do you have a negative opinion on

[Niel]

Insurance companies?


Eta: reported to move lol

 

[kenny]

The American health insurance industry should be eliminated.
Just eliminated.
Today.

When you call 911 because your house is on fire or a burglar is in your bedroom they don't put you on hold to see whether you paid this month's fire-or-police-insurance-pemium.
(Oh, I'm sorry Ma'am, you didn't pay so I hope you have a garden hose and some helpful neighbors, or hope you have a gun. Good Luck. Good Bye! CLICK!)

They just send out pros who are paid via tax dollars.
There is no unnecessary intermediate insurance company sucking trillions of dollars out of the process like a vampire while adding ZERO value.

Many other countries do this.

 

[dk168]

Pet insurance: To be informed a type of condition is no longer covered or claimable after making just one claim for my pets really narks me.

My dog had issues with his teeth, required one of his teeth to be taken out, as well as a scale and polish about 4 years ago. Since then, I had to pay for similar dental treatment for him entirely myself, and he turned 7 in June 2014!

I have made greater effects in keeping his teeth in good order to prevent another repeat.

My dealings with car and household content insurance companies had been pleasant with nothing to complain, and long may that continue.

DK

 

[missy]

Yes I do. It seems whenever we really need the help of the insurance companies (only a few times in our life fortunately have we ever needed them and that was in the last few years) they do what they can to avoid helping. Frustrating experience and I hope that there is a place in he** for anyone who denies someone the help they deserve. We pay our premiums and then when you need them they come up with reasons not to cover you.

With Sandy we had a good bit of damage and we had what we thought was a good insurance policy but not good enough. With my accident and injury I was lucky they covered the surgery but now after only 2 months or so of weight bearing therapy they are cutting off my physical therapy with a bogus excuse. They know we cannot fight the big insurance companies without going broke and probably losing anyway so they are sitting pretty leaving us mere mortals to drown. It's a crying shame.

And I have much worse examples. People who were denied certain potential life saving procedures because it wasn't "proven" enough. I guess human life means nothing to them as it's all a big game and their only reason to be in business. That reason being how to get the most money they can and too bad for the wreckage they leave in their wake.

So yeah, I don't like insurance companies and if I could I would stop insuring our homes, our health, our life etc but I guess that could be a worse outcome if something truly catastrophic happened. As if the hurricane wiped our house away then we are entitled to money to rebuild. So we hold on to the fact that despite it all we are still very fortunate and if g-d forbid something devastating occurred we should be covered. I hope however to never find out.

Thanks for letting me vent here.

ETA: Sorry Niel when I voted I misread your poll question and hit no by accident. Rest assured I *do* dislike insurance companies. Sorry for the voting mistake.

 

[chrono]

Insurance is a business that thrives on calculating risk factors. If they don't make a profit, they will not remain in business. Therefore, they take calculated risks so that they will payout less than what they take in. The customer hopes to never have to make a claim but at the same time, makes annual payments to the insurance company. Should the customer need to make a claim, their annual premium usually goes up the following year. A win-win for the insurance companies.

 

[monarch64]

Yup. Total scam. All of it.

 

[Niel]

Yup. Total scam. All of it.

Do explain. The concept of home insurance seems particularly useful,but I'm biased.

 

[monarch64]

Yup. Total scam. All of it.

Do explain. The concept of home insurance seems particularly useful,but I'm biased.

Just my opinion. Chrono explains it better so I'm not even going to attempt it.

Homeowner's is a great thing to have, obviously.

I used to work at an insurance agency. Worst job I've ever had. I was licensed for two years in Life and Health. I could tell you stories that would make you physically ill regarding companies going to great lengths not to pay out the benefit when someone died. Just disgusting.

I have very little respect for anyone involved in the industry. I know that sounds harsh, but it's just the way I feel. It's a shakedown based on fear tactics. Kind of like, oh I dunno, organized crime? You pay me, I'll protect you, you don't pay me, you're at the mercy of whatever.

