Los Angeles Anthem Bad Faith Insurance Lawyer
Every year, millions of Californians pay their health insurance premiums according to the contract they have with the carrier. If you fail to pay your premium, your coverage can be canceled—but what happens if the carrier fails to uphold their end of the agreement?
Unfortunately, this happens far too often, and insured Californians like yourself are forced to either pay for something their insurance should have covered or take on their insurance company and fight for coverage of their claim. However, there is help available if you find yourself in this situation. If you believe your health insurance carrier has wrongfully denied your claim, a Los Angeles Anthem bad faith insurance lawyer may be able to assist you.
What is Bad Faith?
Insurance companies often make promises and assurances to consumers regarding their benefits and what actions the company would take when they make a claim. They are selling a product and therefore want to make the product attractive.
When it is time to live up to those promises and provide policyholders with the coverage they promised, though, some health insurance companies fail to fulfill their end of the bargain. Instead, they search for loopholes in the policy or cite obscure terms and unclear language found in the fine print of a policy in order to deny a claim that they should be paying or to pay less than the full amount. Depending on the circumstances, this could qualify as a “bad faith” interpretation of the policy.
Breaking the Contract
An insurance policy is also a contract. In addition to acting in bad faith, insurance companies that do this are often not performing in accordance with the contract they have with the insured. Therefore, they are also breaking contract laws.
Rights of the Insured: Independent Medical Review
According to a survey conducted by the Consumers Union, 71 percent of Californians are unaware of their right to appeal to the state or to an independent medical expert if they believe their insurance company has acted in bad faith in denying their claim. This is despite the fact that the right to an Independent Medical Review has been in effect via California worker’s compensation laws since 2001. California Regulation 9792.5.9(a) outlines this process.
However, this process can often be daunting and time-consuming for the layperson. Some may decide to hire an Anthem bad faith insurance lawyer in Los Angeles to help them submit their claim for a review or help them in other ways with the illegal and bad-faith actions by Anthem.
Let a Los Angeles Anthem Bad Faith Insurance Attorney Help
If your insurance company does not fulfill their agreement with you or live up to the promises they made, your prospects for getting coverage may feel hopeless. However, you do have legal rights, and an experienced Los Angeles Anthem bad faith insurance lawyer with extensive knowledge of Anthem’s responsibilities could help you stand up for them.
Skilled attorneys could take the time to listen to your story and develop a legal plan that is in your best interest. Reach out today to find out more about what could be done in your case.