Help! Where's my insurance?!!

[Janie52]

Hubby and I signed up through the Indiana marketplace via a broker on December 4th with Anthem BCBS. It is now the 13th of Jan and nothing. The marketplace acknowledges indeed they have us all signed up and ready to go, however Anthem does not have us in their system. Back to the marketplace. Hummm, really? We will accelerate a search with Anthem. Back to Anthem....well you get it! Several weeks and phone calls later with various promises, today we were told by Marketplace that our case is still active while Anthem, not yet in system. I want to cry. We did everything right. I need my insurance. My 61 year old husband lost his job in June, his unemployment just ran out. I was refused insurance back in June because I was being treated by an ENT at the time for reflux! Really?! I've always had insurance and my regular preventative exams till now. I have one medication that cannot be refilled by a cardiologist until I come in for yearly exam (which I cannot afford now) My hard working talented spouse has been employed since he was 15. Now he can't get one call back for even the most low paying jobs. Hence early retirement.

 

[Live And Learn]

Maybe this thread will help ?

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f38/attention-anthem-shoppers-in-california-70105.html

 

[ziggy29]

I don't know if this will help (you may have already tried this), but if you go to this site and click the "Indiana" link, it will prompt you for your Marketplace application ID. That might at least tell you whether Anthem even has it in their system...

Anthem

I struggled for nearly three months with the handoff between the federal Marketplace and BCBSTX, and at one point I sounded off on social media (on the BCBSTX Facebook site) and within a day I had the direct line to someone who was able to help us. I don't claim that will be a typical result, but I think it helped us.

Best of luck to you. It's a shame that the rollout of this was so botched in so many ways. Health insurance is supposed to help keep you well, not make you sick from stress and worry...

 

[racy]

8 Places That Do Health Care Better

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/health/131001/global-health-care-systems-obamacare

 

[ziggy29]

8 Places That Do Health Care Better

8 places that do health care better than the US | GlobalPost

[mod hat off]

I believe the OP was asking for help about her insurance situation, not asking for commentary about the system compared to other countries. So unless there's an implied "my suggestion is that you leave the country" here, I don't see how this is offering help or advice and all it does is encourage arguing and political debate where someone was simply asking for help and venting about the frustrations of the implementation of the new health care laws.

 

[scrabbler1]

Try writing to help@anthem.com . I got a reply pretty fast from them although it wasn't very productive. I enrolled through the NY Marketplace in early October and never recieved a premium notice. I finally was told where to send my January payment and received a confirmation of said payment last night but could not print temporary ID cards although I have an ID number. Once you do get into their system, which took more than 8 weeks after I first enrolled, look for an Application Control # which they told me can be used in place of a policy ID until you get one.

 

[ziggy29]

Once you do get into their system, which took more than 8 weeks after I first enrolled, look for an Application Control # which they told me can be used in place of a policy ID until you get one.

It may vary by insurer and state, but in my case, once I started working with my contact at BCBSTX, she was able to use the application IDs generated by the Marketplace. If the data exchange worked properly, that application ID should have been transmitted to the insurer along with the rest of the application and enrollment details.

 

[rbmrtn]

Maybe coincidence but one thing that seems to keep coming is the name Anthem, CA, NY and now IN. And maybe BCBSTX is related ? BCBS in my state did not participate... maybe that was the reason I didn't have any problems

 

[MRG]

It may vary by insurer and state, but in my case, once I started working with my contact at BCBSTX, she was able to use the application IDs generated by the Marketplace. If the data exchange worked properly, that application ID should have been transmitted to the insurer along with the rest of the application and enrollment details.

The application id makes sense, it's how healthcare. gov and the insurance tie your information together.
To the OP, I know Ziggy29 had success going social, a brilliant move. Another member contacted their representative and got things moving. Try both. I'd also ask to speak to the supervisor at either place for assistance. They are on the floors and there to help. If they offer to call back, ask for a committed to time. The one thing to not do is get upset with them, that gives a CSR the right to say you were abusive and hang up.
Best wishes,
MRG

 

[ls99]

To the OP, in addition to the pervious suggestions, a letter to you Congressional rep AND Senator can be very useful. As they do then send a letter requiring fsctual answers.

I had in the past had received prompt and satifactory results many times from balky and unresponsive private and govermental entities. Besides they need to get evidence from constituents on how well the healtcare insuarance system is working or not. A letter to the state's Attorney General won't hurt either. The more the evidence is spread around the better.

 

[Janie52]

Still a nightmare

Today went to Healthcare.gov live chat and explained trouble getting anywhere with BCBS. Were told Marketplace has a qualified health plan number and issuer ID number. The issuer ID is the first five numbers of the qualified health plan number. Now, why Marketplace couldn't have given us that information the first time we called is beyond me! We had to go all the way round the Mulberry bush to find out it was something we had to ask for ..... Anyway, not much use to us as we cannot get Anthem BCBSIN to answer the number we were given (it cuts you off time after time). And the website they gave us where we could set up a payment comes up as "server down at this time". We spent hours on hold with anthem this morning for nothing. So we then got online and sent a plea to our senator and representative. Fat lot of good that will probably do! Never been so stressed and disgusted in my life! Hope to God we don't get sick!