 

[Niel]

Yup. Total scam. All of it.

Do explain. The concept of home insurance seems particularly useful,but I'm biased.

Just my opinion. Chrono explains it better so I'm not even going to attempt it.

Homeowner's is a great thing to have, obviously.

I used to work at an insurance agency. Worst job I've ever had. I was licensed for two years in Life and Health. I could tell you stories that would make you physically ill regarding companies going to great lengths not to pay out the benefit when someone died. Just disgusting.

I have very little respect for anyone involved in the industry. I know that sounds harsh, but it's just the way I feel. It's a shakedown based on fear tactics. Kind of like, oh I dunno, organized crime? You pay me, I'll protect you, you don't pay me, you're at the mercy of whatever.

I know its just an opinion, I was just curious.

I am "in the industry", but I don't feel like my company does this. But then again, we don't work in fear tactics or medical or life insurance...

Chrono is right there ks a lot of calculate risk involved in insurance, but that's not a bad thing.

Consider Florida, when, if im right, Andrew came though, many companies had such large pay out in a concentrated area that they folded.
You need a company to take calculated risks to stay afloat, and you need a company to stay afloat to pay out your claim if you have one, particularly a catastrophe event.

But it seems like most of the contempt is targeted toward health and life....

 

[Calliecake]

Wow, I guess for the most part I have been one of lucky one. Some one hit my car in a parking lot this summer. When the insurance company came to our home to evaluate the damage, he told me we needed to have an agent come take a look at our roof. We had a category 5 hail storm the previous month. We ended up needing our roof replaced due to the hail damage. Our insurance adjustors were so helpful even telling me what to look out for regarding having the roof repaired. There were many fly by night roofers and scammers in the area. We have had our home and car insurance carrier for 20 years and have had great experiences anytime we have had to make a claim.

Health insurance for the most part has also been good, although we did fight for a year to have an operation paid for. On a good note, when was I faced with what could have been a serious illness I had them bend over backwards to approved a doctor that normally would not have been covered.

 

[chrono]

I don't like that I have to shop for car insurance every few years because the rates creep up slowly even though we didn't make a single claim or received any traffic tickets. I only notice the rates increase when I compare it to the previous year's (I keep old invoices specifically to compare this).

My house insurance isn't too terrible but then again, it is mostly for catastrophic damages, which has not happened yet. Who know what the battle will be like should the time come where I need to make a claim.

Most insurance have so many clauses and fine print and I expect them to try their best to not pay out or delay payment as long as possible.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

Funny you should ask this question. I had a very bad experience with my insurance company this year.

I received a notice that if I didn't put on a new roof, they would discontinue the policy. They sent an inspector, took pictures, and decided my roof may blow away. I had a roofer that summer check my roof and he said it was Ok. My roof is 13 yrs old, not old for a roof.
I caller the roofer who installed the roof and he came and looked at it and said I had 5-10 yrs left on the roof and he would write a letter to the insurance agent on this. The insurance agent sent out his own roofer and said the roof was fine. The agent looked at the pictures from the insurance company and said even the pictures look fine. Guess, what, I refused to put on a new roof and they cancelled my policy.

I had a friend(electrician) install a new fan in a bedroom. He fell thru the ceiling and had no insurance himself, so I called mine. He said they would pay, but go after m6y friend for the money. This guy is poor, so I paid to redo the ceiling myself.

The insurance companies want high deductibles now, and instead of taking a risk, they minimize their risks. Bad taste in my mouth now. Got a new policy , but know I am only a number to them. You are never really a person anymore with large companies. 35 yrs ago I had a great agent who helped with any problem I had with a caring attitude. Not now. I'm still shaking my head over this.


Annette

 

[telephone89]

I hate insurance companies in general. I don't like having to pay for 'what if'. Unfortunately i will probably never own a very expensive car, because I do not want to pay hundreds of dollars a month to cover it.

