My Worst Call (Sad)

I worked for an American health insurance company.

The second worst calls come from terminal cancer patients. It’s not their faults. They get screwed from every angle by every agency that stands to lose/gain from their suffering.

I got a call from an individual who wasn’t angry that we denied a claim, but was angry about the logistics of American values and Insurance.

Me: Me Them: The Insured

I’ll skip my greeting, and pretending I was sugar sweet. I knew from the jump this would be grim.

I’ll also explain that they had a deductible in the tens of thousands range, 70% after that was covered by insurance, followed by a total out of pocket near 50k.

In spite of the affordable care act, companies who stuck with the same insurance company, and agreed to make no alterations were allowed to keep garbage plans like this.

Them: I’m dying. My money has run out. You have to help me. I have life insurance. I don’t want all that money to go to pay for me to die. I don’t want to die knowing my kids won’t get a college fund.”

Me: “Well, ma’am, the plan you have through your employer says you are responsible for up to 50 thousand dollars out of pocket. That’s a 10k deductible, then, the plan pays 70% of the allowed amounts up to your 50k out of pocket. This is not something we can negotiate. I’m very sorry.”

Them: “Your arbitrary amounts don’t matter. I’ve paid out 200k in the last six months alone for care.”

I checked, she went out of the network, sought experimental treatment, and suffered who knows what other expenses

Me: I’m very sorry. There’s nothing more we can do. The plan is strictly and clearly defined.”

Them: “Fuck you! FUCK YOU! You are awful, disgusting! Hopefully, some day, you’ll meet a beautiful wife. You’ll have kids. Then, my wish, my dying wish, they get cancer one by one! That’s right! Everyone you love dies like me! You’ll end up in the poorhouse. Then, maybe, you can see that your “I’m sorries” will comfort you as much as they comfort me now! ROT IN HELL!” click

I felt pretty shitty.

30 minutes later, I get an IM from a coworker.

“Hey, I’m talking to Them. They said they talked to a rep a little while ago and there was an incident. I checked the notes and saw you said, ‘Them: Unhappy with their plan. Lodged complaint.’ I just wanted to let you know they called again. They want to apologize. They said they said awful things to you that they regrets. They want you to have a full and happy life, and can you forgive them (I’ll say yes either way).”

I typed “yes, 100%”

This was my second worst experience in a call center