Aetna insurance-pathetic, inept and staffed by charlatans

Problems with Aetna!   

Yesterday, I had a lovely coversation with a rep at my new insurance carrier. When my employer switched group insurance the new one (Aetna) was supposed to carry over the money paid toward the deductible at the old one.  I’ve been working on getting this to happen for a few weeks.  I faxed the proper documentation to the number they provided me. I called back two weeks later.  The documentation had not been received. I re-faxed.

I called yesterday.  I was told that the documentation had been received.  “But they must not have read your cover letter,” said Louanne the customer service rep, “because they forwarded the information to another department instead of crediting your deductible.”  I asked how I could get the $500 credited so that I wouldn’t have to pay it again.  She told me that she would re-route the request back to the Claims department, since she is not permitted to make changes.

“It seems that your system isn’t working,” I said, “what would you suggest that I do to expedite things.”

“There’s nothing else I can do for you,” she said politely.

“Don’t you think that the system is broken when I do what the Aetna customer reps tell me to do and it’s three weeks later and nothing has happened and you’re telling me that there may be a resolution in seven business days?”

Apparently the Aetna reps are trained to deflect questions, to say that the work is decentralized and not to give out the name of anyone who has any responsibility.  I was testy with Louanne, who is apparently from the south.  When she told me that she had done everything that SHE could, I told her that in fact, I am NOT particularly interested in having the reps be polite and friendly…that ACTUALLY I am interested in getting the matter resolved and that politeness isn’t helpful and that I don’t understand WHY I can’t get ANYONE to help me resolve the problem.  (We northerners want results!)

After I hung up, I went to our Human Resources folks and as I stood in the director’s doorway he said that the needle on his “problemeter” was shaking. They are going to have our company’s group insurance broker look into the problem.  Unfortunately, the benefits manager here isn’t…um…the most motivated person in the world and she’s the one now responsible for helping me.

So, I’m sure the saga will continue for a while.  I find it astounding that no one is ready to accept responsibility or accountability.  They don’t even want to pretend they can help you.  I’d love to see their training courses…Stonewalling 101, Placating 102 and my favorite…Impotence 103.  I’I suspect that I’ll have to contact the state department of consumer affairs in order to resolve this. Such fun I have.

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