‘You can’t deny my applications now': Insurance company dodges client's attempts at applying for financial assistance due to costly medical tests; client cleverly finds ways to resubmit application

Author image for Eleonora Bader
Eleonora Bader
Sep 23, 2023 1:00 PM EDT

Insurance companies like to convince us how much we 'need them', promising us a path to the land of milk and honey. The time comes to reap some of those benefits they assured were ours, and then voila, they ghost us, lie to us, or tell us that we are not entitled to said benefits. Sigh, tsk, tsk, cough. Why must we always fight tooth and nail for what is rightfully ours? What are we even paying them for if they end up being no help?

One person took to Reddit, r/maliciouscompliance, explaining how they complied with their insurance company which was definitely trying to play dumb so they could avoid paying them. The story was frustrating to read, maybe because it hit so close to home, and I immediately realized that the company was doing what all insurance companies do… avoid, avoid, avoid.

What happened goes as follows… OP was paying hundreds of dollars out of pocket for medical tests, so they decided to apply for financial assistance with their company, which, by the way, they met the criteria for. The company did everything in its power to pretend they had never gotten an application… scroll down to read exactly how it all ended up playing out. Disclaimer… this is an ongoing issue.

For more, a resident who messed with his neighbor's attempts to install a roof, and ended up getting the worse end of the stick as a result.

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  • 01
    Azure
    via canva
  • 02
    Font - Posted by u/The_silver_sparrow 1 day ago ş Oh, I have to resubmit my application because I never got the notification to give you more info? Alright but I'm making d sure you received it!
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 03
    Font - So just to be clear this is an ongoing issue/compliance so no nice resolution just yet but if folks want I can update when more happens. Also for clarity I live in the US so no universal healthcare and a lot of out of pocket medical expenses.
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 04
    Font - I've had to, on 3 separate occasions had to get different medication tests done (first 2 where blood tests 4 months apart due to different concerns and another for a non- blood test). What I didn't know was that there was significant out of pocket costs for each of these tests (like, almost $300 each time that I wasn't informed of until I got the bill). Well being paid in a high cost of living
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 05
    Font - city because of my career choice on top of student loan payments starting back up and a few unexpected expenses pop up this was going to be hard to pay off. That's when I decided to apply for a financial assistance program through my insurance. Now you would think having such a program would be nice of my insurance, which sounds not even
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 06
    Font - close to Raizer Temporary, and that's what I thought too. So I requested an application, filled it out and mailed it in back in June. Got a confirmation message on my insurance's app that they had gotten the application and to give them 21 business days to review it. I figured "ok, I can wait" and wait I did. And waited, and waited. Finally mid August I figured I'd check up on the application. And after being
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 07
    Font - bounced around in the phone triage I finally got to someone in customer services at insurance that doesn't remotely sound like Pizer Temporary who could give me an answer. Their answer? "Oh we never got your proof of income as requested so we closed out the application" "What request?"
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 08
    Font - "We sent out a letter asking you to submit proof of income but since we never got a response we closed out the application" mind you this is not a request listed in the initial application form nor had I ever gotten a letter or email, call or even smoke signal from them informing me that they needed this info. "But I never got this letter!" "Well we sent it out in July"
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 09
    Font - "But I never got it! Can you guys please resend me this letter and email it to me again and not close out my application? As soon as I get it I'll send you the info (so I would know where to send it/attach it to the email)?" The representative agreed and you would think I get the email and the letter, I submit my paystubs, end of story. Well your wrong because guess what email never came in. Checked and rechecked and was chronically
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 10
    Font - refreshing my email inbox and my junk folder, no email came in. So a few days later I called again. Guess who claimed, again, that they sent the email (which, once again, I never got). Guess who had to call 3 more times in order to get someone to submit the email while I was on the phone with them before I got the ****** email! So I finally got the email, attached my paystubs to the email and sent it back. Surly I'm done now?
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 11
    Font - NOPE! Within a week of doing this I finally got the paper letter requesting the info...one day later I got a paper letter saying because I never sent them my paystubs so they where closing out my application, again! Well as any one at this point, saying I was frustrated and p I would not cover it. Keep in mind I still all this time having to make attempts to pay
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 12
    Font - of my medical bills and it's during this time that the 3rd test had to be done so the bill grew even higher (I was told that this test was covered by my insurance, clearly that was not true). So I call, again, to file a complaint this time and to see what the heck was going on. The duckers claimed I never emailed them back with my paystubs and I would have to reapply!
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 13
    Font - I was even told at one point, in reference to my complaint "I don't know what you are asking me to do?" After I clearly told them why I was upset at this point. So I have to at this point reapply? Ok I'll reapply and make sure this time there is absolutely no way you can say you never got my application. I went and printed off a month's worth of paystubs and printed off 10 copies each. Have to be sure I don't forget
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 14
    Font - those again right? I then printed off ten applications. Filled them all out including recalculating how much out of pocket medical expenses I've had in the last 12 months. Oh, that test I had after I submitted my application the first time? Can't forget to add that. Oh, I had to refill my prescription and had a copay, better include that too! By the end the amount listed was more then $200 more then what it was when I first did the application.
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 15
    Font - Now to make sure they get it! Now that following Monday I went into the post office and asked for 10 stamps and to send something via certified mail. Less then $12 dollars to enact my compliance. Every day for that week a letter (numbered on the envelope) an application went out.
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 16
    Font - The same exact application, signed and dated for the same day, same numbers, the only thing different is the number on the back of the envelope and that on Monday I sent the first one via certified letter. Next Monday rolls around and not a peep from Vizor Temporary. Oh, let's make sure all 5 letters didn't lost in the mail! Another certified letter, 5 more envelopes and applications with all the same information ready to go. Today I finally got a response via email.
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 17
    Font - "Thank you for your application, please allow us 30 days to to review your request." Oh, but this is pretty close to what they said last time, I can't stop sending them in, how will I know for sure they got all the info they needed this time? That is, until they finally approve my application for financial help like they should have done back in July
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 18
    Font - dadarkgtprince. 1 day ago If you were told your insurance would cover the tests, might be worth a call to your insurance company. I used to work in a medical facility, and the billing department would do this on behalf of the facility to have the claim be reconsidered and get a higher payment, but
    via u/dadarkgtprince
  • 19
    Font - sometimes they would have the patients call the insurance if the insurance denied something. 9 times out of 10 the insurance approved it. 10 306 Reply Share The_silver_sparrow OP. 1 day ago I have already, they just said that doctors shouldn't be making claims about if something is covered or
    via u/dadarkgtprince, u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 20
    Font - not and to set up a payment plan and/or apply to their medical financial assistance program which is what lead to this saga in the first place 187 Reply Share
    via u/The_silver_sparrow
  • 21
    Font - Zcognito 20 hr. ago Every state has an insurance regulator - often the "Department of Insurance" or something equally bland. They LIVE for this. Especially if you've kept notes. Call them. Vote Reply Share
    via u/Zcognito

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reviews medication tests expenses letters email tests client medical tests medication medical patient bill insurance company benefits financial assistance application program
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