Hey I understand. Sometimes you really need the money. You have to work this soul-sucking job until things get better and get out of there as soon as possible. But maybe you can do some good even if the door slams on your way out?
Reddit user jthememeking shared the story of how they were fed up with their health insurance job and right before they quit, they were just approving every insurance claim they received.
More info: Reddit
Denying health insurance claims to people who desperately need medical care has to be up there with some of the most grueling jobs
Image Credits: Mikhail Nilov (not the real photo)
The poster was a 19 year old working at a health insurance company approving or denying claims
Image credits: jthememeking
Image Credits: Oregon Department of Transportation (not the actual photo)
With insurance companies looking to save wherever they can, the poster had a miserable time at work
Image credits: jthememeking
About to quit and fed up with the job after being reprimanded, they retaliated by simply approving every claim they got
Jthememeking was 19 years old at the time and was working for a health insurance company where most of their work was rejecting insurance claims. It’s a good thing we don’t use pseudonyms at work though, imagine having your claim rejected by the king of memes himself.
Doctors made calls and were usually turned away, while doctors went above and beyond the call of duty to get their patients the care they needed.
Understandably, they hated their time there, felt burned out, and dreaded having to say no to someone who just needed medicine again.
So when they were putting in their 2 weeks and being reprimanded for being slow, they would just approve every single request they got, totaling more than 50 by the end of their time there.
To get more insight into the story, Bored panda reached out to jthememeking and asked them a few questions, which they kindly answered.
The poster told us that they are not in a top level position that requires a permit or anything – they are one of many workers who come and go. Due to the nature of the work, turnover was very high. “From my training class, I was one of the last to leave. During my stay there, more came and went,” they said.
If you didn’t know, insurance companies are required to have a doctor review these cases. There was a doctor on site at all times, but the OP and other staff like them would do the examination. The doctor would sign whatever they decided without talking or reviewing the decision.
When doctors called to find out who was making these changes, they had the option of being directed to a supervisor who, not surprisingly, was also not a medical professional but had the authority to consult with the doctor. “But it’s very difficult to actually talk to a doctor if you call us,” the poster concludes.
Image Credits: David Hilowitz (not the actual photo)
“I feel like you have to be a certain type of person to work there long term. The people who have been working there for more than a few years seem so detached from what they are doing,” OP said when asked if there are people who would stay on the job for a long time.
The job did have some advantages, as they usually helped and guided physicians with matters involving prior authorizations (PAs). “The best times were when there was a simple solution,” OP says. These would be the times when a procedure or drug is not in the BCP. “I was happy to help when I could.”
According to the comments, the OP would understandably get a lot of doctors and pharmacists angry at them, sometimes even giving them some tips and tricks to get their claims approved more easily. Once management caught them doing it, it was over.
According to WorldAtlasThe United States remains the only country in the developed world without universal health care, with about 10 percent of people without any health insurance coverage, according to 2022 Reports. This applies to around 27 million people who face much greater difficulties in getting help if they need medical care.
And for those in the States with coverage, the American Association for Justice (AAJ) publishes a report titled “Tricks of the Trade: How Insurance Companies Deny, Delay, Confuse and Deny.”
The report is incredibly scathing, trying to expose the shady practices of insurers. “Some of America’s best-known insurance companies—the same ones that spend billions on advertising to earn your trust—have tried to deny claims, delay payments, confuse consumers with incomprehensible insurance statements, and retroactively deny anyone, which could cost them money.”
This is recommended reading from us, but what I’d like to focus on is the closing statement of the report, which was also spoken by the OP in a comment. “And above all, don’t give up: insurance companies are counting on you to give up. Fight for your rights.”
The OP’s story just blew up, garnering almost 13,000 upvotes and about 700 comments from passionate readers who shared their own insurance woes. Share your own stories, happy or sad, about working with insurance providers in the comments below!
Commenters shared disappointing stories about their own insurances