A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
Landmark Insurance - what is happening with our insurance? - HH
Posted: Jan 24, 2011
What do other LMers think of what is happening with our insurance? I am the head of our household and am worried. What do we do when COBRA runs out?
Is this even a qualifying Cobra event? - Another LMer
[ In Reply To ..]We have not lost our jobs nor had a reduction in hours, so would we even qualify for Cobra at this point? Does, "We screwed up and waited until it was too late to get our employees insurance," qualify as an event?
I am looking on Esurance to see if I can get SOMETHING because crappy insurance is better than no insurance.
LM Insurance Fiasco - LM2
[ In Reply To ..]And they want us all to get individual coverage--but what about people who have pre-existing conditions or those of us whose dependents have pre-existing conditions and cannot be insured that way? What are we supposed to do?
I agree fiasco - Bebe
[ In Reply To ..]Fiasco, given what 5 days to decide (is this legal?). LM needs to get it together.
Bebe - R2D2
[ In Reply To ..]Is it legal? That is a good question......
Are we just screwed? - LMer
[ In Reply To ..]First, this does not appear to be an event that is eligible for Cobra.
Second, it looks like some individual policies have exclusions of coverage if there is supposed to be coverage offered by an employer under a group policy.
Third, why wait until now? We had all of 5 days to get the information back on very invasive/nosy insurance forms only to find out that we now have no coverage whatsoever.
Is this even legal? Has anyone talked to the Department of Labor about this? Do they have to provide employees with some type of coverage?
I went with employee status so that I did not have to mess with crap like this. If I wanted to get an individual policy, I would have become an IC!
Landmark fiasco - justscrewed
[ In Reply To ..]This is typical for LM. It is always chaos and something there, probably because the wife owner spends all her time car-pooling. A few months ago, it was oops we are paying too much (when there is work) and can't afford it so we are dropping your pay-I lost $400-500 a month in that fiasco. Then, it was changing the paycheck company and insurance, which they totally screwed up, left our 401K hanging, and now no insurance basically. It is run by 1 person who is so stressed it is ridiculous and I have never figured out how the work is divided up. We run out of work and they keep hiring. Accounts are low work/overflow, and overstaffed. I predicted this company would go under 6 months ago, now I am sure it is just a matter of time. The only reason I stayed was because 6 months ago I had decent pay (GONE), and I had insurance (Basically GONE/fiasco) so they don't stand out favorable anymore, time to move on to a more stable environment. Good luck!
Yikes ! I'm a new LM employee. So far like my - account and platform.
[ In Reply To ..]But this is scary news. Would like to hear from other LM employees and see if they agree with you or if they are having more positive experiences ?
Yikes! - Anon
[ In Reply To ..]All you have to do is watch the current mess unfold. That will tell you everything. Here we are (some of us with dependent children) and we are told oh, yes, you are insured, yet even the Cobra materials do not arrive in a timely way. I talked to a friend of mine who is an insurance agent and she said she had never seen anything like it in all of her life and she has been selling insurance for many, many years. My family hopes it gets straightened out as I have been happy during my short time at LM, but if it is not taken care pretty soon, I am so out of here.
I'd be very cautious with them.... - MTinNY
[ In Reply To ..]I loved my job with LM. I was working p/t as an IC, doing one account, and the type of reports that I loved to do. I never received any complaints about my work. In the time that I was there, the only issue I had was having to continuously email the owner to get answers to my questions (I wasn't able to get into the paycheck website for weeks). Then one day I was locked out of the system as I was working and called to say that there wasn't any work for me. I asked for another account and was told there wasn't any place to put me, but to ask in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, the next day there were TWO ads on here, one for the same account that I was working on for full time employees. I have since learned that they have done that to many employees that they want to get rid of when they overhire. So good luck to you and I hope that you don't start work one day being locked out of the system.
