Crazy high rates
I’ve been with the same health insurance company for years now, since about 2002. My premiums were about $250/month, with a decent deductible and a low co-pay as well. I was pretty happy with the service, and it kept my parents from nagging me about getting insurance. So it worked on different levels.
Then, in 2005, I tried to add my wife to plan and include maternity coverage as well. Adding her raised my premiums to $582/month which was astonishing, but women need to go to the doctor more, so I was fine with that. This year, as we are possibly trying to have a child, I called to make sure that the policy included the maternity coverage as requested.
It did not and there was no way to add it. After speaking to a few people at our insurance company, I got them to allow me to add the coverage as long as it was backdated to the time she joined the policy and pay the past premiums. I said fine and send me a quote as to what the cost would be. Keep in mind, I assumed that the $582/month already included maternity coverage on it, so I wasn’t expecting a huge increase or bill. Maybe a few thousand dollars in back premiums and $100 or so per month extra at worst.
So I open my mail the other day, and I get this letter from Assurant Health.
This letter is to advise you that if you were to add the Maternity Rider effective December 15, 2005 the total amount due would be $11,206.58.
….
We apologize for the amount of time it took to respond to your correspondence.
I omitted the boring part of how they broke down how they came across the figure. I liked how they apologized for how long it took to get back to me; they should have been apologizing for trying to pass this off as a reasonable amount to pay. $11,000 ? Assuming you have a child without insurance, it costs between $10,000 and $20,000 or so. So, I’m almost half paid off anyways. What’s the point of this insurance? Really?
So I placed a call to Assurant Health and talked to someone on the policy holders’ line. I asked her what, on top of that $11,000, would happen to my monthly premiums if I went ahead and paid. She said my premiums would go from $500 per month to $1200 per month. I was flummoxed and asked if she thought $1200/month was reasonable for 2 people, in their early 30’s, non-smokers, no health problems, etc. She said that she has seen higher. That was helpful. She asked if there was anything else she could do to help. Other than pay off that $11,000 pill and not rape me for $1200 per month, not really.
I called around just a few moments ago and reached Blue Cross/Blue Shield. I’ve heard of them of course. So I talk to someone on the phone and they said there is some “Plan 3″ policy (or something like that) that’d cost me $313/month plus $100 (or $50, depending on the deductible) for maternity coverage. For both of us. Hmm. $413 compared to $1200. That’s a tough choice there.
Obviously, I’ll do more calling around before I make a commitment, but $1200 is crazy. $413 is quite pallitable.
While on the phone with Assurant Health (I’d already contacted BCBS as this point) and told her that BCBS quoted me $413 for the same coverage, if not a little better. She said that was possible, new business is cheaper than existing business. That’s completely contrary to every business model I’ve ever heard about it. It’s supposedly much cheaper to keep an existing customer than get a new one. Weird.
Anyways, Assurant Health sucks. If it wasn’t apparent to me before, it is now.
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Dave Hutchison on November 6th, 2007
Actually you often can get better rates switching health insurance polices every few years to a new carrier.
That is because they can only increase your premium so much based on your original health conditions. As the policy ages your Group is aging and getting more health problems. The company is locked into providing your coverage (unless it drops an entire state or class).
If you apply to a new company and are still in great health, you should be able to get less expensive coverage.
Health like all insurance should be for catastrophic events not for normal medical costs in my view. I have always had $5000 deductible policies and never spend more than $200/yr on costs since luckily I have been very health (at age 60). But I use insurance only as “insurance” not a pre paid health plan.
Brian on December 29th, 2007
Actually Assurant Health was sold in 2005 so the company is much better now. The rate you got from Blue Cross was the QUOTED rate. Did you make sure to double check whether or not that rate included maternity?
The reason I ask is that most insurance companies are about the same. I’ve been an agent for more than a decade and they look at what each other is doing and make their rates and plans based on what others are doing.
I did not know that you could get an Assurant plan with maternity coverage. I know that in my state, your BCBS coverage would cost close to 1000/mo if you added maternity coverage and were completely healthy otherwise.
I’m not saying you don’t have a point. I’m just saying that things are different. Quoted rates are rarely final rates, though it is a good idea to shop around. Good luck.
lorien1973 on December 30th, 2007
Yep. The price includes maternity. I’ve gotten written confirmation of that. 419 was the total.
I know it was sold or changed its name to Time Insurance; I just know it was Assurant Health.
chris on January 3rd, 2008
Assurant Health does suck and lie! I bought a policy after seeing the TV ad if not satisfied in 30 days money back. Brian sold it to me. I cancelled in 6 days as my doctors would not accept the insurance. Funny the company did not get the e-mail or letter for 2 weeks after I sent. Thank God AOL dates the e-mails. They are stating i used it after it as cancelled. I contacted the Attorney General and State Insurance Com. to report the fraud from advertising as I am disabled and a senior citizen. I will sue for my refund as I think they do what they want to do to keep the money.
