Anthem Blue Cross Customer Service Complaints - page 3

I filed a grievance on a doctor who charged me for services he did not provide. Anthem Blue Cross paid out of my account with my money because of the new high deductible. Anthem Blue Cross customer service reps went through the motion pretending they were helping me when they knew my grievance wasn't getting anywhere. The grievance analyst wrote me a letter saying that the doctor charged correctly and denied my grievance. I'm now convinced of what I read about Anthem Blue Cross, their contracted doctors and hospitals are all in bed together, scratching one another's back, taking our money and splitting among them, laughing all the way to the bank.

Anthem BC/BS thinks nothing of changing the terms and conditions of a contract in the middle of a plan year. In late October, 2015 we were sent a form letter telling us that the company has "partnered" with OrthoNet to "help get you the therapy services you need." Although it was a form letter, signed by a Regional Vice President of Sales (instead of by someone who actually has responsibility for existing contracts/plans), I held onto it. Shortly thereafter, our daughter started experiencing knee problems from a past injury. I dug out the letter, which states "it is probably a good idea to first visit your doctor or specialist to get a treatment plan." Those words concerned me so I called customer (dis)service, as suggested later in the letter. As I had surmised, pre-authorization is now absolutely necessary to get physical therapy visits covered. When I told the representative that "it is probably a good idea to first visit your doctor or specialist" is a misleading way to communicate that pre-authorization is required, he allowed that might be the case. However, he had nothing to say about the fact that Anthem is changing the terms and conditions of the contract in the middle of the plan year. Since our family and my husband's employer are paying for a contract that specifies 20 PT visits per year (without a pre-authorization requirement), this type of change should be illegal. I have complained to the Ohio Department of Insurance and I hope that other plan participants who find themselves in our situation will do the same. Anthem is not to be trusted and as consumers, we have to do our part to make sure they don't get away with mid-plan contract changes and misleading communication.

If I was as bad at my job as everybody I've dealt with at Anthem is at theirs my boss would have me drug out into the street and shot.

Systemic incompetence is the name of the game at Anthem.

I tried to call customer service for the last 3 days and after listening and following the automated instructions I got cut off. Did it several times with the same result. I've had this problem since I started my coverage. It got to the point that I can't take this anymore. I tried to be patient but you can only take so much. . I am retired and I thought I would feel safe getting my own insurance. The visits to the doctor's office were very disappointing. The only issue that she would address was the reason for the visit which the receptionist would force out of you. That it had to be specific. Specific to the point that that's the only thing the doctor would address. No further evaluation was done. I have decided to cancel and right now I'm looking for a better insurance..

i am sitting here with 5 different cards from blue crap , none of the doctors can see me, because blue crap tells me that the doctors ,did not send in their billing account no#, i almost could believe this, but ,5 different doctors in 5 different offices ,dont want to be paid ? or have patients to treat, this excuse smells,!!!!, next 10 cards ,i will send copies to the federal govt, let the federal lawyers figure out what scam this blue crap is pulling

in 2014 my husband and I paid out of our pocket over $11,000 thru my employer for health ins. He was seen by our PCP 2 times in Nov of 2014,no other doctor visits that year, and as of July 2015, they are still "reviewing" the claims. He had emergency surgery in Aug of 2013, so they are now requesting the records from that surgery. The hospital where the surgery was done is charging them for the medical records before they release the records. Anthem just called me and said that my husband will have to pay for the medical records they are requesting! We have been trying since Dec 2014 to get these 2 claims paid! I have had it with them! I have everything documented along with names of supervisors I have talked to at Anthem. I am going to file a complaint with the Virginia Insurance Commission today!! You would think that after paying them $11,000 they could pay for the 2 office visits, that in no way had anything to do with the surgery that was done a year before!!

I have been fighting a claim for 5 months now where the provider is in network. When I call Anthem, everyone assures me they are in network but when the claim goes through, it is processed out of network. Six times in a row and 20 hours on the phone. I am now appealing it just because they can't do their job. It almost seems on purpose for it to still not be corrected.