 

[Calliecake]

Wow Annette. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I feel so fortunate. Our roof was 14 years old when we had the hail damage. The insurance company paid for everything with the exception of our deductible. I guess it really does come down to who you choose as your insurance company. Unfortunately you never if they are good or bad until you have to make a claim. What a horrible time that is to find out you have an awful insurance company.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

So far the only insurance I've had to deal with is car and medical. I've been fine of both fronts because I have no problems staying on top of paperwork and being diligent. I do live in an area that was heavily affected by Sandy and I saw the nightmares that people had to deal with. I'll be very careful when it comes to homeowners insurance.

 

[packrat]

I worked for an insurance company for a year and that was all I could do. Insurance is not for me.

We had to replace our roof a few years ago after a horrible hail storm that took out half the town's roofs. That was our first HO claim ever, like 10 years. I've been w/that insurance company since I was 16. Then 18 months later our rented water softener had a piece explode off it in the middle of the night and flooded our basement w/4 inches of water. And we struggled like crazy people to get things paid, and our deductible went up b/c of the ratio of what we'd paid in premiums vs what they paid to us thus far. The insurance company had me in tears many times and finally I made them deal w/JD--they phrased it very carefully but in no uncertain terms "people do NOT have stuff like that in their basements". Well, lucky for them we'd just replaced our furnace and AC literally the DAY before this happened, or they'd have had another 3k onto the damages, so all they had to replace was some mother board-and they squawked about that. And the refrigerator and deep freezer in the basement. I told them maybe they should count themselves lucky they didn't have to replace the 600 hardcover books I'd just taken to the library a couple days before that were spread out on the floor while I sorted them. And the 400 I didn't take to the library that were being sorted. *******s.

 

[zoebartlett]

I'm glad to have insurance, but it's not always easy dealing with insurance companies. We used to own a condo that had water damage caused by a leaking pipe. It was a slow leak that had built up over time, as opposed to a sudden burst pipe. Our insurance company wouldn't cover it, so we had to foot the bill for a new pipe and new flooring. It ended up being a major renovation nightmare, and we were so annoyed that our insurance company wasn't that helpful.

 

[diamondringlover]

I work for a insurance company...i kinda have no opinion since it helps pay my bills...do i like my job? no i hate it, but it pays the bills

 

[Tacori E-ring]

One of my job duties is to call insurance companies for precerification and concurrent reviews (mental health and substance abuse benefits). They are horrible and they are denying more and more often. Even if someone is actively suicidal or psychotic,after x number of days they want them out. They also are trying to become more and more involved in patients care which is ridiculous seeing how they have no interaction or contact with the patient.

 

[movie zombie]

I have been notified by the insurance company that despite the other guy being 100% at fault for the accident in September that they "negotiated" a $990 return for me on my $1000 deductible: WTF?! negotiated?! the other guy was 100% at fault and they negotiated?! yeah, it is only $10 but it is the principle of the thing..........oh, yeah, right they're going to go to bat for me.

so, do I have a negative opinion of insurance companies?! you bet your sweet ash that I do.

 

[missy]

One of my job duties is to call insurance companies for precerification and concurrent reviews (mental health and substance abuse benefits). They are horrible and they are denying more and more often. Even if someone is actively suicidal or psychotic,after x number of days they want them out. They also are trying to become more and more involved in patients care which is ridiculous seeing how they have no interaction or contact with the patient.

I have to laugh because the insurance company had a general GP on their staff who never evaluated me or even spoke with me "look" at my case and the PT's notes and turn me down for further coverage based on that. He is not even an orthopedist and he is evaluating something well beyond his knowledge without all of the necessary info. I have a suspicion that as incentive for these doctors there is a bonus system for turning down as many people as possible. Though I am sure we will never get the real answer on that one.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

One of my job duties is to call insurance companies for precerification and concurrent reviews (mental health and substance abuse benefits). They are horrible and they are denying more and more often. Even if someone is actively suicidal or psychotic,after x number of days they want them out. They also are trying to become more and more involved in patients care which is ridiculous seeing how they have no interaction or contact with the patient.

