THEIR RULES, OUR PAIN
Real stories of people trampled by the insurance companies
“I went to the hospital with chest pains and light headedness. I followed the blue ‘Hospital’ signs to the nearest hospital. When I got there, the doctor told me it was a mild inflammation in my rib tissue. I told him it felt deeper. He explained that inflammations in the tissue can ‘take to’ surrounding muscles creating the illusion of a deeper problem. He sent me on my way with Bayer.
“The next day I got a call from the hospital telling me my tests showed my lung was collapsing, and to get there as soon as possible. After arriving, I was told I had to go to a hospital that participated with my insurance plan. I went there and was treated. I recovered nicely.
“A few weeks later I start getting bills from the radiology department and emergency room. I sent them to my insurance company, which denied payment because the services were rendered at a non-plan facility. I was shocked!
“It took months of letter writing and stress to get them to agree to pay those bills, which they only did after I had a lawyer friend write some very firm letters."
Learn more in this week’s Foul Play.
Read other stories in the "Their Rules, Our Pain" archive.
LATEST SCORECARD
Fifty-eight percent of primary care doctors in the U.S. report their patients often have difficulty paying for medications and care, and half of U.S. doctors spend substantial time dealing with restrictions insurance companies place on their patients’ care, according to the 2009 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey.
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Families saw their premiums for job-based health insurance rise to an average of $13,375 annually in 2009, with workers paying an average share of $3,515 and employers paying $9,860.
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