couple involved in a car accident lawsuit, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Medicare Won't Pay Hospitals For Preventable Errors
By 8.22.07
Medicare No Longer to Pay for Preventable Hospital Errors, Injuries or Infections [Washington Post]
MetLife "Accidentally" Drops Insurance Right Before Car Accident
By 8.16.07
“My girlfriend Lindsey recently purchased a brand-spanking new Toyota Yaris, which she affectionately refers to as “Yar-i.” This car was a much needed sigh of relief after a string of terrible lemon cars for her. This thing was her pride and joy. Along with buying the car, she signed up for MetLife car insurance for $900 to cover herself for about 9 months.
Health Insurance Brokers Can Help You Avoid Getting Rejected For Having Been Rejected
By 8.14.07
When shopping around for health insurance, getting a rejection on your record can turn off other providers from granting coverage. The trick, then, would be to know what your rejection chances are, based on your personal stats and preexisting conditions, before applying.
