conspiracy theories

“ … Paranoia strikes deep 

Into your life it will creep..."

Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield), 1966

 

We have been aware of conspiracy theories since the early 1990’s that insurance companies engage in deliberate campaigns of errors and confusion entrapping you into a termination or retroactive termination of your policy for expensive chronic diseases like MS. Time, money, paperwork, and human resources are on their side in this war of attrition

 

I am not a big fan of conspiracy theories but have to admit that the paperwork of Patti's medical insurance has taken bizarre and ominous turns since last Summer

 

One month after she was approved for Medicaid I entered the Twilight Zone when her private insurance was suddenly and without notice or explanation ‘retroactively terminated’ back almost 5 years.

 

I have spent a full-time, part-time job ever since and continuing today on the phone, writing letters, returning forms, searching records, etc. That original incident took over 3 months to resolve and almost another 6 weeks to restore. (A mistake, of course.) That incident was like a stone thrown into a pond of problems that continue to ripple across related areas. That incident triggered an avalanche within Medicare that has become bigger than the original. Private insurance is at least staffed by professionals. Dealing with Medicare challenges the very core of your sanity.

 

This chapter should be closed. Ironically Patti is no longer legally responsible as she is on Medicaid. The scary part is that all the problems involve retroactive medical bills of Patti’s, some as far back as 12 years.  … and guess what? Because we are married I am responsible for Patti’s medical bills prior to Medicaid, no one else not even Patti. <grin>

 

NEVER prior to last Summer was there ever even a question about a medical bill. NEVER even one was ever resubmitted. I want to believe this is just a coincidence of nightmares, and I will wake up.

 

I separated this from the yearly summary insurance post because I do not believe this is what happens to most people.  I think we are just kind of special <grin>.