Complaint Review: HEALTH NET

I became unemployed and therefore lost my health insurance late 2000.

Watching TV, I saw advertisements for individual coverage offered by Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Kaiser and HEALTH NET.
First I applied for Blue Cross. I was honest and marked that I ...used tobacco ( I was age 49 ).

I was not accepted by Blue Cross because I was a smoker. Same story from Kaiser.

n November, 2000 I applied to HEALTH NET and was accepted ( I also indicated to them I was a smoker ).
The deal was they would bill me monthly for my premium of $164.00.

All went well -- they sent the bill and I PAID IT until May, 2001 when no bill arrived ( I never used the insurance nor made any claims ).

Because no bill came, I called them TWICE AND EMAILED them TWICE in June 2001.
Their response was...."It's in the mail."
Between November 2000 and May 2001 I had sent the crooks $990.00.

They then ignored me and I ignored them for a year ( silly me -- I thought they would straighten out the problem ).

In May 2002, I get a letter stating my coverage had ceased a year ago. I called to ask WHY and was told it was because of non payment of the premium.

The next month they sent me a bill for 2 months coverage!!
I have two theories why this FIASCO happened.

1) After their advertising campaign, they had received many applications and signed up everybody regardless of risk or health condition.

Eventually, a trained analyst came across my application and recommended I not be insured by HEALTH NET because I was over 50 years old and a smoker. So they just stopped billing me and hid away.

2) They [ HEALTH NET ] are simply INCOMPETENT.

HEALTH NET of California RIPPED ME OFF for almost $1,000.00

They have left me without any health insurance and I am a THOUSAND DOLLARS POORER.

I PLAN TO SUE THEM in SMALL CLAIMS COURT and a registered letter I sent to them of my plan and dissatisfaction with them was answered saying: We will not return your premiums so sue us.

OK, I WILL.

Edward
Alhambra, California