I’m doing a little research to see if anyone else is having the same problem
with AETNA which I’m having. When offered the ” Golden Age” health plan in
December 1999 at a cost of 53.00 a month I immediately declined it and chose
“Base 10” which was only 15.00 per month. Despite repeated assurances from
AETNA reps that I would be taken off of the plan-the company kept me in the
Golden Age plan for three months against my will t and kept billing me for
it-now they are threatening to terminate all of my coverage if I don’t pay
those back premiums!
Have you or a friend had a similar experience?

My best friends had a big problem with Aetna, relative to Medigap coverage.
They are not happy campers, and are threatening to sue. (He’s the patient,
she’s an attorney)

How do they measure up on claims, benefits, etc. (as against Southern
Cross)? I just received a letter from SC informing me of a price increase in
my premium and am looking around for alternatives.

If you put the equivalent of the premiums in the bank each month…..you
always pay up and you have 100% coverage no exceptions. After 5 years,
you have a big pile of cash for almost anything that crops up….after
20 years,you can buy a house with your premiums,rent it out and have
both an income AND an asset to cover your helth needs.

Health insurance is a con.

Ah – the wisdom of hindsight perhaps. I am sure if I had a ‘second life’ I
would do just that, put a little away each pay day specifically for health
needs later. But it’s easier said than done for most folk. Any system which
generally encourages “your money or your life” has to be questioned on moral
grounds at least. Any system where we pay twice has to be suspect too.
And I am sure that any private health system has the priority of making
money secondary to making people better, and eventually like Monsanto’s
seeds – buy ours or starve. Such is the anti-social climate of greed and
monopoly.
It is almost certain too, that if most of the population saved enough for
private health cover then the costs would magically escalate to still leave
a large section of the community without. The object is to take your money,
bleed you of every cent possible, ‘not a lot to do with providing equitable
health care really.

If you can’t afford it you don’t get it, we’re brought up on that ‘sounds
fair eh, but it’s not quite that simple- pity about that.