It took three months after I settled to get assigned a “claim specialist“ from the car insurance company. We had to pay out of pocket for my treatments because they were way behind on reimbursement. It has been like a nightmare, all that we had been put through up until the settlement with the doctors notes, proving myself, health assessments, restating and catching them up on what was and is still going on with me, is still in place today. It has just never ended. Sometimes I feel like I’m trapped in this caged box in hell because I don’t get to just live and focus on my body, someone else has the keys and the say so over it, and I hate it.
When all was signed and done with the settlement, I had a conversation with my lawyer. I asked her if there was anything in the future that looked positive for BC with this particular company. She told me that in all the years as a lawyer she had been hopeful, but now things were being slowly implemented and she said it’s the worst she’s ever seen it. More things that were going to be put in place that she thought could never happen, now are or are being proposed to soon be. I asked her if I was bound by law to keep my mouth shut or if they could sue me for speaking out. She reassured me that they couldn’t do that but that there was a possibility that they could strip me of paying for my treatments, which was a scary thought. I don’t want this company to have any more control over me or to live in fear. I feel like it’s extremely important that people know what this company does and continues to do to people. I know we all know insurance companies and how slimy they can be, and I get that BUT this company has the monopoly of BC and its law to go through them, we all have no other choice. I think it’s also double standard that the government has its hand in it and runs it because they have endless power and resources. I plan on doing a blog post just dedicated to this whole thing but for now, I’ll just stick to my story. I‘ve taken a big risk in writing this blog and I hope for those of you that read this, you will help spread the word and become more advocates for our rights as people who live in BC.
As soon as we settled, I just knew my mental health couldn’t handle the constant go around with this company. My functional medicine doctor also suggested that I either hired someone to be my voice or to get my husband to do the communication with this insurance company. My husband has graciously taken on the communication role which I am very grateful for. The poor guy has had to repeat and advocate and spend many hours of his time to submit forms and deal with the frustration and the tactics that they still do to wear you down. Within a year and a bit of being settled and assigned a “claim specialist,” we have been tossed to and fro within the company and are now on our seventh ”claim specialist.” Each one of these specialists seem to have there own way of doing things and my husband has to repeat and explain everything over each time. Sometimes they will claim that they don’t pay for certain medications ( which they already approved and have been paying for) or they will say they won’t pay for a treatment and I have to back that up with yet another doctors note or they will tell us that it’s too far for where my physiotherapist is and I should find a new one. At one point one of the specialists was giving Brandon the go around and Brandon said, “Look it we’ve settled and it’s been agreed upon that you guys are to pay for her treatments.“ “How are we supposed to know this isn’t for another injury? You have to prove it to us.” The claim specialist said. And it just never ends. I’ve cried to my doctor and physiotherapist telling them how unfair this is and both have told me, “Unfortunately, this is the system and how it works and you will have to deal with them for the rest of your life.”
This past week has been a bit rough. The seventh specialist that I’ve been assigned by the car insurance company, is threatening to strip me of paying for all of my physiotherapy treatments. It definitely adds a large layer of stress and I’m just tired of fighting. The tactics of this company are to wear you down so you give up and don’t get them to pay for your care anymore. I’m just frustrated that I don’t get the opportunity to just focus on my health but have these constant go arounds.
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