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The new owners of a Hospital Plan increased premiums to Associated Group
subscribers nearly 100% over 18 months. Then, they mailed a plain envelope
notice with a 10 day notice to keep your coverage at an 11% cost increase, or
be defaulted to a relatively worthless indemnity plan. The indemnity plan saves
you only $420/month, but is offset by a $500 deductible. This totally benefits
the insurer with no benefit to the insured, if not a near complete loss of
coverage for a year.
Many people missed the notice deadline and now must wait a year for open
enrollment. The main complaint is that the notification, while legal, was
deceptive as the letter was mailed innoccuously with the start date prominent,
but the deadline buried on the reverse side of the letter.
I was extremely busy that part of the month and missed the deadline by one
week, not knowing it until I got a phone call from the hospital telling me I
missed out.
If deception and unjust enrichment are elements of fraud, and fraud vitiates
laws controlling the normally legal notice, . . . and there are no other
hospital systems offering full coverage to self-employed . . . is this a class
action?
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