I signed up for CHBA "insurance" and didn't realize what I was actually getting. I submitted an online request to receive quotes for health INSURANCE. CHBA is an ADVOCACY group which seeks to negotiate down your bill and also provides discounts on things like dental, eyeglasses et. But they are not insurance. It says so on your id card when you receive it. But of course I didn't know that at the time.

This gentleman called me and said they provided coverage for health, eye, dental and prescription. The call was very, very long and there is a very long verification process which frankly some of it went in one ear and out the other. He did say finally it was not insurance but after being on the phone for so long I didn't care. It sounded good so what the heck, right? Wrong.

I had to go to the emergency room one night and all told I received 3 bills totaling just over $1000. One bill was advocated very successfully, but the others were not, leaving me on the hook for over $750, out of $1000. That not good enough when I'm paying over $100 a month in premiums ( I think it was $120 a month). They told me numerous times their goal is always to shoot for an 80% REDUCTION in your bills, which obviously fell well short. A representative I spoke with who was actually quite nice told me that the bills were not advocated for in the manner that they "should have been", whatever that means.. My 3 bills from the hospital totaled just over $1000. They were all from the same evening. But they never picked that up even though I told them no less than half a dozen times, including a letter. I'm not sure if she meant to infer that they would have received a more aggressive handling if they had realized this but that was my impression. Also then it would have been their error for not totaling the bills as they should have.

Bottom line is this: save your money and get real insurance. This company should not be in business because they provide little for the money you pay.

In October of 2008, my husband and I received a letter that our daughter will age out of his medical insurance through his place of employment and that she would be covered until December 1, 2008. So we started searching for an affordable insurance plan. Our daughter is a fulltime college student and works parttime and does have a pre-existing condition. I did some research on the internet. I never heard of Consumer Health Benefits Association. One evening we received a telephone call from Scott (their respresentative), and we discussed this issue of our daughter needing health insurance and prescription coverage. He explained that under their benefits, that she would only have to pay 20% of office visits, ER, etc. He further explained that she would have a prescription coverage and that it was tiered. And I repeated everything and wrote it all down. He also stated that this plan would include life insurance for $15, 000 and some other perks. I asked him if I could discuss it with my husband and give him a call back. He stated that that would be fine, but if we didn't signup that evening that he could not guarantee the $119.95 a month premium. So I said that I would call him back and give him a yes or no answer. So I discussed it with my husband and we decided that this would be a plan that she could afford the doctors office payments and her medicine. So I contacted Scott back and said that we would go ahead and get this coverage for our daughter. And I repeated the benefits that he related to me, he verified that yes this would be the benefit coverage. So we went ahead and paid for it via debit card. He said that she would be covered right away. The next week, our daughter ended up in the emergency room a couple of times and we still had not received the card and explanation of benefits. So I contacted Scott from the hospital and he said do not worry, that they would take care of her expenses that were not covered by my husbands insurance. ( She was double covered). He told me that when we received the bills that were not covered by my husbands insurance to contact him and he would let me know what to do next. In Novemeber when we received the unpaid portion of the bills, I tried calling him several times for several days. Finally about a week later I received a call from someone else in his office and they told me that Scott died unexpectedly. I thought okay and asked this guy what I needed to do, and he said that he would contact me in a few days. Have never heard from him. So a couple weeks ago in January 2009, my daughter went to get one of her prescriptions refilled and the pharmacy said that they could not fill it because she did not have a new card for 2009. Okay, so she contacts Consumer Health Benefits Association and YOU NEVER GET TO TALK TO ANYONE, leaves a message and to this date has not heard back. Yesterday, Feb. 2, 2009, she is in need to go see her doctor, (first time since she has this plan), they tell her that she has to pay $150 to see the doctor, they contacted Consumer Health Benefits Association and that is what they told the receptionist. Mind you, our daughter is 22 years old, is a fulltime college student and works parttime. Now what young person has that kind of money to see a doctor. I have tried contacting CHBA for 2 days now and have yet to talk to anyone. They have lied and no one ever answers the member services line. So now it is back to square one to try to find health coverage for our daughter with a pre-existing condition. When I do speak to CHBA, I will ask for a refund $479.80.

