Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York

"Customer service rep would not give me his supervisors name so that I could better understand why BCBS is still messing up my current insurance. I retired in 2020. BCBS wants to charge me 591.00 to remove me from their computers. My doctor can't bill my Aetna because they say I still have BCBS. His response when I asked for a reasonable explanation was, and I quote,"Welcome to America". Interestingly enough, my coverage with them was through an employer that has a massive contract with them. How could they possibly justify this?"

"The plan itself is ok - it's dependent on your employer and contracts, so that's not on the insurance company. (All these people saying their old company covered this or that and now this one doesn't - then complain to your employer for cheaping out or choosing a poor plan.) What I will say is the customer service is atrocious. Their hold times are horrible - you get disconnected after waiting on hold for 30 minutes. The portal and website don't work half the time. And they have like 3 different websites going to login. Very poorly done."

"Since Highmark took over trying to find my Medicare Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and Evidence of coverage (EOC) is a nightmare! It is not in my member login section. Zero Nada Nothing! . It is not accessible in their separate Medicare website! I used to work for BCBS WNY before Highmark. We used to have all this information readily available and easy to find online in one place! Highmark has multiple websites that make it very confusing trying to find your complete benefits! Their Medicare site makes you fill out your name and address and other information and after all that there is no option to download your ANOC or EOC! It's open enrollment for Medicare and there are other options available for consideration in WNY. It seems like Highmark wants to make it difficult for it's subscribers!"

"This has to be the worst health insurance company in existence. Was with BCBS for 15 years and never had an issue. Now they are denying medications that have been prescribed for 20 years without issue, stating we must try and fail at others first to be approved. They want pre-auth for everything now that was never needed before. It seems they will take any opportunity they can to deny a claim knowing that most people will eventually give up. I can't recommend enough that you choose a different company and would give zero stars if I could. There should be a congressional inquiry into this company's denial of claims by non medical personnel without ever opening a claimants file. Update- Highmark has now gone two months without reimbursement of over $1000 for prescription medication that I have always paid up front for and been automatically sent a check. Call Highmark who after half hr tells me it's the responsibility of the Pharmacy Benefit Manager for prescriptions- Express Scripts. Call them who after an hour tell me I have to call Highmark and despite never in 20 years having to go through any of this tell me I need to submit for reimbursement even though it's always been an automated process. Basically these companies are ran by Satan and their goal is to just frustrate you to the point of giving up."

"Ever since highmark took over- everything gets denied!!! I pay to have health insurance and then have to pay for everything my dr. Orders because you don't feel its necessary! Who died and left you to be the boss of my care? Can't wait for annual enrollment. BCBS was once the best insurance company. Highmark are criminals."