First we can start with the application process. Completed through their website, including adding my credit card information to have premiums charged. While I received an email stating my application was under review, I was told that I would be notified regarding outcome. This did not happen. Instead, my credit card was charged for the first month's premium a couple of weeks later. Still nothing received in the way of a receipt or (official) confirmation but I figured that taking my money was a sign of policy issuance.
Approx. 2 weeks after my card was charged I received a letter in the mail stating that my premium was past due and if my balance remained unpaid, etc. my policy (of which I still had no confirmation) would be cancelled. However, the letter itself had an account summary at the bottom which said $0.00 was the balance to be paid. Wonderfully conflicting information. Another 2 weeks went by whereby I finally received a large packet in the mail which was my policy.
Within 1 week of receiving the policy, I got yet another past due letter in the mail and this aggrieved me enough to call these people. Having worked many years in the medical billing field closely with insurance companies, this was evidence enough that their system is at best "flawed". I spoke with a woman who told me that my credit card information was not on file. When I inquired about their application process whereby this information was provided, she informed me that they do not have the capabilities of doing that. And yet, I replied, they had charged my card already from my previous supplying of that information. So clearly they had it. Rather than accept the fact of this logic, or even look at their own website, I was informed that I needed to complete a new "authorization" form in order to have my premiums deducted monthly, so I made a payment via phone and jumped through another hoop in order to avoid future issues.
When I asked why this letter stated no premiums had been paid to date, when I had evidence to the contrary on my credit card statement, I was given no answer except that their system was obviously not "updated". Not updated for a month...hmm. Sounds like a smooth running ship.
Premiums were being billed to my credit card for a couple of months (including June 2015) when all of a sudden, I receive yet ANOTHER past due notice in the mail near the end of June This one is saying no premiums have been paid for last month and this month and 2 months are now PAST due. As premiums have been charged to my card every month, and I can verify and prove that, I was annoyed to be getting yet another notice which indicates to me exactly how inept this company's billing department is. I called and spoke with a girl who told me that they had decided to discontinue their automatic billing because they were "changing providers". I received no notification of this and further, HAD already been billed for the current month, so NO, 2 months were NOT due, let alone past due.
When I asked questions concerning their business practices, the lack of notifications to the policyholders, and when the automatic billing would resume, etc. all she would say is "I'm sorry". When told "I'm sorry" is not an answer to any of the questions asked and requested to actually provide an answer, she had none. She wanted to know if I wanted to speak to a supervisor, and I said yes, provided I could obtain information to any of my questions. After being placed on a long hold she got back on the phone and informed me that no one was available and I would be getting a call back within 24 hours.
It took more than 3 days for someone to call me back. The caller contacted me during my working hours and since I was unable to answer the call, left a voicemail, providing no information concerning my previous call and not even a name or title of who was calling, nor a direct callback number. Most useless message ever.
All of this would be absurd enough on its own, but for one thing which really pushes it over the top. I have been receiving notices in the mail to apply to be a member of their Board of Directors to "have my voice heard". What a joke. I have years of experience in insurance billing, the medical field, and accounting, so unlike most people I am not an avid swallower of Obamacare and the nightmare it's unleashed on the whole industry; and yet whoever is running this company clearly doesn't know which end is up. I'd sooner pay the individual penalty than pay this company one more cent.