Bad advice from Blue Cross

[Dallemar]

What is the name of your state? California

I was a Blue Cross customer for many years - probably over 10 when I was hired finally by a company that offered insurance. I had a feeling my stay there might only last a few years, so I called up Blue Cross and asked "If I come back, will there be any penalties?" They said, "We'll look at your health at the time and make a determination." With that I left. 3 years later, I called to come back. They ended up charging me 150% of what I was being charged before because 3 years prior (while I was still with Blue Cross) I got a temporary skin condition which (while it totally cleared up) apparently has a five year chance of returning.

Now, this is exactly the kind of thing that I had called to find out before leaving them. So, I finally got ahold of a manager of some sort and told her that I had called and asked if this could happen to which she said simply "They are not acessors, so they couldn't know."

But someone there did tell me they would look at my health at that time, not in the past and not with any assignments of time to illness.

Do I have any legal recourse or do I just accept that I'll be paying $900 / year more for the rest of my life? (and more as I get older)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[cbg]

It is quite common for an insurance carrier to look at not just your health at that exact moment, but also going back several years. I suspect that what the Blue Cross agent meant was, "At the time you wish to come back, we will look at your health generally", not "We will look at what your health is like at the specific time you wish to come back".

I don't see that you have any recourse.