A man called my 82 year old widowed mother on Dec.13,2007 representing himself as an employee of her bank and asked her the number of her last check she had written. She gave it to him and he hung up. She became suspicious and immediately went to her bank and reported the phone call. The bank had no employees by the name of the man who called her. The bank immediately froze her checking account. That night an electronic debit was charged against her frozen account by Consumer Health Benefits Association for $399.00. This money never came out of her account due to the fact the bank had stopped all transactions on the account. The bank arranged for her to have a new account with a new number. The bank gave my mother a zerox copy of the attempted debit by Consumer Health Benefits Association with their customer service phone number. I called the number and told the man who answered that I was inquiring about the Consumer Health Benefits Association. He told me that he answered several companies phones and that this was just one of the companies. I told him what had happened to my mother and that the bank had notified the FBI. At that point the man who answered the phone became very agitated and stated that there was no cause to make this a legal thing and wanted my mother's phone number and address.I gave him neither and hung up. I am a retired State Investigator with the Alabama Attorney General's Office and I spent the last 14 years of my career in the White Collar Crime Division. I know a scam when I see one. I believe the appropriate authorities in Florida or wherever should initiate a criminal investigation into the Consumer Health Benefit Association before they take anymore money from elderly ladies who cannot afford to be ripped off.

Below is a copy of my complaint to the BBB against Consumer Health Association. As stated in the complaint. I was contacted on my cell phone. Yes, I did go on the Internet looking for HEALTH INSURANCE BUT not on their website. It is like popups if you go on one website they seem to all get your information. That is how they contacted me by cell phone. Adams first words to me were "I understand you are looking for HEALTH INSURANCE." (As stated in the complaint below) after the original call from Adam, (at approximately 3:30 PM CDT on 09/14/06) I had second thoughts so I decided to go online and try to find out something about the company and the plan to no avail. I had to call several times to find out the name of the company and a website address. I never heard of this company before. I truly believe they know what they are doing that is why they record the conversation and make sure you understand there is no refund.

What a FRAUD, if they do this to a 100 people a week who hang up and realize later this is not what they want and cancel this company has made $23,989.00 and did not have to spend a penny on claims.

I am a 54-year-old widow in need of Health Insurance that I can afford. When Adam first told me the price, I still believed it was insurance. I was so thrilled with the monthly cost, I told him I wanted to get the plan. He transferred me to the Amber who stated it was going to be recorded (every company today tells you that big deal) is when I realized it was a discount plan, I changed my mine. She then transferred me to Josiah who then talked me into it. I work hard for my money. In the Rebuttal reply from Rita B Werner she states cancellation was received by telephone from consumer on 9/19/2006, 4 days after purchase. I called back on 09/18/06 and told him I wanted to cancel. He gave me a number to call and said it was late, no one would be there leave a message and they would count the cancellation as the 18th. Because I left the message stating I wanted to cancel I believed Josiah and considered that as a cancellation. Monday evening 09/18/06 I made a complaint with BBB via the Internet.

I am not satisfied with this company’s response. I want a total refund of $239.89.

(1st complaint letter to BBB 09/18/06)

Customer Description

Adam contacted me on my cell phone around 5pm on 09/14/06, stating I was interested in Health Insurance. I had gone on the internet several weeks ago looking for a quote on Health Insurance (Not this company. I had not heard of this company until now). I am a widow in need of insurance I can afford. Adam lead me to believe it was Health Insurance. When I agreed to purchase the plan. I was transferred to Amber who stated that the conversation would be recorded. I agreed, most phone conversion these days are for quality assurance. Upon listening to what she had to say I decided to change my mind. She then put Josiah on the line immediately. Josiah talked me into getting the plan. He said I would get information in the mail within two weeks. When I arrived home, I tried to find information on Consumer New Health, on the Internet to no avail. I called the next afternoon the no. Amber gave me for customer service 877-687-2422 and reached a recording. I then called the no. Adam called me from, I told Josiah I didn’t want the plan. I couldn’t fine anything about them on the Internet. He then gave me the name Consumer Health Assoc. and hung up. Nothing on this name either. I called again and reached a recording which gave a web address www.nbchealth.com. After going to the site, I truly discovered that this wasn’t what I wanted. I called back and couldn’t reach anyone.

I called Josiah today the 18th, to cancel the plan and wanted my money back. He told me to call customer service tomorrow noone was there now. I feel that I was caught off guard, taken advantage of by high-pressure sales and not given the time nor the opportunity to truly think it over. The monthly quote I was given was affordable and I truly did not comprehend the total picture. Louisiana law states that if you are solicited by telephone or at your home, you have three days to change your mind and get out of the contract.

