Health insurance suspended!

[Chirimoya]

We have private medical insurance plan through a local professional association. It has served us reasonably well over the years.

However, as of Wednesday our insurance cover was suspended even though we are up to date with our payments, apparently because some other affiliates in the plan have not paid and the association has not been able to pay the ARS.

Unless they manage to resolve it in a matter of days this has serious implications, because even if we were to take out a new health insurance plan right now (at 5 or 10 times the current cost) we would not be covered for the first couple of months or whatever is usual for the cover to "kick in" - or is this just the case for non-urgent procedures?

Does the association or the ARS have any obligation to people like us who have paid? What, if anything, can we do?

Whatever happens I think we should get ourselves another insurance plan immediately. Even if this problem is resolved, the fact that it could happen again is a risk that is not worth taking.

[Bob K]

Can you tell us what association you have your insurance through so we might be able to tell if we are effected as well. Ours is through the International Residence club.

thanks

Bob K

[Chirimoya]

No, it's a professional association based in the capital.

[Bob K]

I guess that is good for me and bad for you. Thanks for the information. I do hope it works out. I know from personal experience that dealing with insurance companies can be impossible.

Bob K

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by Chirimoya

We have private medical insurance plan through a local professional association. It has served us reasonably well over the years.

However, as of Wednesday our insurance cover was suspended even though we are up to date with our payments, apparently because some other affiliates in the plan have not paid and the association has not been able to pay the ARS.

Unless they manage to resolve it in a matter of days this has serious implications, because even if we were to take out a new health insurance plan right now (at 5 or 10 times the current cost) we would not be covered for the first couple of months or whatever is usual for the cover to "kick in" - or is this just the case for non-urgent procedures?

Does the association or the ARS have any obligation to people like us who have paid? What, if anything, can we do?

Whatever happens I think we should get ourselves another insurance plan immediately. Even if this problem is resolved, the fact that it could happen again is a risk that is not worth taking.

If the group you are with neglects to pay on time, the coverage is suspended without warning. It's happened to me twice over the past few years. Both times, I was at the clinic and had to pay cash. Forget any claim. Worst yet, a few years ago when I had my heart attack, the insurance company did not want to pay. The suggested that i pay and claim it back from them. Yea sure, I paid and they went bankrupt, so I got stuck with the bill.

[Lambada]

Cientos de periodistas están sin seguro médico

Cientos de periodistas están sin seguro médico

Cientos de periodistas no tienen seguro médico - DiarioLibre.com

[Chirimoya]

I was just commenting to Mr C that I was surprised that it hadn't made the news. So many journalists and so much passivity - until now.

[Chirimoya]

Interesting that the official line is that the reason for the debt is that the CDP/IPP is not getting the mandatory quota from the media outlets, when Mr C was told again and again that it was because about 20% of affiliates had not paid their heavily-subsidised annual health insurance quota.

In any case we're outta there. They can stick it up their ARS.