Complaint Review: IAB

I was looking for more affordable private health insurance on the internet. Was contacted by Mark Tea from IAB. He gave me a website to look at their benefits package. I chose from a cafeteria style menu what I was interested in. He gave me a price. Then, we did this telephone prompt enrollment. At the prompt for exclusions for pre-existing conditions, I stopped him and he again confirmed that I would not be excluded since I had had no lapse in coverage. He insisted on banking information including the last 4 of my husband's SS number. Before I knew it, our account had been debited not only by IAB but another company called Drs RX ($129.00). Then I got the package, which was not what I had chosen at all. When I called to cancel, I was told to send the membership card in I would be refunded. That refund has only just now taken place (over a month) minus a $100.00 enrollment fee from this Drs RX!! Thank God, I didn't drop my BC/BS.

I called the Florida Insurance Commission to see what I could do to get the $100 back, and was told that since this company was not even licensed to sell insurance in the state of Florida, there was nothing they could do.

These companies are taking tremendous advantage of the health care situation, preying on people who are only looking for affordable health insurance and can't get it due to pre-existing conditions. I'm 58 years old, retired, in relatively good health (except for BP and cholesterol) but am paying $800 month for my premiums. I won't be eligible for Medicare for at least five more years. What are we going to do???

Florida girl
Polk City, Florida
U.S.A.