Fortis Health Insurance

Firstly I already contacted NBC to bring these issues to someone's attention. I have been a student at Fortis since last March 2010. I was nominated as Vice President of student council and have a cumulative GPA of 3.7. I wanted to get this out there. I am not a disgruntled failure trying to create a stink for my own shortcomings, rather I am a 37 year old mother of two who has been unemployed since 2009. I went to Fortis as a career change and the hopes of a brighter future for me and my family.

Starting with the school not properly being run (no books, no schedule,no grades,no supplies for paying students) are just a few absurdities students had to deal with. We paid for classes taught by inadequate instructors who might of had "DR." in front of their name but taught classes that when students had a question they couldn't furbish an answer. The faculty who knew their stuff were laid off. The faculty members who helped our students and produced results both inside and outside class were let go.

The faculty who "taught" were let go. Faculty members were scolded when students were failing, failing because they weren't studying. So our lovely administration lowered the passing grade from a 70 to a 60. Students are getting away from excessive absenteeism. Students are given classes without an instructor teaching. Our financial aid pays for this? How can you allow students to pass just for the almighty dollar and sleep at night knowing they are out in the medical world taking care of lives, clueless!

I was supposed to graduate on May 2011 and because I took a mod off, my graduation is postponed to July or August. Because they aren't offering the classes I need at this time. Meanwhile I have been complaining for over a month to put me in a class which was offered so I can finish on time, but my cries produced promises that weren't kept. There is so much that I can still write but I will give those details up to any attorney interested in filing a class action lawsuit.

This school is a complete waste of time and money. With rare exceptions, they are staffed by personnel who promise the world and deliver nothing. One year after graduating with my 'highest honor' degree, I have absolutely nothing to show for it except for the student loan bills in the daily mail. Their 'placement' staff (which changes weekly) couldn't care less about helping you to secure employment. Consider yourself lucky if they find it worthy of their time to even return your telephone calls. Same old story - once they get your money, you're on your own.

when I asked these questions and demanded answers I was thrown out of the program but they are still trying to make me pay for the year i was there with out proper teachers and I am not able to sit for the boards because there is still 3 months left of classes/ I can not transfer any of the credits so I have not gotten anything and the want me to pay. I have wasted a year of my life in this school because even if I was to have finished we would not have been able to sit for the boards because we were not taught by board certified teachers. They want 30,000 and I have spent at least 3000 on books uniforms and a laptop with all of the books downloaded

I switched my health coverage from Anthem BlueCross/Blue Shield to Fortis on July 11,2003. The coverage was for $7,000,000 lifetime limit and coverages subject to only that $7,000,000 limit. The original monthly cost was $382/month. I had no claims or significant interaction of any kind with Fortis until I received a letter dated November 11,2004. That letter said "we appreciate the opportunity to upgrade your existing Medical Insurance contract."

I had not requested any "upgrade" but they informed me that the old policy was being replaced with a new one. The cost of the insurance went up to $449/month. I winced but filed the new contract and got on with life.

On June 27, 2006, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. It was a long 4 months of biopsies and tests. Shortly before my first chemo was scheduled (approx July 14) I was informed by the oncologist's office that my coverage was already beyond my $10,000 annual outpatient limit. I was astonished since I was unaware that there were any annual cost restrictions. When I checked my new contract, I found that it was one of several "upgrades" to my new policy that Fortis had neglected to tell me about.

They also changed my $7,000,000 lifetime limit to $2,000,000 and put an annual restriction on in-patient expense to $250,000/yr. When I checked my old policy limits, neither outpatient or inpatient was restricted by any annual amount.

The $10,000 outpatient limit effectively denies coverage for the treatment of my cancer.

The guy who sold me the policy is no longer with GT Benefits. The guy who replaced him , who I never met, is no longer with GT Benefits. When I contacted GT Benefits directly, I talked with a person named Julie. I asked her if this was a mistake or intentional degradation of my coverage. She said that it was the coverage that I had applied for. I told her I had applied for $7,000,000 in coverage with no annual restrictions not $2,000, 000 with in patient and out patient annual restrictions. The new policy with its new coverages was sent to me NOT AT MY REQUEST but totally at the behest of the Insurance company. She said she was sorry but there was nothing she could do.

