I received a letter from Aetna asking for the social security number for my son. I could provide it by returning the attached form, or do it online.

To go online, I'd need to register, which I did, but when I followed the path outlined in the letter, the function to observe the SSN wasn't found on the page. I called the customer number on the member card. A computer voice asked for a pin number. I didn't have a pin number, and the system hung up. I called again and got asked by a computer voice for something else, which I didn't have. Again, the system hung up. I tried a third time, this time got through to a young man with an accent. I asked where he was located. Phillipines.

Now I'm not a fan of giving out personal details over the phone at all, let alone to a foreign operator. He offered to connect me to a US operator, and soon I was talking to a young lady in LA (with an LA accent). She told me to use a different browser, which I did. Sure enough the page popped up, but sent me outside of the Aetna system, to a Thomson Reuters. Information on that site tells me that anything they collect can and will be used for marketing purposes and any other purpose they deem fit. Thomson Reuters is a "global conglomerate," with the web site based in the UK, but also advising that the company changed hands and name in early 2018.

Aetna uses call centers in foreign countries which take personal information over unsecure lines, and process that information from off shore. They also send customers to sites outside their own, and not secure sites, but places that state outright that any information they receive will be used for marketing and other purposes. They're selling the information. I found my personal details there, along with my family, wife, kids, etc. All there.

Presently unimpressed, and bordering furious.

This is either a scam or serious problems with security. I would send an email to a corporate VP. Aetna is now owned by CVS.

I am forced to use Aetna as it's the only choice offered by my employer and I find that have to watch them like a hawk as they WILL go out of their way to overcharge and screw you.

Every goddamned claim I have to look at and go over with a fine tooth comb as they will routinely try to charge for things that should be covered or deny claims and try to make me pay the full rate and not the "member rate" which is what I pay with an HSA.

Just last week they tried to charge us for almost $300 for something for my wife that was clearly covered and not supposed to be charged.

Then when you call them out, they quickly re-submit the claim and miraculously it's $0 like it should have been all along. I swear this is a regular practice with them to pad their already insane profits.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
This is either a scam or serious problems with security. I would send an email to a corporate VP. Aetna is now owned by CVS.

It's not a scam. I've been on the phone with them all morning.

I’ve been lucky with Aetna so far. When the doc wants a test or procedure, I ask for the hospital to get the ok and authorization #.

quote:

It's not a scam. I've been on the phone with them all morning.

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I hope you are right about that. The scammers have gotten better. It is generally advisable to never give out your SSN over the phone. An insurance company expecting you to do that is insane. But again it is Aetna.

What happened with Aetna? Why did they need your sons SSN? Even the government is replacing the Medicare cards with random numbers and letters. Was it their OHI department?? Outsourcing personal information gathering to the Phillipines?? The whole thing sounds worse than TSA.

We've had an ongoing problem with them having mixed up the ssn of family members, leading to insurance being rejected when the name doesn't match the patient information on file. The latest claim is that they didn't have my son's information. We got a threatening letter advising that the company (Aetna) would report us for failure to have proper insurance and we'd be penalized by obamacare as a result, if we didn't immediately get this information to Aetna.

I called the customer number on the back of the insurance card, and was put through two computer systems that hung up, then sent to a call center in the Philippines. I ended up finally back in the US. The information Aetna wanted could be provided by mail, or online. I attempted to see the online option, but had to register, and once registered, has no options to provide the information (the system as given in the letter didn't work).

I called Aetna, was directed to the correct location online, and while on the phone with Aetna, noted that the information that Aetna wanted would take me out of the Aetna system...they were sending me off-site to provide personal information to a third party. The third party was Tomsin Reuters, which states on their website that all information obtained may be used for their purposes, and will be used for marketing, etc. It also states it's an international conglomerate, and that it had a name change last year when bought out. The web site is still under the old name.

I looked to see what they had, and they listed personal family information, some of which was correct, some wrong, all provided by Aetna. This is a massive security problem, and not even a case of being hacked, but of Aetna using foreign unsecured operators to take and store data, when the operator states that they intend to use this data for commercial purposes (which means also that they buy and sell it).

quote:

I looked to see what they had, and they listed personal family information, some of which was correct, some wrong, all provided by Aetna. This is a massive security problem, and not even a case of being hacked, but of Aetna using foreign unsecured operators to take and store data, when the operator states that they intend to use this data for commercial purposes (which means also that they buy and sell it).

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I deal with these companies on a frequent basis. Some years back, hard drives were stolen out of a number of computers that contained personal health information, social security numbers etc. of thousands of active duty and retired miliary members. The company which contracted with Tricare waited for months to tell the government. My number has been compromised so many times by the VA, insurance companies and the like I cannot keep track. A get about one letter a month concerning the violation of privacy.

I have found that a well written email to the CEO always gets a response. These folks are surrounded by people who take care of these issues.

My previous employer used Aetna for disability insurance. When I landed on long term disability through them, the representative I had for my case called me a liar over the phone and my therapist had her removed from my case. What an awful experience with Aetna. I'm glad that my company only used them for disability. Cigna was our regular health insurance provider.

I regretfully have aetna too.