Here is what happens-they overpay upon hire to get you - LMMT
[ In Reply To ..]and then do an almost across the board assessment and when they want to get rid of somebody they are paying too much, they either send an email stating they are reducing your pay or lock you out as MTinNY had happen to her. BE VERY CAUTIOUS with LM-just because it is today, definitely does not mean it is tomorrow with them. I am not surprised at all about this situation.
Newbie - Bebe
[ In Reply To ..]I'm curious. When it comes time for your insurance to be available, did they tell you if you get it automatically or will have to fill out one of those intrusive we-can-deny you insurance forms?
Ir doesn't matter-they don't have any insurance as of now- - Hello?
[ In Reply To ..]Whatever they told her in the past at hire is null and void-they don't have any insurance now. Get your own and for now will reimburse half, but don't forget they giveth and then taketh away.
Hello? - Bebe
[ In Reply To ..]Not sure what IR means but save your tone. I opted out of the insurance during our 5 day whoop-de-la, thought it was a fiasco then, so I was not aware no one received insurance. Is LM offering to pay part of the Cobra?
Maybe it is because PA changed its laws - about independent contractor
[ In Reply To ..]Pennsylvania recently passed a law in October 2010 making much stricter criteria for independent contractor status. It was meant to affect the construction industry but also likely affects any industry which utilizes independent contractors. Medical transcription would likely be no different.
This may be why the insurance situation was messed up because there might be a lot more people who would now qualify under the new law.
Link here: http://www.pepperlaw.com/publications_update.aspx?ArticleKey=1909
NewLM - mtmt
[ In Reply To ..]As long as you don't need any help with anything from the powers that be, you'll do fine. I have plenty of work and am left alone to do my job. LM has been in business a long time and I expect they will continue to be. I agree this was a huge screw up but it actually isn't the worst place I've worked.
longevity - previous LMer
[ In Reply To ..]Landmark has not been around all that long. The principal people were previous MQ people.
PreviousLMer - Sailboat73
[ In Reply To ..]What were they like to deal with? I haven't been around all that long either (and not sure I want to stay), but our house insurance agent told me that they should have at least provided us with a group number or a temporary card to be printed from the Internet to have our prescriptions filled with. Our family is on a tighter budget than most and we cannot afford to pay in advance for the prescriptions (nor should we have to).
Landmark - previous LMer
[ In Reply To ..]I was IC status, so I did not have insurance. I just never had enough work with them and they kept loosing accounts and therefore changing my primary account. It got old really fast. I could just never make enough money because of a lack of work.
Sorry for everyone's problems.
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS - PLEASE READ - ME
[ In Reply To ..]As long as you don't let your insurance lap for over 60 days, your new insurance company legally has to cover any pre-existing condition. DO NOT LET YOUR INSURANCE LAP!! Google and you can find information on this.
Insurance lapse - Bebe
[ In Reply To ..]I am confused, if this was true, then why did not the "new insurance" cover preexisting conditions as there was no lapse in the insurance? Think what money LM saved by not having to contribute to their share of the policy. 600 a month for my share. Yeah I see LM's demise.
And another thing - Anon
[ In Reply To ..]I called the insurance agent who writes the homeowner's policy on our house (they also sell health insurance) and he tells me that it was absolutely illegal for us to have to provide our health information and send it to to Landmark. It should have been sent right to their insurance agent. In the words of our agent, "Your boss has no right to know your personal health information."
Anon - mtmtmt
[ In Reply To ..]I still have the e-mail and it said to fax the forms to the insurance guy. Why didn't you do that?
I have the email too - nada
[ In Reply To ..]Mine says and even highlighted "return the form to me", owner, for the medical part. For the dental, life, vision policy, return directly to the agent.
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS - Anon
[ In Reply To ..]We were supposed to get the information today to get on Cobra, but so far, nothing has happened, we have heard nothing, and the day is half gone. I have a family to care for and this whole situation does not work for me.