I asked to speak to the owner, Ron Gadinzski but he has refused to call and made himself unavailable when I have called on several occasions. I did not log the dates but it was in the July 8,9,10 , 2006 time frame. On August 1st, I filed a complaint with the Ohio Department of Insurance via internet email.

By changing those limits they intentionally left me without coverage for financially catastrophic medical illness. This was no accident, they wrote a letter to deceive me into not checking the major changes they made in my coverage. As a result I have to pay for the huge cost of treatment and follow up for my cancer. This is just FRAUD. I was 53 almost 54 when I got the notice of the impending upgrade in my coverage. I am sure many other fifty-something customers got the same upgrade. Only those unlucky enough to get cancer find out how that upgrade works. I don't know if this has a legal name but I called FRAUD.

I am facing inexcess of $30,000 in chemotherapy and other medical cost this year and who knows what in the future. If the lymphoma reappears in the future, I face the same dilemna over again. I'm sure I'm not the only 50-something guy that this insurance comany has done this to. There have to be thousands out there in my circumstance.

My husband and I have insurance through Fortis Insurance for the past year and a half. My husband went to the doctor for a pain in his back. Through testing, the doctors felt it necessary to operate to correct the problem. The day before the surgery, I personally called the insurance company and verified that everything had been approved and that everything was in line. I also checked on the total out-of-pocket expense, knowing that he would be out of work for a few months. This all took place in January 2005.

In April 2005 I received a letter stating that our insurance policy was being rescinded. The reason? As in the other complaints that I have read, the insurance company claims that our application was filled out inaccurately. How convenient that they never looked into any of this before a claim was filed. After many calls where I was verbally attacked, and without any help, I contacted the Insurance commissioner. I was directed to file a letter of appeal.

I mailed the letter the end of April 2005. I still am waiting for any type of response from them. I called the insurance company to check on the status of my appeal and have received many conflicting stories. I have heard that they have received the letter, they have not received the letter, the address that I mailed it to doesn't exist, I need to call the medical underwriting department, I need to call the claims and benefits department, etc. Now I can't even get a call back from anyone.

I have paid all of the original stated out-of-pocket expenses that I was originally supposed to pay. Fortunately, everyone else has been very cooperative due to the fact that they have seen this before and know that this is just the insurance company's way out of accepting responsibility. All of the doctors, including the surgeon, have stated that the insurance company is wrong and have offered their assistance in this matter.

I purchased a short-term heatlh ins policy from Robert White State Farm Ins agency in Stuart FL last November. I paid my premiums, went to a doctor in Dec, claim was not paid, then ended up in the hospital for possible food poisoning, which resulted in numerous tests, and the hospital wanted me to be admitted but since Fortis had not paid the 1st office visit I signed out into the care of my brother over concern about my coverage. After having CT scan of brain in the ER and the it was strongly recommended MRI and MRA of brain as a concerned was raised that I may have had a mini stroke.

It took until yesterday when I received a letter from Fortis, rescinding my whole coverage for a vague explanation. They say I answered "no" to had I been to a doctor in past 5 years for a garden variety of issues. I don't recall that, I know that I don't have any pre-existing conditions but who hasn't been to a doctor in past 5 years. So they now (July) have sent me a check for my premiums previously paid since November.

I feel that since they got claims, they dragged there feet and between the ER visit and the head scan it comes to roughly $9500 so they have sent check for roughly $500 to me and it's not right. They shouldn't be able to do this after the fact as they had no problem cashing my premium checks, until I actually needed to use them. Furthermore, I asked my original Dr. Hoffman, if there was anything in my chart that could be considered a pre-existing condition and there isn't. I have gone to the doctor over the years for normal everyday things. Fortis had reviewed her charts on my along with some other doctor's office in Jacksonville. I feel very cheated at this point.

I don't have the money to pay for these medical bills and it will ruin my credit. I have put off further investigation of the illness for now as I have been fighting with Fortis since late January over this. This has interfered with my health overall.