SETTLEMENT: Refund

SETTLEMENT EXPLANATION:
I want to cancel and receive my money back. PRODUCT: discount health program


Company Response

September 21, 2006

BBB
2924 N. Australian Ave
West Palm Beach, Florida 33407

Attn: Complaint Department

File #: 426sss
Re: Beryl
Member #: GTNsss

Dear Ms. Venissa

To ensure that the member understands fully what they have purchased at the time of application the members participates in a recorded verification call. This verification call verifies that they understand they are purchasing a member advocacy and intervention program along with non-insurance discount medical services, accident medical expense insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance and a prescription drug plan. We also verify the spelling of their name(s), their address, telephone number(s), email address, their credit card or bank statement, name on credit card or account, as well as their authorization of the non-refundable application fee and monthly premium amount. The verification call is available for you to hear upon request.

Sincerely,
Rita B Werner
Sr. Vice President, Customer Relations
Consumer Health Benefits Association


(My rebuttal to BBB on 09/29/06)

Dear Ms. Venissa Garcia,

Thank you for handling my complaint regarding Consumer Health Benefits Association, however I
am dissatisfied with the Company's response.

As stated in the first complaint, it is a Louisiana Law that if you were solicited by telephone, which I was, you have the right to change your mind within three days. If you did not contact the company first, the law is there to protect the consumer who realizes he/she made the wrong decision. Being caught off guard, pressured, or by not being allowed an appropriate amount of time to think it over, people make wrong decision.

I was not ask explicitly, if I wavier my rights to the 3 day cancellation law. Therefore, it is immaterial and irrelevant that they have a recorded verification of me agreeing to the no refund policy and to understanding what I was purchasing.

Therefore, I am again requesting Consumer Health Benefits Association to issue me a refund of $239.89.

Thank you your help in this matter.
Beryl

504 559 4sss

http://www.la-legal.com/consumer.htmme

Louisiana consumer law:
Consumer purchase and credit issues Louisiana consumer law includes issues that face the average person on almost a daily basis. This can include financial issues like over-extended debt, usury, interest rates, and bankruptcy. Other consumer issues include consumer loans, credit repair services, and the ability to get out of contracts resulting from home or telephone solicitation.


For a complete listing of services and information available for the Louisiana consumer, visit the Louisiana Department of Justice Consumer Protection site.

Related Topics

There are many laws for the consumer that were passed in response to particular abuses. For example, contracts for dancing lessons must be in writing and cannot be for more than one hundred hours or cost more than a total of $5,000. This law was in response to abuses by dancing studios in signing up elderly or gullible persons to expensive lifetime contracts.

When can you get out of a purchase?

Many people are under the impression that they have three days to get out of a purchase. The fact is, in most situations once you purchase goods or services, you cannot get out of the sale unless the seller is good enough to let you out. So, people are used to the idea that they can return things to a department store. However, this is only because the department store has a policy to allow returns to keep customers happy. On the other hand, it is not likely that an automobile dealer will let you out of a purchase. Once the contract is signed for that new car, it is binding even if you have not taken delivery.

There are, however, situations where the law does allow you the chance to get out of a sale. If you are solicited by telephone or at your home, you have three days to change you mind and get out of any contract. So, if someone comes to your home and sells you vinyl siding to cover your brick house, you can get out as long as you give them written notice within three days. This law does not apply if you first contacted the company. For example, if you answer a newspaper ad and a salesman comes to your house, you would not be able to get out of a contract. By the way, the law does not apply to religious articles. So, apparently Bible salesmen would be exempt.

Reply to Rebuttal

September 29, 2006

BBB
2924 N Australian Ave
West Palm Beach, FL 33407

Attn: Complaint Department

File# 42sss
Re: Stephan, Beryl
Member# GTNsss

Dear Venissa,

Consumer Health Benefits Association (CHBA) does not solicit members by phone. Our members contact us first via the internet expressing an interest in our non-insurance medical program. Only then, the consumer receives a call back. All calls are recorded for verification purposes and archived for future use (available upon request). The above consumer knew she was purchasing a non-insurance discount medical program by stating so in the recorded verification call.

Also, the Lousiana law regarding the 3 days right to refusal does not apply in this case as (1) consumer contacted CHBA first (2) notification must be in writing and within 3 days of purchase (cancellation was received by phone from consumer on 9/19/2006, 4 days after purchase).

The fees the consumer paid were used to purchase the non-insurance discount program provided. If there was a covered service under the terms of the consumer's discount program, the consumer would expect the company to fulfill its obligations and provide the discount contracted for. Therefore, the fees paid by the consumer are considered earned and non-refundable.

Sincerely,

Rita B Werner
Senior Vice President
Costumer Relations
Consumer Health Benefits Association (CHBA)