Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Cognitive Pollution & Aetna Health Insurance

Yep, I'm naming names in this case. Once again I found myself unsheathing my sword in the healthcare field. Take that, and that you smarmy fools. How dare I laugh when it seems so absurd. And with that she hung up. Ok, I digress as I so often do.

I was attempting to get a straight answer and firm price I would have to pay for being seen by a specialist "out" of the network. The way it works is the insurance companies tell the doctors what they will pay them and then tell the consumers that it is the "reasonable and customary" amount doctors in the area charge which in reality is a complete lie.
Oh, and then they take 10% off the top, or as they put it "pay 90%" and even then won't quote exact amounts. So I laughed and she got bent out of shape and hung up. So I'm buying something without knowing the cost. Gosh, just like the government. So simple to me.

But it's her I'm worried about. From the second she answered I could tell she was stressed. I gathered up all my happiness and tried hard to get through. Try to take it lightly, I said, when she mentioned how many calls she had to put through. I tried hard to help her see the levity in the entire situation. It's even funny to me that she works for a health care insurance agency and they are subjecting her to life-stealing stress. Seems to me it's all so meaningless, just numbers and lies, no time for the truth. Yeah, I laughed out loud and she'd had enough. Oh, and I called back 2 more times to get more information, mentioned this fact and was told the 4 supervisors were busy and would call me back. An exceedingly sweet southern woman did and I figured out what it all comes down to. Words. The words that they use, are meant to confuse. Gosh, I hope I don't laugh.

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