Editor’s Page – October 2021

Editor’s Page

By Victoria A. Schmidt

Insurance Miseries

mujer frustrada

 

They sit there glaring at me from their pile in my inbox. It seems no matter how hard I try they won’t go away. Insurance claims. At a time in my life when I should be healing and mourning my husband’s passing, they consume my time with unnecessary and repetitive questions. A friend whose husband passed shortly after mine did expressed the same feelings.

I try to call the companies and they just play round robin with their menus, music, and announcements of other products.  When I finally get an answer, a real human being, they cannot hear me, bad connection. Please call back.  “Do you realize how long it has taken to get through?”

“Would you call back, the number is:”

 “No! That is a Mexican number! Use our 800 number or the website? “

“No, Mexico doesn’t allow 800 numbers to be used. Can I call back? On a plain USA number?”

“No!?” They don’t talk to one another by USA numbers.  Ha!

I am lucky to get this far into most conversations because I get disconnected because they can’t hear me. Or the phone just disconnects, and I had to attempt another time.

I’m down to one company. Two people, my attorney and I, two telephones, and the internet. We spent four hours yesterday and we are still not done. I understand they are just pre-printed forms. But there are two pages dedicated to the funeral. After the death certificate, they want the funeral home bill, and the cremation certificate. By my way of thinking the death certificate pretty much proves death. Then where was the funeral, when, they want a prayer card or copy of the printed obit. Did I attend the funeral, and if not why not? Send copies. I have written COVID on the forms. There was no funeral. Oh, and if there had been a funeral, I would have to include the name, address, and signatures of two witness not related to the deceased.

So, every morning I start with the pile just for this company. I’ve used up a reem of paper with all our correspondence and copies.

So be prepared. And there are more pages if you send the body and/or cremations to the USA. They want to know flight numbers, etc.

I know they are screening for fraud. I get it.  I’m the one filling out the forms.  But I’m not liking it. 

Other widows have shared other horror stories. One in particular was about her home. Her husband and she shared joint tenancy. But because of the use of ONE wrong word in the title, she had to go through probate.  It didn’t automatically go to her just because she was his wife. This was in Mexico. My experiences above are USA companies. Be diligent if you own property.  Thank God we rented.

Disclaimer: I don’t like completing any kind of forms. Bet you haven’t already figured that out.

 

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