A LITTLE HELP FROM INSIDE THE GARDEN STATE?
Dear friends–
Do any of you live in New Jersey? Do you own a small business? Do you have any recommendations for a good health insurance provider for a small business? Are you satisfied with your health insurance provider? My business (Two Buttons!), which employs five people is looking for a new health care provider. We are in Hunterdon County.
Up until this week, we have been insured by Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Jersey, but they have finally completely and utterly broken our spirits and destroyed our will to live. Not by refusing any of claims (WE HAVE NEVER MADE ANY CLAIMS!) but because of the brand new and ever-creative bureaucratic impossibilities and stumbling blocks that they invent once a year when it comes time to renew our contract with them. (This from the department sinisterly called "Compliance.")
This year, I could go no further. They have defeated us. You know that moment with customer service when, after a week of phone calls and faxes and pleading and Kafka-esque mazes of bewildering bullshit, you finally just want to lay down on your face in the dirt and weep? I hit that point yesterday. (And I'm REALLY GOOD at bureaucracy and paperwork, folks, and usually good at talking to Customer Service. I am somebody who made it through THE IMMIGRATION PROCESS with my foriegn-born husband. I faced down the Homeland Security department's worst paperwork, people! But Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Jersey has officially broken me. I congratulate them.)
It is time to move on.
SO…we are looking for suggestions, and kind of speedily.
I thought some of you local folks might be able to help.
Here are my questions: Do you have a good small business health care provider? Maybe a good local insurance agent who can help set us up? Maybe a phone number of a human being who answers phone calls? Maybe knowledge of some health care providing company who would like to take our faithfully-paid money in exchange for services, instead of taking our faithfully-paid money in exchange for zero services?
Do I sound weary?
I AM SHREDDED.
🙁
Thanks, everybody!
Love,
Liz
