COBRA Coverage/Cancellations

[Impatiens]

I am in California.

I lost my job in 8/2004 and have been paying COBRA for health insurance (P5 Interplan) and prescription coverage. Almost every month I am "cancelled" for no reason. I make payments every month, 2-3 weeks ahead of time, on the COBRA Web site, which says it takes 24 hours to process the payment. COBRA blames P5 for not having staff to update records on payments. P5 blames COBRA for not notifying them of payment. Twice I have been released from the hospital after major surgeries and have been unable to get my prescribed pain medications and antibiotics because of these cancellations. I have had to go without medications up to 2 weeks while I fight this by phone, month after month. I have had to nearly cancel major surgeries because of this, go without medications for up to two weeks and been forced to make repeated trips to the pharmacy, post surgery, when I'm not even supposed to drive. This has been going on for eight months!! I have exhausted all efforts to resolve this problem with them yet it continues. Should I sue to put a stop to it once and for all? Class action?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[cbg]

Obviously paying on the web site is not working. Do you have other options available to you, such as mailing a check? Then at least you'd have the cancelled check as back up.

Where are you getting a class action out of this?

 

[Impatiens]

The method of payment isn't the problem as I have paid by Web and by check mailed way in advance. It is one of two problems:

1. COBRA not notifying insurance for a month of payment.
2. Insurance (P5) not updating their records on time.

COBRA sends notification of payments once a week to the insurance companies. Therefore it appears the insurance co. is not doing it's job. Is there something I can do about this?

Thanks for your input - much appreciated.

Impatiens

 

[Beth3]

COBRA is not an entity. COBRA stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act and is a federal law that requires employers to extend the opportunity to continue insurance coverage to departing employees and their dependents at the empoyees' cost.

What I suggest you do is contact the employer who is administering the medical plan that you're continuing. If the problem is being caused by the insurance carrier with untimely posting of payments, then it's up to the employer to insist that the insurance carrier rectify the problem as this is the insurance carrier the employer has contracted with to provide group health benefits to their employees.

If you continue to have these same problems, then contact the federal Department of Labor and your State's Office of the Insurance Commissioner and see if they will assist you.

 

[Impatiens]

COBRA is not an entity. COBRA stands for Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act and is a federal law that requires employers to extend the opportunity to continue insurance coverage to departing employees and their dependents at the empoyees' cost.

What I suggest you do is contact the employer who is administering the medical plan that you're continuing. If the problem is being caused by the insurance carrier with untimely posting of payments, then it's up to the employer to insist that the insurance carrier rectify the problem as this is the insurance carrier the employer has contracted with to provide group health benefits to their employees.

If you continue to have these same problems, then contact the federal Department of Labor and your State's Office of the Insurance Commissioner and see if they will assist you.

Beth, Thanks much for the info. I'll definitely use the info you provided!

Impatiens