Anyone who’s ever tried knows how hard it can be to communicate with a medical insurance company. By the time you get through and answer all the questions, you forgot what you’ve even called for. Plus, often the answers you get are unsatisfactory. So what do you do? I can offer some information on how to make insurance calls easier.
Brief Reason
Once you get a representative on the line, state a brief reason for your call. It’s best to start off this way so they can get into the correct system and get started on your issue. Now, when I say brief, I mean it. Don’t start off the call with a long, drawn out description, because you’ll just end up repeating it. You also don’t want to jump in with your personal information, because they might not be ready for what you give them. Just a basic reason will do. For example, you could say claims, co-pays or covered services. Try to find a simple reason to open up your call.
Verification
Once you get a reason established, your representative will ask you some informational questions. These may include name, date of birth, member ID, address, phone number, Social Security number or any other personal information. I promise you, they are not asking these questions to bother you or steal your identity. These questions are required under federal privacy laws. Individual verification is for your own protection and to prevent anyone from calling without your knowledge. If the person you are calling about is over the age of 18, the representative may also need to obtain verbal authorization to speak to you on their behalf. Once again, this is not meant to be an inconvenience, instead, a protection of health care information and compliance with federal laws.
Resolution
Your representative will try their best to get you a satisfactory resolution. In fact, you will never find someone that truly does not want your situation to end well. Not only will your problem be solved, but they will have a happy customer. If your issue is fixed, they did their job. However, the person you’re calling doesn’t know everything. They can only work with the information they have available. Try to be understanding if your issue is not resolved the way you would like.
Other Things to Know
One important thing to remember is that the person you’re speaking to is only human. They might make mistakes, they may need extra time and they can’t work miracles. Try to be patient with them. Another thing to know is that you can expedite your call by having a pen and paper available when you call in case you have to write anything down. You should also make sure to have the information you need for your call ready. Lastly, listen carefully to make sure you answer the questions that are asked.
Insurance phone calls can be difficult. But with some preparation and patience, you can have your issue addressed and resolved. By following a basic pathway, your insurance calls will be much less of a headache!