Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
Unethical Practice
- 12-13-2013
- 133
I moved to Pennsylvania and had to change my medical insurance provider. I am receive Medicare and was looking to transfer my current Medicare Advantage Plan to one with similar coverage in PA. I spoke with a Highmark health insurance agent, informed her that I receive Medicare Extra Help for premium and prescription coverage. I thought I had been given the important points of the coverage I decided to choose. I was not informed that the coverage would not pay for basic lab/xray cost that are normally covered by Medicare. A few months later, after visiting the doctor and receiving lab work, I received a bill for services rendered. Highmark did not pay for any of the services. I called and spoke to several agents and was misinformed about my options once again. I finally spoke with a resolution agent and was told my coverage did not cover any medical services until a "high" deductible was paid first. The services I received would have been covered by Medicare originally and/or would have been covered by their Value RX plan which Medicare would have covered the premium for. Because I had a Highmark Deductible insurance plan at the time, Medicare could not reimburse me for the services I received. The point of a Medicare Advantage Plan is to receive additional coverage besides Medicare covered service and that is not what I received. Now I have a $350 bill that would have been far less if I had only Medicare Original and had not signed up for a Medicare Advantage Plan with Highmark. Although, I was misinformed on several occasions about several different issues, I was told it was my choice. It is unethical practice to misinform a consumer about services and hold the consumer responsible for the choice he/she made due to this misinformation or withheld information.
Company: Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
Country: USA
Address: 120 5th Avenue Pittsburgh PA 15222
Phone: 4125447000
Site: highmark.com