What an absolutely horrible insurance company!!! I am on the third attempt (a grievance/appeal) because Anthem Blue Cross is denying the benefits for which I pay for every month in the amount of $664.00 (that is only for myself - my husband has to pay $705.00 every month!) How can a so called professional organization be allowed to act this way?! I have even had supervisors yelling at me so loudly on the phone fighting my claim, that I have had to hold the phone a complete arm's length away from my body and still could hear their screaming

Just spoke to someone in tech support and she was VERY rude! I am a professional that works and doesn't deserve to be talked to like a dog! Believe me, it wasn't my "choice" to switch to Anthem that's for sure! Work on your customer service ANTHEM! Take a hint...look at all your negative responses!

When 50% of the staff are sharp and the other 50 are below parr, the CEO needs to drop his salary and get everyone up to speed! My rating applies to 50% of the staff which means 1200% of the company.
Horrible customer service in that good to outstanding customer service should be consistant. As a customer I shouldn't have to hope I get a person who is literate, has enough experience, and self-esteem to say: "I don't know, let me find out." and then go ask the supervisor a question.

If you are in the Affordable Healthcare exchange, and Unless you r other insurance providor options are worse, DO NOT SIGN UP FOR ANTHEM INSURANCE.

They refused to pay for my wife's continues physical therapy after shoulder surgery, after our out of pocket deductible was met. How convenient that her services were warranted up until we had paid $3500 for treatment, then when it became their turn to start paying, her services were no longer warranted. Then our Orthopedic Physician's office tried to contact them EIGHT times, even leaving the physician's personal cell phone number for them to reach the office, but they refused to return their calls. Once, the office was able to get throught and the Physician was placed on hold for 45 minutes, at which point he learned that the person he was holding for had "forgotten" that she had a call on hold and went home for the day! What a bunch of crap! A multi billion dollar corporation who is willing to take my years and years of premiums, but refuse to settle a $1500 physical therapy bill when services are required. They never answer their phones, leaving you on waiting for hours at a time with no answer.

The absolute worst customer service experience ever. I was transfered between two different departments over three times back and forth. Neither of them could help me with what I wanted to know. After THREE HOURS on the phone with them, I asked to speak with a supervisor. Only he could actually (kind of) tell me about what I needed to know.

WORST INSURANCE EVER

Anthem is turning out to be the very WORST Insurance Company in history! They do NOT cover anything. Every Physician of mine has dropped them. Mainly because Anthem will not pay the Drs or facilities what they are being charged. My insurance more then doubled, once the heath law came into effect. Now..I'm having procedures done, and nothing is covered. They do not even cover a patient that NEEDS radiation treatment for cancer. I'm wondering what my 550 a month premium is going towards??? I feel like dropping them, and just paying out of pocket. But now, Ill get fined if I do that. So what exactly is my premium going towards?? Id like to know!!!!

It seems that Anthem Customer Service was designed by a sadist to torture you as fully and completely as a phone call could possibly do this. I feel sorry for the operators working in such a diabolically-poorly-designed system. How it is not rated 803 out of 803 companies is a mystery to me...it must have been that one positive survey out of the 193.

ANTHEM OF VA. denied a MRI to me saying I need therapy within 6 weeks. I had 3 months of therapy and it did little to no good.
I also did therapy for 6 weeks before the first MRI and surgery which made my arm worse than before.
They do not care about people.
6 weeks of therapy is probably more expensive than the MRI.

Tried to verify plan coverage for a specific specialty, person I spoke to continually gave contradicting information and when I repeated asked for it to be researched or clarified was told no. After 20 mins on the call (it should typically take 3 mins) I finally asked to speak with someone else who could better assist me and my non-complicated basic specialty questions. I was told I could be put back in the que and I indicated that was not ok and I'd like to speak to the super visor. I was told her was on another, I asked to hold then was told that he wasn't on a call and just wasn't going to speak to me. I was asked for his supervisor and was told he was out of town. I was getting nowhere with this woman and people kept talking to her in the background telling her things. I pointed out to her multiple time this call was taking too long and I need a reference number so I could follow up on this issue later. She put me on hold of 5+ min just to come back and try to tell me things pertaining to a different specialty and didn't have the reference number for me. At 30 min I pointed out this call was taking way too long and I just wanted super visors names and my call reference number so I could end the call. Finally was able to send the call at 33+ min.