Assurant on February 23rd, 2008
All the insurance companies must follow federal and state regulations. There are extremely hefty fines if insurance company breaks any of the rules set by the government. Recently Blue Shield of California was forced to pay $12.6 million for breaking some rules. When it comes to getting money back from the insurance company it is a law for them to give you %100 refund in first 10 days of you receiving your policy. If you have used that plan in that case they will only refund their difference of what you have paid and what they have paid.
Chris Chanowski on March 15th, 2008
Always buy health insurance from a independent broker who you can build a relationship with and not a direct sale with any insurance company. Have the broker look at your health needs on a year to year basis. It is always advisable since the marketplace changes every 6 months. The broker as a consultant/advisor should recommend changes if necessary and do what is best for the client. If you buy directly from a company, the company is looking out for its best interest, not the customer’s.
debbie on April 5th, 2008
assurant insurance just turned down our daughter surgery for a simple masctomy and this was on an appeal.guess now we will have to go to our congressman again that is how we got her appeal and threw state farm is quite upset at assurant.
Mark on April 17th, 2008
Assurant’s business model is to troll for the powerless, take their money, and then dump them when any claims start coming in. See this: http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/insurance/2007-01-28-insurance-1a-usat_x.htm
and this: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/24/cbsnews_investigates/main2850054.shtml
joanne murphy on April 17th, 2008
Your experience and those who responded point to the deeper issue of how broken our health care/ protection industry and services are today. Think about that when you decide which candidates to support in this and other elections, whether state or national. We have to start somewhere. (P.S. I think you meant palatable.) I hope you have a nice family and don’t raise your kids to be desensitized to common words like “suck” and well-known others. Yes, I know, I know…….Raise the bar, folks.
david the insurance man on August 5th, 2008
Few people realize that they can hire a claims adjuster and bring the insurance companies to their knees. These people are called Public Adjusters, and what they are are people that know all of the ins and outs of the insurance business. They know just how far they can go in settling a claim. They take about 7-9% of the claim. Attorneys will charge you 30% of the claim. A public adjuster will build a case and then use the arbitration clause in the contract, and insurance regulation, to get you your fair claim resolved. Look in the yellow pages. Insurance claim adjusters hate seeing another adjuster on the other side!
Sharon on August 6th, 2008
In Okla. Public Adjusters only work on property & casualty claims, not health claims. There is no licensing for a health adjuster and if an agent argues too much on a health claim, the company will pull your appointment! We need “Assigned Risk” health insurance just as we have in property & casualty & we need a commissioner that will stop allowing the outrageous increases on individual health policies.
Josh on August 13th, 2008
STAY AWAY FROM ASSURANT. THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF. NO INSURANCE IS BETTER THAN ASSURANT.
Adam on September 9th, 2008
What concerns me in all of the diatribe that has preceeded here is the complete lack of responsibility anyone seems to be assuming.
First in a country where the commerce and society are geared to self serving aggrandizement, it is folly to believe that any policy maker will be able to promulgate a universal plan where neighbors will agree to pool resources to pay for another neighbors health dilemmas. Such a plan is doomed to failure.
Second, all of these plans — even the reissues where one adds provisions, riders and additional benefits post-enrollment — come with certificates that clearly detail the limitations and exclusions. In my experience, insureds never, ever read them, relying instead on the assurances (no pun intended) of the person who sold them the plan. If the plan is being misrepresented on the front end, how can one expect that it will be sufficient on the back end? If we have learned nothing from the age of technology, it’s garbage in and garbage out.
Moreover, who sends an email to cancel insurance without making a phone call to confirm the written instructions? As a health insurance advocate here in California, I work for my clients. However, even I would find such behavior reprehensible. It is imperative that all business — true, grown up business — be done in writing and confirmed by telephone.
Maternity coverage is the most expensive in the arena of health insurance because maternity and pregnancies are fraught with the most peril available in the health care industry. I personally known several OB/GYN practitioners who no longer accept pregnant patients because the cost of malpractice coverage exceeds their means.
