As Donald Trump would say, "you're fired". After due and careful consideration I have decided to eliminate offering for sale any Anthem Blue Cross HIPAA or underwritten individual & family coverage plans after today. This was not an easy decision to make. I will of course continue to service existing clients.
Over the last month or so (and off and on over the last several years), Anthem Blue Cross of California has demonstrated erratic, inconsistent, irregular and unfathomable enrollment procedures for those trying to get coverage under HIPAA. I have met with nothing but arrogance, extreme resistance and a level of rudeness that I find unacceptable. No one who needs medical care and medications, who may be ill, should be waiting many weeks and enduring the level of stress that Anthem Blue Cross creates during these enrollments. Enrollers don't read the documents provided, ask for documents they already have, enroll one person without the document they are requiring from another person, and the list goes on. I have complained to the CA Dept of Insurance, but, unlike the DMHC, it basically falls on deaf ears.
And now they have re-instituted a HIPAA enrollment process that could easily gap people's coverage by 30 days or more.
Add to this the fact that Anthem Blue Cross CA currently has 80% of their individual product portfolio blacked out (since 9/22 BTW) with no date in sight for approvals and there really is nothing to sell for them anyway.
An agent friend of mine recently told me he did ONE HIPAA enrollment and it was a 'complete nightmare'. He is primarily selling Medicare products and this case was off of his normal business mode. I asked him which carrier it was with. He told me, 'Anthem' and he'd never do one again, 'even if his life depended on it'.
The irony is that Anthem Blue Cross CA excels in the small group arena, the direct opposite of the individual side of the house. I have asked, 'why is it that HIPAA is so evil to you but if I AB1672 qualify them for small group (also guaranteed-issue), no on has a complaint?'. I'll let you know if I ever get an answer to that question.
I have come to the conclusion that, since we have two BCBS Association licensees in California, and since Blue Shield CA has a simplified HIPAA enrollment (very easy), a good selection of health plans which are actually available for sale today (and they still actually sell to children) and actually wants to help me help my clients, it is a natural decision to move that way.
For those who are already Anthem Blue Cross subscribers, you are with a good carrier and I will of course continue to be your servicing agent. I just won't sell any new plans to individuals & families (HIPAA or otherwise) with Anthem Blue Cross going forward. I will continue with Anthem for group cases as they offer excellent opportunities for small groups.
This has been a very tough decision. I have stuggled with it for the last three weeks. I just can not take the stress of dealing with Anthem Blue Cross CA's individual side anymore. Especially when it comes to HIPAA.
Over the last month or so (and off and on over the last several years), Anthem Blue Cross of California has demonstrated erratic, inconsistent, irregular and unfathomable enrollment procedures for those trying to get coverage under HIPAA. I have met with nothing but arrogance, extreme resistance and a level of rudeness that I find unacceptable. No one who needs medical care and medications, who may be ill, should be waiting many weeks and enduring the level of stress that Anthem Blue Cross creates during these enrollments. Enrollers don't read the documents provided, ask for documents they already have, enroll one person without the document they are requiring from another person, and the list goes on. I have complained to the CA Dept of Insurance, but, unlike the DMHC, it basically falls on deaf ears.
And now they have re-instituted a HIPAA enrollment process that could easily gap people's coverage by 30 days or more.
Add to this the fact that Anthem Blue Cross CA currently has 80% of their individual product portfolio blacked out (since 9/22 BTW) with no date in sight for approvals and there really is nothing to sell for them anyway.
An agent friend of mine recently told me he did ONE HIPAA enrollment and it was a 'complete nightmare'. He is primarily selling Medicare products and this case was off of his normal business mode. I asked him which carrier it was with. He told me, 'Anthem' and he'd never do one again, 'even if his life depended on it'.
The irony is that Anthem Blue Cross CA excels in the small group arena, the direct opposite of the individual side of the house. I have asked, 'why is it that HIPAA is so evil to you but if I AB1672 qualify them for small group (also guaranteed-issue), no on has a complaint?'. I'll let you know if I ever get an answer to that question.
I have come to the conclusion that, since we have two BCBS Association licensees in California, and since Blue Shield CA has a simplified HIPAA enrollment (very easy), a good selection of health plans which are actually available for sale today (and they still actually sell to children) and actually wants to help me help my clients, it is a natural decision to move that way.
For those who are already Anthem Blue Cross subscribers, you are with a good carrier and I will of course continue to be your servicing agent. I just won't sell any new plans to individuals & families (HIPAA or otherwise) with Anthem Blue Cross going forward. I will continue with Anthem for group cases as they offer excellent opportunities for small groups.
This has been a very tough decision. I have stuggled with it for the last three weeks. I just can not take the stress of dealing with Anthem Blue Cross CA's individual side anymore. Especially when it comes to HIPAA.
