Torrington Resident Faces Robocalls in Health Insurance Search

Roger Huckfeldt from Torrington found himself overwhelmed by robocalls while trying to help his 85-year-old mother switch health insurance providers after UnitedHealthcare announced its departure from Wyoming.

His experience highlights the decline in customer service and the difficulties residents face in navigating the evolving healthcare landscape.

UnitedHealth is just one of several insurers exiting Wyoming’s Advantage health insurance market, influenced by rising healthcare costs, shifts in federal policy, and the ending of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits.

“UnitedHealth sent a letter in October to my mother, informing her that she needed to find a new plan for the new year,” Huckfeldt explained. “We quickly began searching for alternatives.”

He started his journey with assistance from a state advocacy group that helped him understand how to go about purchasing new plans.

“That’s Not My Intention.”

“While we checked government websites, I found them confusing,” he noted. “My mother would have struggled to navigate them.”

He recalled her frustration, “She would’ve just said, ‘I’m not doing this,’ leaving me to step in.”

Even throughout this challenging process, she kept insisting, “You don’t have to do this.” But Huckfeldt was determined to ensure she had coverage.

To find the best plan for her, he consulted various healthcare providers about their experiences and asked friends and family for their recommendations on insurance companies that are easier to work with.

Ultimately, the cost was the primary concern. “My mom is frugal, so we opted for the cheapest plan,” he said. “Navigating the website wasn’t easy, but I had a direct number, so we went with it.”

Same Old Song and Dance

Repetitive phrases like, “We care about you and want your business. Please hold for the next available representative,” became familiar to Huckfeldt during his calls.

He recalled one instance where, after spending over an hour on hold, he finally managed to speak with someone who had a strong accent, prompting him to request a clearer connection to communicate effectively.

“My hearing isn’t great, and the accent was tough for me,” he explained. “But I really didn’t want to disconnect after waiting so long.”

Unfortunately, the new representative couldn’t assist and promised a callback the next day.

“I spent an entire day just trying to get answers, so I thought, I’ll just call again tomorrow,” Huckfeldt recounted.

The following day brought another robocall, which confirmed his identity and requested him to hold for another representative. There was no indication of how long that might take.

“After four and a half hours, someone finally came on the line to explain what we needed. But then I was transferred again, and it felt like we were going in circles,” Huckfeldt said.

Despite his efforts, he couldn’t reach anyone that day, noting, “I spent the whole time on hold, which was exhausting.” Fortunately, he managed to keep multiple phones simultaneously on hold, only hearing the bothersome hold music.

Complicated Rules

At times, Huckfeldt thought about blocking all robocalls completely but recognized the necessity of getting insurance for his mother. He felt it was too important to just give up.

Eventually, after being assured that everything would go smoothly, he signed her up for supplementary drug insurance to cover medication costs. This, however, complicated his options for easily switching insurance providers later.

“She got an exemption to qualify for another plan without needing pre-qualification,” he explained. “Without it, any past medical issues could result in denial of coverage.”

Houston, We Have a Problem

He dedicated a week coordinating with company representatives to gather all necessary items for his mother’s enrollment in a new plan.

Eventually, he reached out to a licensed agent in Wyoming, who should have all the answers.

They confirmed that a letter from United confirming her eligibility to transition to a new health insurance plan was needed.

Huckfeldt promptly took a photo of the letter and emailed it to the agent as instructed.

Shortly thereafter, he received another robocall confirming they had everything necessary for his mother’s coverage. He felt a wave of relief wash over him, thinking the ordeal was finally over.

But that relief was short-lived.

The next week, he received another robocall stating that items were still missing and asking for yet another wait period.

“We’ll be entering the holiday season by then,” Huckfeldt remarked, adding how chaotic things had become with all the delays.

After many hours of persistence, he finally got a live person on the line, only to discover that the photo he had submitted contained an error—it had a slight corner cropped out, which was now a huge issue.

When he asked what to do next, he was told to call back yet again.

“After all that time on hold, I couldn’t believe it,” Huckfeldt said.

A Small Corner Can Stop the World

The following day brought yet another robocall, leaving him disconnected once more. He wasn’t able to speak with anyone until the first Monday of the new year.

When he finally got through, he was informed that the wait time would be over four hours, but again, he was disconnected.

Desperate to connect, he kept both phones waiting but had no luck reaching any representative throughout the day.

Eventually, Huckfeldt managed to speak to a supervisor, who revealed that the cropped document had caused the application delay.

“The missing corner was only tiny, just a couple pencil tips wide,” he noted. Still, they insisted on a new photo that clearly showed the corner, even if it was empty.

At that point, he just wanted to hear the confirmation he was waiting for. “Yes, I have everything. I submitted it, all is well,” was his hopeful request.

But instead, the agent said something that sent a sinking feeling in his stomach.

“We’ll inform your agent about completion,” she said. He immediately reacted, “Please send me an email instead.”

“I don’t typically do that, but…” she began.

“This time, you will,” Huckfeldt insisted, determined to stay informed in case there were any complications with his mother’s coverage.

By that time, he had spent nearly 45 hours on the phone trying to get his mother insured, mostly just on hold.

At that moment, he knew that getting her coverage was the only viable option.

Still Waiting

Huckfeldt is currently waiting to see if everything goes as the representative indicated. His mother’s insurance card should arrive within 7 to 14 business days.

“I’m not sure what will happen if they don’t come through,” he pondered. “What I do know is that the insurance company – based on all the messages I heard during those countless hours – claims, ‘Yes, we want your business.’ But honestly, it feels like there’s no real customer service,” Huckfeldt lamented. “I truly think our country lost the essence of customer service in 2020.”

Huckfeldt is concerned that the increase in automated systems and the spread of remote workers are eroding customer service in America. As a former lawmaker, he finds it troublesome that many jobs seem to be outsourced instead of being available locally.

“There’s no reason a call center couldn’t be set up in Wyoming rather than Florida or the Philippines,” he argued. “Many representatives I spoke to struggled with basic English pronunciation.”

He worries how many other residents are facing similar challenges in seeking new insurance only to give up on coverage entirely.

“While waiting on hold, I made some calls,” he shared, “talking to the governor’s office and the Insurance Commissioner’s office about the issues I was facing.”

“I even reached out to friends and discovered that my frustrating experience wasn’t unique.”

“There are a lot of people just left on hold, never to hear back,” he added.

Silly Season Solutions

With various elections on the horizon, Huckfeldt hopes this issue resonates during the political season.