The quest for the missing insurance ID cards
During the last open enrollment period at work, I switched health insurance plans. Same provider, but a plan that ought to save me some money and hassle compared to my previous plan.
Now, it just so happens that I need to use my insurance for a routine procedure today, and I haven't gotten a new ID card. No worries, I think, I can just go to the Aetna site and print out an ID card. So, I log in, click the link that says "ID card", and get a message saying, "Sorry, we can't show your ID card right now, try again later."
I give Aetna a call, and go through the automated phone tree until I get something about ID cards. And it says, "You don't need your ID card to access benefits, but if you want one, you can log into your account on the website and print out one." Um. Well, let's try again. I log back in, and the link in the header that says "ID card" is gone. Can't find a link to ID cards anywhere.
Well, maybe they're serious about not needing an ID card. But...how does that work? Every medical provider I've seen in the past n years has asked for my insurance card before almost anything else. Even if I don't have to show them a physical card, surely I need to tell them something besides, "Uh, I have Aetna, and I don't know my plan number or group number or any of that shit because it is all on the ID card that I don't have."
I call Aetna back and get a human being and say, "This is probably a really stupid question, but I haven't gotten my new insurance cards and your phone system says I don't need them but I literally don't understand how I use my insurance without them. Halp?"
Nice human being doesn't seem to have a clue how one uses one insurance without a card, but she puts in a request to have cards sent, and tells me that if I download the Aetna app, I should be able to access my card. Or, you know, I can log into the website and print one.
So, I log back into the website one more time for giggles, and now the ENTIRE HEADER is gone. Never mind. I get the app, it displays my card with no problem, and even allows me to save it to my Apple wallet so that it is theoretically no longer at the mercy of Aetna IT.
This new plan is probably still going to save me money, but I'm not so sure about the hassle.
This entry was originally posted at https://wshaffer.dreamwidth.org/363795.html. You can comment here or there.
Now, it just so happens that I need to use my insurance for a routine procedure today, and I haven't gotten a new ID card. No worries, I think, I can just go to the Aetna site and print out an ID card. So, I log in, click the link that says "ID card", and get a message saying, "Sorry, we can't show your ID card right now, try again later."
I give Aetna a call, and go through the automated phone tree until I get something about ID cards. And it says, "You don't need your ID card to access benefits, but if you want one, you can log into your account on the website and print out one." Um. Well, let's try again. I log back in, and the link in the header that says "ID card" is gone. Can't find a link to ID cards anywhere.
Well, maybe they're serious about not needing an ID card. But...how does that work? Every medical provider I've seen in the past n years has asked for my insurance card before almost anything else. Even if I don't have to show them a physical card, surely I need to tell them something besides, "Uh, I have Aetna, and I don't know my plan number or group number or any of that shit because it is all on the ID card that I don't have."
I call Aetna back and get a human being and say, "This is probably a really stupid question, but I haven't gotten my new insurance cards and your phone system says I don't need them but I literally don't understand how I use my insurance without them. Halp?"
Nice human being doesn't seem to have a clue how one uses one insurance without a card, but she puts in a request to have cards sent, and tells me that if I download the Aetna app, I should be able to access my card. Or, you know, I can log into the website and print one.
So, I log back into the website one more time for giggles, and now the ENTIRE HEADER is gone. Never mind. I get the app, it displays my card with no problem, and even allows me to save it to my Apple wallet so that it is theoretically no longer at the mercy of Aetna IT.
This new plan is probably still going to save me money, but I'm not so sure about the hassle.
This entry was originally posted at https://wshaffer.dreamwidth.org/363795.html. You can comment here or there.