My recommendation is to always read your policy. Read everything that comes from the insurance company and compare it to what you were promised and told. To do otherwise is irresponsible.
marcharino on September 26th, 2008
People don’t realize that as an uninsured individual seeking health care on a cash basis that there are mechanisms in place for negotiation of one’s health care. Paying for your care with cash can have its up side. Now I understand that having a baby delivered can be outrageously expensive, but I can’t help but wonder how much it would cost to just have the baby with a mid-wife, and pay an Ob-Gyn physician to make a house call! I also must wonder how far almost $12,000 would take one in a pregnancy anyway on a per diem basis with a birthing center, not to mention the additional $800 per month during the gestation period (another $7,200 or so)… how much farther would $20,000 that take an expectant mother in the birthing-delivery process?
Dan on December 1st, 2008
As an agent for Assurant, I just ran 2 quotes, a $1000 ded. 80/20 plan with maternity (by the way, Assurant’s maternity is one of the best in the industry with a 12 month wait on delivery)with a $2500 deductible (you pay the maternity deductible and then Assurant pays 100% of all maternity related expenses)and the cost was $531. If you buy the $5000 ded 100% plan that comes with a 24 month rate guarantee, your cost would be $379 including maternity. As a few others already suggested, self insure yourself for the minor cost, and insure yourself for the unforeseen. That’s what insurance is for. This company is a A rated health insurance provider that’s been around for over 100 years. They haven’t obtained this rating and maintained their longevity by cheating people.
Rachel on December 5th, 2008
My problem with Assurant does not have to do with maternity, but will probably end up costing me about the equivalent of having a child. I have carried a RightStart policy for three years now, paying about $100/month in premiums. I am a healthy 26 year old female. When I sat down with my insurance agent to get this policy, I told him my needs. I work full time but my company does not offer insurance, I don’t mind a $1,000 deductible, and I am looking for good hospital coverage in case of emergency. I recently had to have thyroid surgery (totally unexpected, a growth came out of nowhere). Prior to surgery, I went in to the insurance office to figure out exactly what I would be out of pocket. I like to plan ahead financially! She assured me it would be $3,000… $1,000 for the deductible and another $2,000 for the network out-of-pocket. I told her this would probably be a pricey procedure, and from what I had read on the website and my generic policy sheet, they cover “100%” of outpatient surgery. I even traveled to another town to have the surgery (as opposed to the hospital my father works at) to stay in-network (another thing Assurant Health customers must be very careful about!) Later I was to find out that they cover not 100% of all charges, but 100% of your outpatient max. What I had yet to hear from anyone (at any point) was the term “outpatient max.” Most hospital procedures done these days are outpatient, be it a minor surgery, broken bone, minor illness… I just got slammed today with over $8,000 in charges for this surgery. Apparently, my plan has a $2,500 “outpatient max.” I called my agent and he said you have the option when signing up of a $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, or $25,000 max. I was never given a choice. I wasn’t even told I had this “max.” When I told him that, he said “well, $2,500 is Assurant’s default option, so it automatically set you up on that.” I was blindsided. I think I’m still in shock. Although I work full time, I can’t afford this. I have paid over $3,600 into this policy to have it cover $2,500 of my expenses. People need to know they have an Outpatient maximum per calendar year, and be told exactly what that means. I’m not sure who to blame here. It’s too late to do anything about these charges, but I can tell you I am no longer doing business with Assurant Health nor my insurance agent once this has all been settled. The health insurance I was paying for was actually nothing in disguise!
Joe on January 6th, 2009
I got Assurant Health covereage 1 year ago today along with Group Health Insurance. A month into the policy my wife was diagnosed with cancer (honest to god unbeknown to us when we signed up with these policies). Group Health reviewed ALL of our history records and covered her stem cell transplant. Assurant STONE WALLED us, the doctors, everyone! Did not respond to how they were going to pay for over 4 months, then denied EVERYTHING while still taking our monthly insurance payments. Out of $500,000 of bills, they covered a $138.00 bill!!!! Seriously!
They are the WORST, MOST CRIMINAL COMPANY, I have ever had the unfortunate pleasure of coming across. NEVER EVER BUY FROM ASSURANT. You may think it is a low price and a good deal now. Only when you run into a catastrophy will you find out how evil this company really is!
Assurantone on February 4th, 2009
Assurant is great only get the one deductible plan and add suite solutions. This gives you 100percent coverage for all accidents with a deductible of $250…. Be sure to check maximums for all out patient and inpatient needs. Even for prescriptions. Also if you get anything ridered uh ohhhh that’s trouble sometimes.
Kayl on March 12th, 2009
I have assurant as well and when I first signed up I had maternity added. Last year, after having the policy over a year, I got pregnant. They then told me “oh we will only cover anything over $10,000. So I ended up paying every cost of my pregnancy and labor…even tough I have been paying a higher monthly premium to the company since the beginning. To top that off, I added my new baby a few days after birth and now 4 months later I am getting her doc bills saying she has a waiting period with the insurance.