I have to laugh because the insurance company had a general GP on their staff who never evaluated me or even spoke with me "look" at my case and the PT's notes and turn me down for further coverage based on that. He is not even an orthopedist and he is evaluating something well beyond his knowledge without all of the necessary info. I have a suspicion that as incentive for these doctors there is a bonus system for turning down as many people as possible. Though I am sure we will never get the real answer on that one.

I can only speak doe behavioral health. What happens is when they can't approve more days there is a "peer to peer" review. One of our doctors speaks to the doctor that works for the insurance company. 75% of the time they give the patient additional day. When they don't we then appeal. Sometimes it work, sometimes it doesn't but know you can appeal the decision.

 

[Loves Vintage]

One of my job duties is to call insurance companies for precerification and concurrent reviews (mental health and substance abuse benefits). They are horrible and they are denying more and more often. Even if someone is actively suicidal or psychotic,after x number of days they want them out. They also are trying to become more and more involved in patients care which is ridiculous seeing how they have no interaction or contact with the patient.

Does your facility track re-admissions? It must be difficult to do as patients may wind up at a different facility. I am just amazed at how willing insurance companies are to kick people out, only to find them back in a few days/weeks/months later because they were never fully properly treated to begin with. I am not in the medical field, but base my comments on how I've seen a family member treated by her insurance company. It is really insane how much control insurance companies have over how long patients may be treated and where they wind up next (the latter is in reference to physical rehab facilities -- skilled nursing vs. acute rehab.) Extremely frustrating!!

 

[Niel]

I had a feeling the results would be like this.

My mother has worked in insurance my whole life, its been the only real job I have. Maybe that's why I have a different view on insurance than the general public

I respect my work and my employer. I don't just drink the koolaid, I genuinely see everyday our company work to do whats best for the customer. Again I don't work in health insurance. And I do think the whole industry deals with the issue of people who think insurance is overpriced. They then buy cheap insurance, and then wonder why it doesn't cover all that much...

Like I said, I figured it would be like this, because as a customer facing employee, I feel the blows from all the customers who think this industry is a scam...and therefor treat me like a conman.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

One of my job duties is to call insurance companies for precerification and concurrent reviews (mental health and substance abuse benefits). They are horrible and they are denying more and more often. Even if someone is actively suicidal or psychotic,after x number of days they want them out. They also are trying to become more and more involved in patients care which is ridiculous seeing how they have no interaction or contact with the patient.

Does your facility track re-admissions? It must be difficult to do as patients may wind up at a different facility. I am just amazed at how willing insurance companies are to kick people out, only to find them back in a few days/weeks/months later because they were never fully properly treated to begin with. I am not in the medical field, but base my comments on how I've seen a family member treated by her insurance company. It is really insane how much control insurance companies have over how long patients may be treated and where they wind up next (the latter is in reference to physical rehab facilities -- skilled nursing vs. acute rehab.) Extremely frustrating!!

We do. We can see when they were last in one of our hospitals but not all the electronic charts are linked. Sometimes insurance gives me information on their treatment history. Some insurance have case managers which is nice because they will come and meet with the patient. Just depends on which insurance. Medicare/Medicaid can deny readmission if they recently left our facility. They blame us. The one benefit is we don't have to do insurance reviews unless there is a HMO so those folks can stay for weeks. Some months.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

i don't think insurance is a scam, I think it is flawed. There is a difference.

 

[Gypsy]

Insurance companies?


Eta: reported to move lol

Yes. One word, pre-existing condition.
Just one ridiculous example:

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/11/18/canadian-goes-into-early-labor-on-vacation-in-us-gets-1m-hospital-bill-souvenir/

Pregnant woman from Canada goes Hawaii and bought health insurance for the duration of her trip. Because of a urinary tract infection Blue Crossed deemed her pregnancy high risk and said that the high risk pregnancy was a pre-existing condition (because of the urinary tract infection) and denied coverage. Result? Ridiculous medical bill for the delivery of her baby.

