As if the health insurance industry wasn’t hated enough, here’s a development that’s not going to do any favors for the reputation of this much-maligned business: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield will now deny your claim if they can determine that you’re well-liked enough to get by with a GoFundMe.
How awful. This is disgraceful.
Health insurance watchdog groups are sounding the alarm that starting today, hidden in the fine print on all new policies sold by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is a clause that states, “If it is determined that the insured is well-liked enough to get by with a GoFundMe, all claims will be denied.” It goes on to say, “Determining factors for whether someone qualifies to be denied coverage because a well-promoted GoFundMe would probably cover all associated costs of the illness or injury include, 1. A solid follower/friend count; 2. Involvement in some public activity, such as playing in a band or being an influencer; 3. A decent enough personality that it is likely people who know you will gladly help cover your treatment; and 4. An illness or injury tragic enough to garner significant sympathy from the public.”
A spokesman for the agency explained, “With crowdfunding becoming more commonplace, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield feels there’s no need to cover the medical expenses of those who have enough clout to do it themselves through GoFundMe. While this may be disappointing to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield customers who are well-liked and popular, we question why such people need health insurance in the first place when they can just throw a link up in their Instagram stories like, once and come up with $20 grand. Our unlikeable, socially inept customers can rest assured that our new policy will not affect them.”
Yuck. The greed of the healthcare industry is on full display here.
Sure, there may be uproar today, but eventually this type of clause will become commonplace in all insurance policy fine print. All you can do now if you want your insurance to actually pay out when you need it is to be sure you aren’t well liked enough to scare up any more than a few hundred dollars on GoFundMe. The healthcare landscape is getting more and more bleak by the day.
