United American Insurance Company is putting me into Bankrupcy. It was sold to me as a Major Medical Policy. I was lied to! McKinney, Texas
Having never had a major illness in my life yet being uninsured, I searched for Medical coverage that would cover me if anything were to happen. Out of the blue and after having my policy for 6 months I unexpectantly went blind in one eye. I immediately went to my eye doctor who then referred me to a specialist who sent me through Emergency for an MRI as my symptoms reflected the possibilty of having Multiple Sclerosis. This specialist then sent me to yet another specialist and so I began the process of elimination for MS. I must go to yet another Doctor who specializes in MS so I could be treated accordingly. I will also need another MRI before seeing this MS Dr.
Having received my billing statements from the Hospital I discoverd that this insurance company has exhausted my benefits for this condition. Which means I can no longer be compensated for this chronic debilitating disease if it turns out to be thats what I do have. My MRI's is costing me out of pocket $7,660. in which this insurance company only paid around $400.00 towards. I paid my 3rd Doctor out of pocket $475.00 because this insurance company refused to pay anything other than $25.00 and only after my thrid visit to them. Needless to say I only had to go there once to be referred to someone else.
After numerous phone calls to my agent (who no longer goes to the office) and no other agent from the office where this policy was sold has contaced me and after hearing from the Main office how this policy is not a major/medical policy (like it was sold to me as- and I can go use any doctor I wanted) I feel like I have no recourse other to post what is happening to me here so no other consumed is wrangled in by this company. I feel I was lied to and when I do call for an explanation of benefits no one can tell me how I can actually be treated without it costing me an arm and a leg. It is useless coverage and it only makes the Insurance company rich by me paying for premiums in which they only cover $25.00 $50.00 and I'm paying 700 times that much out of pocket.
I have to decide if I want to go into bankrupcy now because I cannot afford to pay for all of this on my own which is why I got insurance in the first place. Last week I did recieve a phone call from UA Partners who told me that they would be sending me forms to fill out so that I do get a guarantee of another 20% to be paid but I have not yet seen the forms and do not trust that they will arrive anytime soon. Now my credit is being ruined although I have contacted my Dr's and the Hospital to tell them that I was checking into this. But with no answers from anyone I am looking for others who feel that an Attorney might just push them to pay up so no one is placed into this situation ever again.
If there is a Class Action Lawsuit against this company I definitly want to be included!! Anyone with information could contact me here for I will be checking back often and I refuse to let this go! As long as I am able to see something done about this I will make sure it gets done. Because I do value my health and I do need more medical attention which at the time I can no longer afford to go and be attended to. Thank You very much United American Insurance Company and to the agent who sold it to me for stealing my money and for decreasing MY LIFE's VALUE!
Maria
Loxahatchee, Florida
U.S.A.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Alexis
Sanford,Florida,
U.S.A.
Read everything you sign!! You signed a consumer form that stated it was not a Major Medical.
#6UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sun, August 05, 2007
I too used to work for UA, and was led down the path to believe in what I was selling. I never misrepresented the product it has up-to amounts and that is what I told my customers.
When a client purchases the product they have to sign a cosumer form that states that the product is not a Major Medical, the policy will not go through underwriting without it. So, unfortunately if you signed that form than it will do you no good to go after the Agent for misrepresentation.
For the most part most of my customers were happy with what I sold them. Only a handful - 6 or so became unhappy with the product and I don't blame them, because UA did not live up to what I was trained to tell them. It will do you no good to report them to your state insurance commissioner as they are regulated in the state of texas and licesed to sell in almost of af the states.
You must report all insurance companies to the state they are regulated in or else you are wasting your time and energy. Insurance commissioners get so many complaints that companies not regulated in their state go to the bottom of the complaint list I am not saying they will not get addressed just not in a timely fashion unless it is a 'Huge Issue' that they in fact are breaking laws.
United American helps a niche market and if the product is sold for what it is and not misrepsented it is a good product. Unfortunately in my experience at UA only about 20 PERCENT OF THE AGENTS TRULY SELL THE PRODUCT FOR WHAT IT IS, which is basically a "Mini Medical" it is not a Major Medical and should never ever ever be sold as such.
I became unhappy with UA because of the time it took to resolve claims issues and for the 6 clients I had that were unhappy I was spending 1-2 days a week in the office doing nothing but dealing with this issues since as an agent we are required to do so.
FYI-Every Health Insurance policy sold in the State of Florida has a 10-day free look policy, so once you get any health Insurance policy look at it closely because you have 10 days to cancel it.
Amy
Ranger,Texas,
U.S.A.
It Pays To Read
#6Consumer Comment
Wed, July 25, 2007
I'm personally sorry to hear of your circumstances. But I have to make a rebuttal in all fairness.
I checked out United American. I went to their website. I looked at their policy brochures. One of UA's standard policy features is that they pay "any doctor, any hospital", and that is true. That feature does not make the policy a "major medical" product.
Every one of UA's limited benefit, hospital/surgical policies has the statement "Limited Benefit, Basic Hospital, Medical (and/or Surgical) Expense Coverage directly on the front of every policy brochure. The coverage is designed to help uninsured/underinsured Americans who can't afford Major Medical Comprehensive coverage for whatever reason - either financial, or because of pre-existing conditions.
UA is one of the few, if not only company that will assist people with pre-existing conditions and not exclude them.
It pays to read and not simply take someone's word - even the agent's word - without proof.
If you wanted Major Medical Coverage you should have gone to a major medical company. United American does not say anything about major medical coverage in any of it's online or printed material.
Paul
San Antonio,Texas,
U.S.A.
Go after the insurance agent
#6Consumer Suggestion
Thu, July 19, 2007
It sounds like you need to go after the insurance agent that sold you the policy. Most licensed insurance agents have "error & omissions" insurance that covers cases like this, if he/she has any. And this is an example of a big Ommission. If I were you I would contact a lawyer.
James
Parma,Ohio,
U.S.A.
A few bad agents
#6UPDATE Employee
Tue, July 10, 2007
As a current employee of UA I am very sad to hear of your situation. Our policies are by no means major medical policies and are designed to cover lower end basics. UA specializes in suplimental policies and our agents are strictly instructed to sell them as nothing more than that. It is a shame that we do have some agents who are more interested in making a sale than figuring out if our products are truely the right move for the client.
Thomas
Anderson,South Carolina,
U.S.A.
THis sounds just like another infamous insurance co.
#6Consumer Comment
Fri, June 22, 2007
We all like to say you should have read your T&C, but these days I am receiving mail solicitations from numerous insurance companies for Medicare supplimental policies and I admit the prose, charts, and tables they provide are confusing. Now I am going to remain with my employer's insurance plans - they are easy to understand and I would have to be an idiot not to - but I still read through the mailings from other insurance companies and *** they *** are *** complicated *** and *** confusing.
I presume your eye doctors rulled out capillary bleeding into the gelatin of your eye? My wife had spontaneous miniscule bleeding into both of her eyes and it reduced her vision to zip for many weeks. The blood slowly cleared and now her eyes are fine. The eye specialist, who counseled a wait-and-see approach, said he had seen this occur in both eyes simultaneously only twice before in his many years of practice. Capillary bleeding into the gelatin of only one eye occurs far more often. Otherwise, Isuggest you research MS on the 'net. Maybe try webmd.