Personally? I'd sue.

 

[monarch64]

i don't think insurance is a scam, I think it is flawed. There is a difference.

I understand your point, Tacori. And i know you're coming from a different perspective. I respect that, and of course I respect you; we go way back.

I've seen and heard agents and underwriters downright refuse to pay out claims that had every right to be paid out. Very sad situations, people thought they were prepared and were left with absolutely nothing after paying into policies for years and years.

I do think it's a scam in that people pay money every month into a policy that will likely never repay THEM like they anticipated.

it's been going on since the Middle Ages. I learned that when I had to study for my test to become an agent.

Having been on both sides, I still believe and always will believe that insurance is a scam. Paint it in any light you want, but don't tell me it's all on the up-and-up and in the best interest of the general population.

 

[missy]

One of my job duties is to call insurance companies for precerification and concurrent reviews (mental health and substance abuse benefits). They are horrible and they are denying more and more often. Even if someone is actively suicidal or psychotic,after x number of days they want them out. They also are trying to become more and more involved in patients care which is ridiculous seeing how they have no interaction or contact with the patient.

I have to laugh because the insurance company had a general GP on their staff who never evaluated me or even spoke with me "look" at my case and the PT's notes and turn me down for further coverage based on that. He is not even an orthopedist and he is evaluating something well beyond his knowledge without all of the necessary info. I have a suspicion that as incentive for these doctors there is a bonus system for turning down as many people as possible. Though I am sure we will never get the real answer on that one.

I can only speak doe behavioral health. What happens is when they can't approve more days there is a "peer to peer" review. One of our doctors speaks to the doctor that works for the insurance company. 75% of the time they give the patient additional day. When they don't we then appeal. Sometimes it work, sometimes it doesn't but know you can appeal the decision.

Thanks Tacori. My PT did the peer to peer review last week and they denied us again (general practitioner who has no experience in orthopedics at Orthonet spoke with my physical therapist and didn't even listen to what he had to say and just denied denied denied) and now I am just waiting for the letter of medical necessity from my surgeon and my therapist will file an appeal.
Unfortunately based on what my therapist told me there is a 90% chance of losing the appeal.

I am disillusioned about the (and disappointed in) insurance companies and mine in particular. Cigna and Orthonet have failed me as far as I am concerned. I never really needed them till this year and then they drop me like a hot potato before I am ready. Pathetic. And finally the woman at Orthonet called me back last night after 3 plus business days (during dinner I mean calling at 6:30PM really? after I called her friday at 1PM and left a message asking to be called back as soon as she could and that's when she calls me back-wed night) and she offered the company line and that was it.

Pathetic and IMO Orthonet sucks.

 

[telephone89]

Insurance companies?


Eta: reported to move lol

Yes. One word, pre-existing condition.
Just one ridiculous example:

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/11/18/canadian-goes-into-early-labor-on-vacation-in-us-gets-1m-hospital-bill-souvenir/

Pregnant woman from Canada goes Hawaii and bought health insurance for the duration of her trip. Because of a urinary tract infection Blue Crossed deemed her pregnancy high risk and said that the high risk pregnancy was a pre-existing condition (because of the urinary tract infection) and denied coverage. Result? Ridiculous medical bill for the delivery of her baby.

Personally? I'd sue.

Oh gosh. This is all over our news up here. TBH it makes a lot of people not want to travel, or not want to BOTHER getting insurance, because it probably won't cover it anyways.

One of the guys I work with was in the US for a holiday, and started having abdominal pains. He quickly figured out it was appendicitis. He booked a flight back to Canada and went to a canadian hospital (landed 6pm, appendix out at 4am) instead of risking going to an american hospital. If his appendix ruptured, he could have died while waiting for his flight, but he didn't want to risk a crazy high medical bill that wouldn't be covered.

Anyways, just these sorts of things that happen cause people to be dumb. I don't think he should have done that, but it's better than having a huge bill that isn't covered.