Battling corporate America

 

That’s what I did today. I spent most of the time when I should have been working on my novel-in-progress fighting with corporate America. I’m quite sure I didn’t win.

The worst call of the day was to Cigna Dental. Quick recap: TCU cancelled their program covering employee dental policies, so in April I took out an individual policy. Sent them checks faithfully. Like clockwork they returned the checks to my bank. Each month I called for better instruction, sent another check. In September, I received a letter telling me they had cancelled my policy July 31 due to nonpayment. For two months I was uninsured, though I didn’t know it. Fortunately no dental catastrophes. In October, I received late payment notices, which I ignored because they had cancelled my insurance. But finally, frustrated, I called, they said it was still an open policy, and I said close it. I wanted nothing to do with them. Last week they sent more overdue notices, along with i.d. cards. Today I was on hold for 45 long minutes. A woman listened to my story and sent me to another woman who said she would review my records. I lost it. I informed her, not politely I fear, there was no need. I knew the record. I just wanted them to stop harassing me! She offered to send me to someone else. I told her to take me out of their records and hung up, my patience absolutely gone.

State Farm was better. I am trying to straighten out giving my car to the Burtons and rearranging my property and liability insurance. Turns out if I take the car out of the policy it gets more expensive instead of cheaper—go figure. The ways of insurance are inscrutable. And I as an individual, have no leverage despite the fact I have been a State Farm customer for at least fifty years.

Next came the company that makes my walker. I want to upgrade, but the sweet young thing on the other end didn’t know anymore than I did. She fed me answers I‘d already found on the online listings. Obviously, she was lookin for answers on the same page I had open in front of me. So I called a local dealer. He was helpful sort of—said my problem with an earlier walker that broke was that I ordered from a big online chain (obviously I should have ordered from him was the message). But it turns out he can’t get them—supply chain problems—so he advised me to order online, although this time I am looking at a much sturdier (and expensive) model. He didn’t seem to notice he was contradicting himself. Wish I knew an individual craftsman who could fashion a walker/transport chair to my specifications, but I am again caught in the corporate world.

Then there was Central Market. Every time I try to log in to the website to order for curbside pickup, I get a page that tells me access is denied for security reasons. The representative was really pleasant, concerned—and baffled. She turned the problem over to IT where they were also baffled but had other similar complaints. Tonight I still have no access, but I’ve had three messages from the rep, Lisa keeping me posted. That’s the personal touch I lon for in dealing with companies.

My takeaway advice from all this is avoid Cigna like the plague. Seriously, Central Market and State Farm confirmed my faith in people, but increasingly I am disturbed by trying to deal with corporate America. I’m a big advocate of shopping locally and patronizing mom-and-pop stores when you can.

Most folks don’t recognize this, but the main cause of inflation is greedy corporations. We may be paying more at the gas pump or the grocery store of the pharmacy, but it’s because corporations are raking in huge profits. When President Biden talks of restoring America from the ground up he means to better the life of those of us who don’t earn millions a month. His program supports unions, because they fight for the average worker, and he support the legislation which will allow bargaining with drug companies rather than being victims of either pay their high prices or be sick.

My frustrating calls today made me realize again that we’ve lost the voice of the individual. I talked but the hired voices repeating what they were taught to say to one and all, didn’t hear me. I was not an individual but part of the crowd. I don’t like that, and I’ll fight against it. I doubt Cigna is much impressed that I told them off, but I am!