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pstokely Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 01:55 PM
Original message
Blue Cross of KC mistakenly deducts premiums twice from some customers’ accounts Read more: http://
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/09/2863250/blue-cross-of-kc-mistakenly-deducts.html

Blue Cross of KC mistakenly deducts premiums twice from some customers’ accounts
By DIANE STAFFORD
The Kansas City Star

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City erroneously deducted about 21,000 customers’ May health insurance premiums twice from their bank accounts, the insurer said Monday.

The insurer has worked with area banks to restore funds to about 7,500 of the customers and expects to have all of the double deductions fixed by May 12, according to spokeswoman Sue Johnson.

Johnson said most of the insurer’s 1 million customers weren’t affected by the human error, which was discovered late last week.
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drm604 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 02:02 PM
Response to Original message
1. You know what? I've been irritated that my insurance plan didn't allow me to pay this way.
They still require me to write and mail them a paper check. Like it's the stoneage!

This story makes me think that at least I'm safe from accidental double premiums. So maybe having to write that check isn't such a bad thing.
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1monster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 03:36 PM
Response to Reply #1
15. I paid that way for sixteen years until my insurance company decided to
leave the state for "business reasons." I was never double billed. Their is no excuse for double billing. If the insurance company made such an "error" the bank should catch it.

The customers are not only due a refund, but they are also due a monetary settlement from both the insurance company and their banks to cover the costs of having other debits denied for "non-sufficient funds," and for the stress that having a large premium temporarily "borrowed" from their accounts.
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SecularMotion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 02:03 PM
Response to Original message
2. This is the danger of choosing auto-pay
I always pay my bills manually, on my schedule.
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cbdo2007 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 02:04 PM
Response to Original message
3. So, what company doesn't make mistakes? Obviously they've corrected it so....
what's the big deal?
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SecularMotion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 02:07 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. You may have missed this quote when reading the article
“It might mean a delay in buying groceries,” Stokely said, adding the “generous offer to cover overdraft fees does nothing for these people.”
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cbdo2007 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 02:15 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. What else do you expect them to do? Give everyone $500 until the payment
gets there?

hahaha, this happens to companies all the time. I've had plenty of companies overcharge me and they have NOT agreed to pay overdraft fees...EVER...so give BCBS some credit here.
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Gormy Cuss Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 02:23 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. How about refund the money on the same business day that they were made aware of the error?
Electronic banking is clever that way.
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cbdo2007 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 02:55 PM
Response to Reply #6
10. hahaha, oh right. It's soooo easy!!
hahaha hahahaha

Yep, all they have to do is hit the "undo" button!! hahahaha hah hahahaha. Absolutely NO investigation and analysis needed!!! hahaha hahahahahaha
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Gormy Cuss Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 07:31 PM
Response to Reply #10
20. Why yes, it's just that easy if they have competent accountants and programmers.
Why would they need to investigate and analyze AFTER they've determined that two premiums were taken but BEFORE they issued a refund? Oh right, because God forbid that an error is made in favor of the policy holder.
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SecularMotion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 02:23 PM
Response to Reply #5
7. I'd expect them to use extra precautions when withdrawing money from customer's bank accounts
But if you think it's funny that some customers went hungry because Blue Cross emptied their bank accounts, go on and have a laugh.

:eyes:

You would be very foolish to continue doing business with any companies that would not reimburse you for overdraft fees caused by their error.
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cbdo2007 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 02:53 PM
Response to Reply #7
9. oh please....no one "went hungry" due to this mistake
If anything they take it up with their own HR department who is responsible for the employees best interest.

I'm laughing at the people here who will take any cheap shot at a health insurance company whenever one comes along.
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SecularMotion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 03:06 PM
Response to Reply #9
11. You really need to work on those empathy skills
and thanks for protecting the image of the poor, abused health insurance companies.

:crazy:
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cbdo2007 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 03:17 PM
Response to Reply #11
13. My viewpoint on the world is much too realistic to worry about empathy.
Edited on Tue May-10-11 03:17 PM by cbdo2007
Let's hope you never make a mistake that affects other people.
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SecularMotion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 03:24 PM
Response to Reply #13
14. I think you meant to say psychopathic, not realistic. nt
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Name removed Donating Member (0 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 04:08 PM
Response to Reply #13
16. Deleted message
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cbdo2007 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 04:38 PM
Response to Reply #16
18. Right....DU is only for perfectionists. Hadn't noticed. Thanks for the heads up!
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Name removed Donating Member (0 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 04:44 PM
Response to Reply #18
19. Deleted message
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trackfan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 02:31 PM
Response to Original message
8. Anthem/Blue Cross here in CA doesn't seem to have much of an accounting dept.
- at least as far as their billing system is concerned. My bill has been convolutedly screwed up on several occasions, with mistakes going in both directions. Luckily, I don't have any automatic payment mechanism set up.
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Lint Head Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 03:13 PM
Response to Original message
12. BCBS of South Carolina, NC, MIchigan, Virginia among other BCBS affiliates
are being prosecuted for price fixing and antitrust violations by the Department of Justice right now.
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ladywnch Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-10-11 04:24 PM
Response to Original message
17. this happened to me several years ago here in Colorado.
I don't remember if it was BC/BS or not....I think it was....the ended up causing me to bounce a bunch of checks......they refunded the overcharge/double dip AND paid all the bounce fees I incurred.
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