Torrington resident Roger Huckfeldt found himself in robocall hell trying to find someone who could help him get his 85-year-old mother a new health insurance provider after United Healthcare announced it was leaving Wyoming.
His story illustrates how far downhill customer service has trended, as well as the kind of difficulties Wyomingites are facing as they navigate a new health care landscape.
UnitedHealth is one of multiple carriers that left Wyoming’s Advantage health insurance marketplace amid rising health care costs, changes to federal policies, and the expiration of the enhanced Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) tax credits.
“UnitedHealth was an advantage plan provider in Wyoming and, back in October, they sent a letter to Mom saying you’ll have to find something else come the first of the year,” Huckfeldt said. “So, we immediately started the process of trying to find health insurance for mom.”
‘I’m Not Going To Do This'
Huckfeldt started with a state advocacy group that helped him figure out where and how to start shopping for a new plan.
“We looked through the government’s websites which, in my opinion, were difficult for me to navigate,” he said. “My 85-year-old mother would never have been able to get that done. "She’d have thrown up her hands and said, ‘I’m not going to do this. I’m not going to have insurance, to heck with it.’”