A way out for Landmark - Looking
[ In Reply To ..]To me this is a way out of paying our half our health benefits. They lured some of us with health benefits and a little extra money to take the job, then they cut pay (oops-can't afford it) and now seemingly losing insurance. Do you people realize how expensive Cobra is-I got a letter from previous check company when LM switched for $735.00 a month-that's just me, not family too! Of course we haven't heard anything from LMas promised today, that's how they roll-throw it in our lap and run. The way to keep me is to stand out above the rest-NOT HAPPENING WITH THIS COMPANY! They promise and then take away.
Looking - Just me
[ In Reply To ..]I wonder what the insurance commissioners of our various states would have to say about all of this? My SO asked me this and I think it is a very good question.
No COBRA - Aunty
[ In Reply To ..]I don't think you are eligible for COBRA. This is not a qualifying event, is it? Has anyone checked into this?
COBRA qualifying event - sm
[ In Reply To ..]The only qualifying event for COBRA coverage is that a person has just lost their previous health coverage. You can't get COBRA coverage any other way.
You have the option of signing up for COBRA within 60 days of losing your health insurance and can only remain on COBRA coverage for (I think) 18 months. After that, you go off COBRA coverage.
COBRA is only meant to be a stop-gap type of coverage for people who lose their health insurance, just until they find another insurance company.
No COBRA - Aunty
[ In Reply To ..]Loss of job or reduction in hours, qualifying events. Neither of these happened. This is what I was told, anyway. I don't think they have to offer COBRA, but I'd like to see how this turns out.
COBRA must be offered by law - sm
[ In Reply To ..]Again, the only qualifying event for COBRA is loss of a previous health insurance policy.
You may have been told about the loss of job or reduction in hours, but only because either of these two things will usually result in you no longer meeting the requirements for continued healthcare coverage under your current employer or plan.
COBRA coverage is Federal law and is guaranteed for anyone who has lost their current health insurance. And again, the only "qualifying event" is that you must be currently covered under a healthcare plan and then you end up losing that plan. This is what qualifies you to receive COBRA.
You are wrong. This is not a qualifying event. - No sugar coating
[ In Reply To ..]Taken straight from the linked page:
Qualifying events include:
1. The death of a covered employee.
2. Termiantion of employment (with the exception of gross misconduct on the part of the employee).
3. Reduction of an employee's hours.
4. Divorce or legal separation of an employee from the employee's spouse.
5. Covered employee is eligible for Medicare.
6. A dependent child ceases to be a dependent child.
This situation meets NONE of those criteria. "We screwed up" is not a qualifying event.
Link: http://www.cobrainsurance.com/COBRA_FAQ.htm#What%20is%20a%20qualifying%20event?
No sugar coating - Bart Simpson
[ In Reply To ..]"We screwed up" surely does quality if it leads to the whole company being uninsured, which it has. If, tonight, one of us were to have to go to a hospital, do you suppose they would accept our story and admit us? Not so likely. We have no cards, we have no proof of insurance, we have nothing.
Aunty - Bart Simpson
[ In Reply To ..]Well, they mucked up enough so that we are currently uninsured. So, yeah, I think they have to offer Cobra. BTW, we were supposed to get information about it today and so far, nada, zip, nothing. Not even a reason why there was no information? WTH?
Cobra-qualifying event - Momof2
[ In Reply To ..]This is a Cobra-qualifying event because we literally have no insurance now (thanks to the screwup). However, people should know that how long you can stay on Cobra varies by state. In California it is 18 months. It some other states it is as little as 6 months (poor them). I cane say that this little "screwup" has been a major problem for many of us, especially those of us with family who depend on us.
Where is the Cobra information? - anon
[ In Reply To ..]We were supposed to be e-mailed the Cobra information yesterday. I still have not received it. Has anyone received it?
COBRA is a *federal* law - 18 months is minimum coverage - up to 36 months for certain events, none - applies to the current issue. 18 months is federa
[ In Reply To ..]nm
Not so for 18 months - Desperately seeking COBRA
[ In Reply To ..]In Georgia it is only 3 months.