I am trying to get a claim of less then $100 settled & after numerous phone calls- which are difficult due to their poor phone menu- I have filed a complaint with the state board of insurance against Anthem. When I called today to give it one last try & asked to speak to a supervisor because the rep could not even find the issue I was discussing I was out on hold & then told that a Supervisor was not available but if I gave her a number one would call me back within 24-48 hours. I guess the supervisors are too busy calling back all the other dissatisfied customers to even call me back in a timely manner

You need to bring back Provider and Member services back to the United States. The customer service is terrible. The person I talk to kept repeating herself over and over again. I was on the phone with her for 52 minutes and she put me on hold for 25 minutes. These reps are not properly trained. I finally told her to have her supervisor to contact me because I refused to stay on the line any longer.

To Whom it May Concern at Anthem Corporate Headquarters:
I tried to speak with someone at corporate but was directed to a full mail box by your switch board operator at Corporate.

I am calling because of a very disturbing story about Anthem California. This story was portrayed on Fox News. It showed a cute little toddler with spina bifida who was attempting locomotion in a wheelchair that was too small.

The story went on to say that they parents tried to get a wheel chair for their toddler who had outgrown the one that he had. This clearly was a fact as I viewed the toddler dragging himself on the ground.

The parents said that Anthem turned them down on their request for a wheel chair for the growing toddler. The reason given was that the toddler was not independent.

I am writing to you in the hopes that the customer service agent made a mistake, and that amends can be made.

If the customer service agent acted correctly in this denial, I can tell you that Anthem just received nationwide negative public relations.

The parents raised money to buy a proper wheel chair, but it seems to me that some kind of restitution to this child would be appropriate.

This was a terribly upsetting story and I am certain that you have heard from many people.

Sincerely,
Cheryl Onorato

Tbis isn't particular to Anthem but since it happened with them....There are products and services out there that will tell you in advance all of the costs and information when you use their service, but that doesn't seem to happen with health insurance. You go to a provider believing that they are in your plan only to find out later that they are "out of network". The providers don't seem to care because they feel like they'll get paid one way or another regardless of the debt it throws the patient into. I just wish there was something to alert you if you are getting ready to use an out of network provider, sort of like a button on the computer that say "You're getting ready to blah blah, are you sure?" It's very difficult to try to manage your health and then find that your financial health has been hit substantially by a medical bill you weren't expecting.

Was on hold for over an hour before I could even speak to a human after listening to I do not know what as it was entirely in Spanish with no option for language. When I finally talked with a rep, he was very indignant and cut me off.
Absolutely the worst customer service I've ever experienced.

Anthem had been denying my claims for diabetic test strips (!) and so I called them up and get a rep who says she can't look me up because she works at Express Scripts, not Anthem. She then gives me the phone number for Anthem, which is the same one I called in the first place. I tell her this, and she says, "oh yeah, we handle their overflow sometimes", and asks if I'd like to be transferred back (to the same number I called). I ask her if that will get me to who I need to speak with, and she says probably not, it will probably just loop back to Express Scripts again, but to a different tech than her. So basically, I'm just supposed to loop around infinitely until I get lucky and actually get in. So it's a customer service lottery. I'm usually pretty calm about stuff, and understand that bureaucracies can be too big for their own good, but Anthem is in a whole new category with this stuff. This is the first time I can actually say I hate a company. So far, I've been trying for more than a month, with help from my doc and pharmacy, and STILL can't get diabetic test strips. Oh, and I'm on their most expensive Platinum plan too. Seriously considering dropping insurance and just paying out of pocket for everything - would be less stressful and probably cheaper...

Anthem customer serviced is very horrible. It's not helpful no manner and always rude to customer.

Anthem Blue Cross has a broken billing system. I keep getting confusing checks back from them for "underpayments" and then notices of possible cancellation. They don't notify me of any changes in any reasonable time. And worst of all, there is NO ONLINE ACCESS to my account details... I have to go through customer phone support which takes forever and the humans I deal with are confused and ill-informed, and make frequent mistakes. I record the phone calls because I have literally no other way of documenting my account status with them, i.e. payments processed, amount due, etc.

Literally the biggest mistake you can make in picking a health care provider. Their website is something out of the 1990s, they're phone service is the worst kind of "hold until you die" nonsense. Companies that care will tell you how long you'll have to wait, this apathetic company couldn't care less how long you wait...and then...the phone will just cut off and you get to start all over again. It's obvious those in charge of this 3rd world company don't want to upgrade their customer services hoping you'll get frustrated and just go away. That level of service is what you'll get across the board.