Mike on March 13th, 2009
I have had Assurant for a year now. Our family has gone to the doctor’s office 4 times so far and I am over $8700.00 is debt to Assurant. They cover nothing they say they will cover. I am going back to Blue Cross. See ya.
Mike on March 13th, 2009
I have had Assurant for a year now. Our family has gone to the doctor’s office 4 times so far and I am over $8700.00 in debt to Assurant. They cover nothing they say they will cover. I am going back to Blue Cross. See ya.
joyce hultgren on March 24th, 2009
I purchased a private policy with Assurant because our bi weekly premiums increased from $68 to $338 when included on my husband’s group policy. Assurant’s policy was affordable, but came with a pre-existing condition clause resulting from a previous illness requiring antibiotics. If I had a 24 mo. period of non-intervention for this condition, Assurant would remove the clause. 5 mos. before the 24 mo. period I had an acute incident relating to the pre-x clause resulting in 2 wks hospitalization, surgery, & $65k+ in bills. During the hospitalization, my PCP ordered costly tests separate from the pre-existing diagnosis. Assurant denied all claims. Not disputing the pre-existing diagnosis, I carved out the charges (3k) for the separate tests. My appeal was denied 4 times before I received 50% of the $3k only after I filed a complaint with the Tx Dept of Ins. I took out a home equity loan and negotated with all providers, who would not give me the same discount they would give Assurant
Sandy on April 3rd, 2009
You’ve gotta know that pre-existing medical conditions are not covered by medical insurance. Just like a pre-existing fender-bend is not covered by auto insurance.
Wise up America! Buy medical insurance for just-in-CASE something awful happens! That’s what insurance is for.
What you guys want is PRE-PAID HEALTHCARE….pre-paid by everyone else! If that’s what you want, write to Obama & he’ll deliver it to you….along with an IRS bill that will exceed your wildest dreams!
Jeff H. on April 25th, 2009
As a licensed agent in the state of FL, I can probably count on one hand the amount of times that a client wanted me to explain the policy to them in detail. Everyone is in such a big hurry to do whatever the heck they are doing, but cannot spend an extra 15 MINUTES looking into one of the most important dcisions in their lives. Everyone always asks me how much, whats the deductible and can I go to my OBGYN. They never want to hear anything else since they have to get little Susie to her gymnastics class etc etc….. If you have NO children and want insurance, get a high deductible plan if you feel as though you are in good health. Also, look into getting a critical illness policy in the event you suffer a stroke, heart attack, develop cancer ETC…. BOTTOM LINE, KNOW WHAT YOU ARE PURCHASING AND YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO GO TO THESE SITES AND COMPLAIN. ANOTHER WORDS - ASK QUESTIONS TO YOUR AGENT, THATS WHY WE TRY TO HELP. PLEASE ALLOW US!!!!! I feel more frustrated than some of the frustrated consumers on this site. Do not blame ANYONE but yourselves. Sandy from April 3rd is correct, if we did a poll of all the moaners here, the vast majority would be Democrats. I wish America would go back to the old days when you had to take responsibilty for your OWN actions. We are too needy and tend to blame others all the time. SIGNED - My Hand Is Not Out Looking For Handouts, Are Yours?
robert bollinger on May 1st, 2009
I have been looking at various web sights trying to find which insurance to buy for my wife. And Jeff H., you are an ass. Why would the vast majority of complaints be from Democrats? You say you are an Agent, well let me tell you Jeff H. Not all agents tell you the truth when you ask. We just had an agent come to the house from Mega Life and when the policy came we found that the agent lied through his teeth. I said to my wife didn’t I ask him about 10 different things about the policy and just about everything I ask him about he answered, problem is NONE of these things I asked about was like he said. So you see Jeff Not all agents are like you say YOU are. And yes Jeff I am a Democrat, you smart ass
lorien1973 on May 1st, 2009
I’m not a democrat. If you actually read my post, Jeff, this is a 100% accurate story of what happened. The behavior of this company was totally unjustified.
I’m much happier with BC/BS now that I’ve switched. I know I’m covered. I’ve no problems with anything at all - though, still I pay more in insurance than I get out of it.
But glad this topic is getting some good feedback. From either side of the aisle
Anna Olympia on June 20th, 2009
WOW it is so enlightening reading all this. ASSURANT? I am anything but assured about you.
Some people really are without morals and do evil things.
Thou shalt not steal was supposed to be the very first rule for all of us.
I see very clearly NOT to buy from Assurant, but it still leaves me in a dilemma as to how to afford to pay lots money every month for costs that may never materialize.
We need a not-for-profit system, instead of greedy rats skimming the cream off the top!