Thursday, January 9, 2014

Solicitation on Mental Health Line

Progress, not perfection.  I almost lost it with the insurance company yesterday. I was following up on the problem I described in MP 1/7/14.

I called the Behavior Health company that handles my insurance company's MH benefits and I spoke with a woman who said she would submit an inquiry to the Eligibility Department to determine if their system showed I had coverage. (I had already determined through my main ins co that, indeed, I did.) She would call me back.

Two hours later, having not heard from the customer service representative, I called the BH company again. To my surprise, I was met with a series of questions. Was anyone in my household over 50? Did anyone own a car? And on and on. "Congratulations!" I was told. I qualified for a special offer selected especially for me. A gentleman came on the line to tell me that I qualified for a great deal on car insurance. WTF?

I told him in no uncertain terms, that I was not interested in their product and that I wanted to speak with my insurance company. He persisted. Again I stated my request. He persisted. I told him that I needed to speak with my insurance company and would he please connect me with them. "I am just trying to offer you a very good deal..."  I. Want. To. Speak. With. My. Insurance. Company. Please. Transfer. Me. He told me he didn't have any way to do that. WTF?

I called again, yes, using the same correct phone number from the back of my insurance card. I thought perhaps if I answered all the questions in the negative, I wouldn't "qualify" and would get through. "For no, press 2." I did, over and over. "Congratulations!" the auto-voice announced, "you qualify...." Click.

Yes, I called a third time but didn't get the qualification questions. Instead, "You have won a trip to Florida!"

On the verge of tears, burning in anger and feeling a helpless despair, I despondently saw another therapy failure heading my way. This time, not because of me, my issues and incompatible therapists, but because the insurance company was making it impossible for me to navigate the system. (Kind of like trying to navigate Windows 8.)

I decided that my main insurance company needed to get involved since the BH company was contracted by them to provide this benefit. A sweet little girl (she sounded like a little girl) helped me out and she was wonderful. She got thru to the BH company and stayed on the line while I was transferred from department to department. Finally, they acknowledged I had coverage. The sweet little girl said she would hang up as the eligibility issue had been resolved..

Still on the phone with BH, I attempted to resolve a billing issue. "Oh, you'll have to talk with another department for that." I swear, if I could have changed myself to electrical impulses, I would have gone straight through the phone line and electrocuted that agent on the other end.

I texted T to let her know that the eligibility issue had been resolved and told her of my experience on the phone.  Becoming worked up again as I related the tale, I wrote, "OK, now I'm crying anyway."

Her response to me: "Something good came from this experience! Some tears flowed!"
You've done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination. -Ralph Marston
Hang in there -

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