Oakland County, Michigan

A couple in Oakland County discovered they had overpaid by more than $800 after Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan declined to refund the extra payments.

Seeking assistance, they reached out to Local 4 to share their experience.

Local 4 contacted the insurance company, which responded, stating that the issue would be addressed.

“After investigating this member’s complaint, we found it stemmed from a one-time billing error. We’re currently resolving it. A refund check has been issued and will be sent to the member early next week. We apologize for any inconvenience caused,” the statement indicated.

Jim Matt from Waterford shared that he had struggled to discuss the issue until he approached Local 4. He and his wife had been Blue Cross Blue Shield members for several years. In December 2024, they settled their 2024 policy and attempted to pay for their 2025 plan.

Then, Matt received a troubling notification that made, well, his stomach drop.

“They said, ‘You need to pay for your plan.’ I explained that we had already paid on December 10th but they insisted we hadn’t,” he recalled.

It turned out he had inadvertently paid for the 2024 plan instead of the one for 2025.

Thinking it would be a straightforward fix, Matt called the company again.

However, they told him they couldn’t transfer the funds, leading him to explore other options.

They eventually agreed to send a refund check, but Matt consented to be double charged for January and February.

On January 6, 2025, he received the check in the mail, which seemed like a step forward.

“But on the 27th, they stopped processing that check,” he explained.

“And how much was that check?” Local 4’s Kyla Russell asked.

“One month’s premium, $830.09,” Matt replied. “The amount in my account was less than $20. Sure, that may seem small to them, but it really mattered to me.”

Matt disputed the overcharge with Discover, who credited his account. He thought his problems were behind him. Then summer rolled around.

“After paying the premiums for March, April, and May, I got hit with a double bill for July,” he recounted.

In August, he filed a complaint with Blue Cross Blue Shield but waited 30 days without any word or acknowledgment.

He tried calling again but couldn’t connect, so he opted to email. Eventually, they reached out.

“They told me my complaint was dismissed in September. I had no idea,” he said, feeling increasingly frustrated as mid-October approached.

“I called them back, and of course, I didn’t hear from them. I felt completely ghosted,” Matt added.

“I can imagine this is quite frustrating. Can you describe how this made you feel?” Russell asked.

“If I were to rate the company not just on healthcare but also on billing and management, I’d give them a 1 or 2 out of 10,” Matt concluded.