OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – An Oakland County couple says they were out over $800 because they say Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan wouldn’t refund their overpayment.
The couple reached out to Local 4 to help publicize their story.
Local 4 contacted the company and received the response below, indicating they plan to resolve the issue.
“After reviewing this member’s grievance, we identified a one-time billing error as the cause of this issue. This is in the process of being resolved, and a reimbursement check will be issued and mailed to the member early next week. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this error,” the statement said.
Here’s how the Waterford couple got here.
“I’ve never been able to talk to somebody to go through this, so that’s why I’m talking to you,” Jim Matt, of Waterford, said.
Matt and his wife have had Blue Cross Blue Shield for a number of years. In Dec. 2024, they paid off the year’s policy and attempted to make a payment toward their 2025 plan.
Then, Matt got a notice. It was the kind that makes your stomach drop.
“They said, ‘Hey, you need to pay for your plan.’ I called and said, ‘Wait a minute, I paid for it on December 10th.’ And they are like, ‘no, you didn’t,’” Matt said.
Turns out, he’d accidentally made his payment to the 2024 plan, not the 2025 plan.
Matt thought it’d be an easy fix. He called the company again.
They said they couldn’t transfer the funds, so they developed a different plan.
They would refund him by check, and he’d agreed to be double-billed for January and February.
On Jan. 6, 2025, they cut a check, and Matt got it in the mail. He went to deposit it, and things took a turn.
“On the 27th, they stopped payment on that check,” Matt said.
“How much was that check for?” Local 4’s Kyla Russell asked.
“One month premium, $830.09,” Matt said. “I was within $20 dollars of my account bouncing checks. It might be dinky money to them, but for me, it’s a substantial amount.”
Matt disputed the overcharge with Discover, and they credited the amount to him.
He thought things were settled until summer rolled around.
“After paying normal premium payments for March, April, and May, I got a double bill for my July payment,” Matt said.
Matt filed a grievance with Blue Cross Blue Shield in August and waited 30 days without receiving any communication or confirmation, he says.
He called again and didn’t get anybody, so he sent an email. Then,j they called him.
“She said, ‘Oh yeah, your grievance was denied back in September.’ I had never been informed about that,” Matt said.
By this time, it was nearly mid-October.
“I call back, no call back, they’ve ghosted me,” Matt said.
“Frustrating probably doesn’t cut it, but explain to me how this has made you guys feel,” Russell asked.
“If I had to rate the company for their medical, but for their billing, and for their executives, my satisfaction is a one or a two out of ten,” Matt said.