Private health Insurance - help!

ChloeBella

Hi

I am new here so apologies if I have posted in the wrong area!

I have had a private healthcare insurance policy through my employer which I have £65.02 deducted from my wages each month for the past 3 years, this is for full family cover.

Luckily I have never had to use it....until now, I tried to make a claim for my daughter 2 days ago, however when i spoke to Aviva they advised I was not on their system, neither was any of my family members, they held no details for me at all. it turns out that my company had not passed my details over to them, for the entire 3 years I had been paying for it!

After speaking to my employer, they admitted there had been an almighty "balls up" and added me swiftly to the policy so I could continue with the claim - however, I think I am quite rightly entitled to a full refund for the previous 3 years, so I asked them for one..............

The response I got was that they were really sorry for their mistake but as I hadn't used the cover and they had rectified the issue within 24 hours I am not owed a refund!

I don't agree and wondered if I had a case to take this further and claim back the money I have been paying for 3 years, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

rach_k

If you'd needed it at any point in the last few years, surely you'd have done what you did on this occasion - rung them up and sorted it within 24 hours? You would have been insured. I don't agree that you're entitled to anything other than an apology.

ChloeBella

So if I took out gym membership for 2 years, paid every month like clockwork, but didn't go for a workout until a year later to be told, no sorry you're not a member here, you wouldn't expect a refund for the last 12 months???

Quentin

It's a moot point - you aren't out of pocket (as you agreed to the premium being deducted), however your employer is in pocket! (How many of your colleagues have they pulled this stunt on???)



Depends on how much you want to rock the boat over this on how you proceed.


If you have a union see if they will fight your cause!

Jox

So where has the £65 gone every month, to the medical insurance or the employer has just been paying you £65 less than your contracted salary?

This doesn't seem fair. If it can be proven that the medical insurance hasn't been paid for 3 years for you then it would be the decent thing for the employer to pay you the salary you had deducted.

Maybe ask Acas for advice?

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2042

I have medical insurance at work and have dental and optical included and use this every year and if I want to make a medical claim then I have to get a referral from my GP. The medical insurance send me a certificate every year with my details.

ChloeBella

I had a further phone call from the HR director yesterday, I asked if my name was on the list they sent over to Aviva, she said it wasn't, so i asked if they had been paying Aviva for me? She said no they hadn't, so my obvious question was "Where has my money been going then" and her answer??? Well that will be sitting in *insert company name here* bank account!!

Well, that has just made me even more determined to get my money back, they haven't paid Aviva a bean for me, they are a multi million pound company who posted huge profits last year and expect me to roll over and accept an apology while my money sits in their account gaining interest? I don't think so!

Jox

It could be around £2000 so worth seeing if they will be decent and pay this to you.

Quentin

If your employer can simply add employees on to the policy after they want to make a claim wonder how many of your colleagues and their families aren't on Aviva's system as well???

Cazzaswfc

Just to clarify, when they added you to the plan did they backdate your cover?

If so technically you are not at a detriment financially as you should now be able to continue with your claim. In addition, by backdating cover this may have covered terms (some plans exclude pre existing conditions) if they added you "now" your daughter could have been declined on a moratorium basis?

I agree it's shoddy practice but potentially it could be a mistake that has been rectified and your money from deductions will possibly be now paid to the insurance company?

If your cover is for now, ignore all the above, ...you may also have been taxed on the health insurance too (you don't say if this is full of only part funded) I would be wanting a refund from my company!

Zorillo

I don't understand why you think you're entitled to your money back. It's an administrative mistake, is all. If you'd needed the cover the mistake would've been rectified immediately (as it was). You have had the benefit of the insurance you paid for because you were unaware of the issue, and the cover was provided when you needed it.

You'd have had every right to make a fuss if your daughter's claim had been refused, but it wasn't.

csgohan4

OP what costs have you incurred? You still would be covered albeit an admin mistake, if you need to use earlier


Compensation culture