Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida BCBS Mental Health Coverage Ripoff Jacksonville, Florida

I am a severely disabled combat veteran with severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the result of my service during the War on Terror.  For years it has made my life a living hell.  When I recently decided to seek mental health counseling for this, shortly before my first child was born, I sought health insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida to cover my therapy, since due to personal reasons, I preferred to go to a private psychologist.  When I spoke to the patronizing salesman over the phone, who was a fellow combat veteran, I explained my situation and that I was obtaining this insurance to cover extended therapy, as I am otherwise in perfect health.  There was no loss of understanding whatsoever and I was promised that my health plan would cover the mental health expenses.

I received a rude awakening after my eighth session.  Blue Cross of Florida uses a carve out company, New Directions, to "cost cut" (read: gut) the mental health coverage that their patients receive.  This company has earned a cutthroat reputation for their business practices, including reimbursing health care providers at approximately half of the rate of Medicare, leaving mostly incompetent practices in their network who have not left.  But, their most ruthless scam is cutting off coverage after eight sessions for a year, after the patient was PROMISED mental health coverage at a flat rate copay after paying their initial deductible, a completely unethical practice.  When I confronted New Directions, they claimed that Blue Cross could give me a different plan with extended coverage, but when I spoke to Blue Cross and even offered to purchase a rider or pay the difference for a different plan, they flatly refused to even allow a doctor's authorization for more coverage.  In anger, I dropped the plan.

Forcing customers to sue to obtain the coverage that they are guaranteed under contract is illegal in all 50 states, as I am qualified to sell life insurance.  However, Blue Cross merely pulled a bait and switch, by underwriting a duplicative contract and hiding its shady mental health coverage terms in the fine print of their nearly inch thick contract, all written in legal-ese, to sneak around the law.  If this isn't illegal, it d**n well should be.  I have filed a complaint the Florida Commissioner of Insurance and would love to begin a class action lawsuit, on behalf of all of the members of a vulnerable population that this predatory company has swindled.  In the mean time, if you are interested in mental health coverage in Florida, go with any other company than Blue Cross, as they now have the reputation as being the shadiest health insurance company in the state.