my phone conversation with united health care.

[DesertFlower]

this is the 3rd time in 2 months that a claim was not paid. the reason. "*Remark Code 39: We Will Need A Copy Of The Medicare Summary Notice Before Your Claim Can Be Processed." i have medicare part A which covers hospitals -- not doctors.

so i called like i did the other 2 times. i explained the situation again. he said he would send the information to the claims department. of course, i had to explain to him that i don't have medicare part B. i asked how i can avoid this problem in the future. his answer. give my medicare card to the doctor. let them process the claim through medicare. when it's denied they'll notify united. i said "first of all the doctors know that medicare part A does not cover them and they might not even copy the card. it says on the card "hospital benefits only". if they do it's extra work for the billing department and for medicare and that costs money". he said "how will it cost them money?". i said "they'll be taking time away from other work that they need to do". he didn't understand this.

i got off the phone and said out loud. Jesus H. Christ. this is one of the most stupid things i've ever heard.

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Wow, I'm totally lost.

p.s. - capital letters are designed for the aid of communication, for the benefit of one's readers

[DesertFlower]

4. sorry. when i started using a computer many

years ago, i started typing in lower case. don't know why, but now it's just the way i write.

[tyedyeto]

9. At least she uses punctuation

A person on another board I frequent uses all lower case and no periods, commas or question marks. Not a soul has ever called her out for her writing 'style'. But then the board is a fun one and not political, religious or otherwise divided on subjects. So the other posters are tolerant of her 'style'.

[stuball111]

11. Yeah... there's some real critics here at times....n/t

[DesertFlower]

14. she may not know how to punctuate.

i have 2 friends on facebook who cannot spell or punctuate. makes me wonder about our education system.

[tyedyeto]

21. True

Although she is older (70's, I believe) so there may also be a vision factor as well.

What I was trying to point out is that there are places on the internet where tolerance of bad spelling, grammar, etc. is accepted and posters aren't chided for the way in which they type their posts.

[DesertFlower]

22. this was the first time i was chided

for typing in lower case. some people type in all upper case.

[WillieW]

24. If English is not your mother language, then one would have trouble - like me. .

[Gman]

2. Somehow I don't think healthcare reform will necessarily fix this type of customer service

That's a training issue for UHC.

[rfranklin]

3. Single payer would fix it in a flash....

There would be only one procedure for billing.

[Critters2]

6. +1 nt

[stuball111]

5. Kinda shows the mindset of private insurance

And proof that we need single payer, single administration, and single billing.... once for each claim.... not twenty...and BTW, I had no problem reading this without caps..I was taught to read with or without them:hi:

[DesertFlower]

8. that's my thought. i was tempted to ask

him how he feels about his CEO making over $400,000 an hour.

[stuball111]

10. While he makes minimum wage.......n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. Next time, throw that little statistic in for fun.

:evilgrin:

[endless october]

7. sounds like a good argument for single payer. n/t

[onlyadream]

13. That is so rediculously stupid!

Maybe you should give them a copy of your car insurance too, just in case. UGH.

I keep getting this: I get denied a claim b/c they need to know that I don't have any other insurance (even though I have stated so when registering). So, I call, they mark it so that NOW they know (and it shouldn't happen again). Well, it does - over and over.

[DesertFlower]

16. i just looked up my coordination of benefits.

it clearly says that i only have medicare part A. i guess the claims people don't know what is covered and what is not with medicare. United obviously has not trained them properly. every time this happens it's more work for United because they have to re-process the claim.

[handmade34]

15. before I cancelled my BCBS

every claim for myself (or kids)resulted in payment delayed due to BCBS "needing" some additional information, signature, form, etc. All just stall tactics... I will nevermore give money to an insurance company

[Delphinus]

17. You sure about that - not giving money

to an insurance company? If Congress mandates health insurance, like car insurance, that might be an issue.

[handmade34]

23. yup, I'm sure

[DesertFlower]

18. i'm tempted to just get the medicare part B,

but hubby's insurance is less expensive and the coverage is better. that's why i don't understand why there is so much opposition to the public option. it's all about choice. if the insurance company is doing it's job and the premiums are not out of line, they have nothing to worry about.

[clydefrand]

19. Was your united health care given as your PRIMARY

insurance at the doctor's office? If you gave them your medicare card, it automatically goes to medicare first, and since you don't have part B, they turn it down, which then united is consided seconary, and won't cover what medicare did not cover. Tell you doctor(s) that united helth is you PRIMARY insurance. Only give your medicare to hospitals that you might have to go to.

[DesertFlower]

20. i've never given my medicare card to

any of my doctors. i always give them my united card.

a few months ago i went to the hospital emergency room. i probably should have given them my medicare card. don't know if it would have been covered. it cost me almost $700 because my deductible had not been satisfied.