Author and podcast host Anupam Gupta recently shared a troubling experience he had with his health insurance company. He was shocked when two people showed up at his doorstep unexpectedly, claiming to be from his insurance company. They were there to verify his health insurance claim in person, and Gupta was not informed beforehand. This caused a lot of frustration and raised questions about the privacy of policyholders.
Gupta explained the unusual requests the insurance company made during the verification.
Here’s what they asked from us:
All documents for our claims. When we said we already submitted the originals to the health insurance company, they said, ‘We want copies.’
Luckily, we had one set. He took photos of all the files.
He wanted Google Timeline data to prove we were at the nursing home on that day and time. We said, ‘We don’t share location with Google and won’t share it with you.’
He wanted our credit card statement to prove we made the payment.
They took photos of our home as well.
They made us talk to someone from their agency who asked all kinds of questions about the claim.
Finally, they said, ‘All health insurance companies do this’ when I asked if this was only for my claim. In fact, he showed me a bunch of declarations on his mobile phone to prove that this is a common practice now.
When Gupta asked if this was only for his claim, the representatives told him that all health insurance companies follow this process. They even showed him documents on their phone to prove it was a common practice.
Gupta acknowledged the importance of preventing fraud but questioned whether such invasive procedures were necessary. “Is this how bad things have gotten now? That anyone can claim to represent an insurance company and barge into my house?” he wrote in his post.
Although Gupta didn’t name the insurance company involved, he expressed concern that this could be a common practice across the industry. His post has sparked a discussion about the balance between preventing fraud and respecting people’s privacy during the claim verification process.
Filing a health insurance claim can be a very frustrating experience. Even though you have insurance, many people end up facing delays, piles of paperwork, unclear rules, and repeated requests for documents. Sometimes, claims that are completely valid get rejected because of small mistakes or missing details. Long waits for approval and a lack of clear communication from insurance companies make things even worse, especially when you’re dealing with a medical emergency.
Some insurance companies now even ask for personal information, like your location history, which raises concerns about privacy. While insurance is supposed to provide financial support, the process of filing a claim can make people feel stressed, confused, and overwhelmed when they need help the most.
Also read: WhatsApp Testing New Privacy Feature : Control Media Saving
