Chicago Suburbs Woman Shocked by Nearly $300K in Medical Bills After Health Insurance Withdrawal: What You Need to Know

Jacci Andersen, a woman from the suburbs, faced a shocking surprise: nearly $300,000 in medical bills. This hefty amount stemmed from issues after switching her health insurance.

Andersen shared her struggle with NBC 5 Responds, showing binders stuffed with hundreds of medical bills and communications from her doctors and insurance companies. One binder, about four inches thick, contained all her back-and-forth with United Healthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield.

For years, United Healthcare had covered nearly $300,000 in medical claims for Andersen. But in February 2024, everything changed when they retracted those payments. Suddenly, she was inundated with bills from various doctors.

“I get probably 10 bills a day, and sometimes up to 50 a week,” Andersen said. The chaos began after she moved back to Illinois from Arkansas. Her Arkansas insurance only worked in that state, but once in Illinois, she thought her claims would be covered by her new United Healthcare plan.

Initially, her claims were approved. But everything turned upside down when United Healthcare found out about her Arkansas plan. They informed Andersen that Blue Cross Blue Shield was still considered her primary insurance unless she canceled it. This left her with a monumental task: she had to reach out to each provider to have them resubmit their charges to Blue Cross Blue Shield. Once denied, she could then send them to United Healthcare for payment.

Andersen was left dealing with over 200 claims. United Healthcare acknowledged the situation, stating they were working with her to help process the claims under her new plan. However, as of the report’s publication, there were no further updates from them.

Andersen has spent more than 100 hours trying to sort out this billing nightmare. Fortunately, she estimates that only 65 of her claims are still unresolved.

This isn’t just an isolated case. A survey from the non-profit KFF highlights a bigger problem within the health insurance sector. It found that nearly half of insured adults faced issues with their insurance and could not satisfactorily resolve them. In fact, 28% reported they ended up paying more for services than they originally expected due to these problems.

Here are some tips to help avoid such issues:

• If you switch health insurance, contact your old company to close your policy.
• Ensure your doctors have your current insurance information.
• Keep all documentation organized and don’t hesitate to reach out for help if issues arise.