Unbelievable! This is the biggest mess I have - Out the door
[ In Reply To ..]ever seen, and Landmark has had a few doozies. HOW can an entire company of employees lose their insurance-one day you have it, the next day you don't. Incredible! In my opinion, they should pay the ENTIRE COBRA bill, it's their fault! This crap is typical for Landmark! It is called POOR MANAGEMENT!
Out the door - Almost out the door2
[ In Reply To ..]My brother is in law school, and although he is not quite F. Lee Bailey yet :), he says that if anything happens to anyone of the "supposedly insured" (his legalese), there are some "tremendous liability issues" brewing. I don't know about these kinds of things, am just a mom, and just want to type, earn a living, and care for my kid at home. What bothers me (and my brother) is that they said they would have the Cobra info to us yesterday and not only did we not get the information, we did not even get any kind of update--or apology. And he says yes, they should pay our entire Cobra bills for January or until whenever we ever actually get a card we can use. That hasn't happened yet.
Yes, I think we need some legal advice here - out the door
[ In Reply To ..]and while I am at it, I think I will mention that fact that the conditions of my employment were changed without notice, i.e., pay. How can they just lower your rate whenever they feel like it, there was a written offer at the time of employee hire, not IC. I will be interested to find out that answer. To Almost Out the door 2-too bad your brother isn't a lawyer already, this would be a great case for him-actually any lawyer if there is a valid case. Ummmm...any takers?
Out the door - From sister of lawyer to be
[ In Reply To ..]Jim (my brother) did say to tell everyone to keep a notebook and note any calls made to and from the company. Who called/was called, what was the purpose of the conversation, what representations/promises were made, time of call, date of call. Also do the same for anyone representing themselves as agents of LM or COBRA or an insurance company acting on their behalf. He also said to get a file folder and to print out all memos from the company and any e-mails you might send to any individuals within the company. He says he hopes we can all settle this peacefully and WITHOUT the need for legal, because even if we did sue and prevail, we might hurt the company to the point that we do not have jobs and then what will we have accomnplished? He said that the idea is to get some COMMUNICATION going between the management people and the MTs so we know where we stand and also to get us IMMEDIATELY either a group number or some kind of temporary card for Cobra. He also said that he feels (and this is just his opinion, although he can look up some case law if need be) that if we have not had actual access to Cobra for the month of January (and this means in the form of a card or a group number we can use), then the company should eat the entire cost of the January premium--sort of as a lesson in not screwing up to this extent! :) He says for us to have to pay our medical costs in advance and get reimbursed is not acceptable. In his words, "You are MTs, not bankers!" And besides, the reason we have insurance is so we do NOT have to incur such costs. He knows what a struggle our household has with making ends meet. He emphasizes this is NOT to be taken as legal advice (he does not yet have his bar card, he is only a second-year) but just a friendly/concerned conversation with his sis before going off to class.
Good advice-I am looking through all my emails now - Out the door
[ In Reply To ..]and am going to print them and put somewhere. The MTs of LM need to put enough pressure on them that they come up with a satisfactory solution. As far as not having a job, they are going down anyway, I said that 6 months ago when they fired or reduced everyone's pay (another thing I am going to find out about because I have hire pay as employee in writing.) What company can survive this kind of management. Let's get our ducks in a row information wise and email them with our findings, everyone, I say.
Here's another view ... - LandMT too
[ In Reply To ..]I work at LM. I decided not to take the insurance because I am lucky enough to have a DH who does this. Even though his is not great it is better than nothing, but I degress ... I never heard anything about any of this BS until I started looking on this board which I do every day. This totally and completely stinks. While so far I like working for LM this makes me want to reconsider completely. Incredibly bad management to say the least! JMHO.
LandMT too - RJ
[ In Reply To ..]There is a lot to like about LM. However, their weak link is the total lack of communication. This current mess is undoubtedly the worst example of it. I am shocked at their lack of communication with the MTs. Hopefully someone on their staff will see this and will realize that there are real live humans out here (hello?) doing their transcription. We need some communication. We are not machines.
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