I support Trump's willingness to use Twitter because it represents access-- The ability of Americans to hear from the source, rather than the media and even if you don't like what he says, it shows an interest in America and the Americans he's supposed to represent that's been largely lost in the world of "trending, metrics," and other seemingly scientific names for manipulating reality.
So back to Obamacare and health insurance companies and consumers. With the new looped message that won't allow consumers to bypass the endless corralling of calls by insurance companies by simply pressing 0 or 00 to get through to a person, and the additional levels of getting through the nameless or falsely named individuals who further corral those calls, it can take up to 30 mins or longer to speak to a person who can actually help you.
This is a BARRIER to health care, as real as waiting room times in emergency rooms, or forced hoops of "wellness" exams to get to someone who will (maybe) treat the problem you've sought out help for, or the cost of copays, deductibles and coinsurance that increase our out-of-pocket costs, or the unavailability of appointments that anyone who's had a medical need is well aware of. It's also behind the telemedicine add-on fee that will now in most instances charge you a small fee for basically being told to consult a provider.
So here are a few tips--Use your cell phone even if you've got a house phone so that you can ultimately track how many times you've called and the results of those calls. Consider complaining to your State Insurance Department. Try other numbers and see if they'll connect you through such as calling claims instead of information or even the sales number--companies tend to respond to people looking to buy their product faster than satisfying people who have already purchased it.
Consider contacting the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, NAIC, which on its website lists as a warning sign for consumers that their company may not be legitimately providing insurance: "When a consumer tries to call the insurer to get more details or ask a question, they can’t find a listed phone number, or it is very difficult to get through on the phone," http://www.naic.org/cipr_topics/topic_insurance_fraud.htm.
The prevalence of the problem is simple--insurers don't want claims, they want premiums and technology is helping them discourage people from making claims. Whatever company consumers are dealing with, REACT when you're given the run around because otherwise these "metrics" are often ignored.
